British bishop and former speech and language therapist
Janet Elizabeth "Jan " McFarlane (born 25 November 1964) is a British Church of England bishop and former speech and language therapist. She has been a Canon Residentiary of Lichfield Cathedral and honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Lichfield since 2020. In April 2023 she was appointed interim Dean of Lichfield Cathedral.[1] She previously served as Bishop of Repton (the suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Derby ) since her consecration as a bishop on 29 June 2016;[2] [3] and (additionally) Acting Bishop of Derby from 31 August 2018 to February 2019.[4] On 5 June 2024, it was announced that she would be the next Dean of Lichfield; her installation at Lichfield Cathedral is scheduled for 21 September 2024.[5]
Early life and education
Jan McFarlane was born on 25 November 1964 in Stoke-on-Trent , Staffordshire , England.[6] [7] [8] She was educated at Blythe Bridge High School , a state secondary school in Blythe Bridge near Stoke-on-Trent.[9] She studied at the University of Sheffield , graduating with a Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSci) degree in 1987.[6] She then worked as a Speech Therapist in the National Health Service and lived in North Staffordshire .[10] She specialised in teaching deaf children to speak.[7]
Having been selected for ordination, Jan McFarlane underwent a number of years of formation. She studied theology at St John's College, Durham , and graduated from the University of Durham with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1992.[6] She then underwent a further year of training at Cranmer Hall, Durham , an open evangelical Anglican theological college ,[6] [11] completing a Diploma in Ministry (DipMin) in 1993.[8]
Ordained ministry
McFarlane was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1993 at Lichfield Cathedral .[6] [11] From 1993 to 1994, she served as parish deacon in the Stafford Team Ministry in the Diocese of Lichfield .[6] She was ordained as a priest in 1994.[6] She was one of the first female priests as 1994 was the first year that the Church of England ordained women to the priesthood.[12] From 1994 to 1996, she remained in the Stafford to serve her curacy as part of the Stafford Team Ministry.[6] [11] From 1996 to 1999, she was a chaplain and minor canon of Ely Cathedral in the Diocese of Ely .[6]
In 1999, she moved to the Diocese of Norwich to take up the appointment of Diocesan Director of Communications.[6] From 2001 to 2009, she was additionally chaplain to Graham James , Bishop of Norwich .[6] [11] She was selected as the next Archdeacon of Norwich in 2008.[10] On 15 March 2009, she was installed as Archdeacon in Norwich Cathedral .[11] Upon her appointment, she became one of only nine female archdeacons out of a total of 112 in the Church of England and the first in her diocese.[10] From 2015, she also served as Warden of Readers for the diocese.[13]
Jan McFarlane was first elected to the General Synod of the Church of England in 2005.[9] She is a supporter of the ordination of women as bishops .[14] She was a member of the General Synod that approved the consecration of women to the episcopate.[15]
Episcopal ministry
On 26 February 2016, Jan McFarlane was announced as the next Bishop of Repton , suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Derby .[12] She was consecrated a bishop by Justin Welby , Archbishop of Canterbury , on 29 June 2016.[2] [3] She was welcomed into the Diocese of Derby as Bishop of Repton on 7 September 2016, during service at Derby Cathedral .[16]
It was announced in January 2020 that she would be moving to become a Residentiary Canon ("Canon Custos") of Lichfield Cathedral ,[17] and an honorary assistant bishop of the Diocese of Lichfield , the following April.[18] She was duly licensed to those roles on 3 April 2020.[19] In April 2023, she was licensed as interim dean of Lichfield Cathedral.[20] [21] On 5 June 2024, it was announced that she had been appointed Dean of Lichfield on a permanent basis.[22] [23] She will be installed as dean during a service at Lichfield Cathedral on 21 September 2024.[5]
Personal life
In 2004, McFarlane married Andrew Ridoutt.[8] Her husband works as a television cameraman .[12]
In February 2014, McFarlane was diagnosed with breast cancer . As part of her treatment, she underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy . She shared her story with a local newspaper, the Eastern Daily Press , and "urged other cancer patients to not hide away from the disease".[24]
Selected works
References
^ Clergy News, The Daily Telegraph, 27 May 2023
^ a b Diocese of Derby — The Bishop of Repton (Archived 22 October 2016 and accessed 28 July 2021) & [1] (Accessed 28 July 2021)
^ a b Twitter — Adrian Harris (Accessed 29 June 2016)
^ "Bishop Jan writes…" . www.derby.anglican.org . Archived from the original on 2 September 2018.
^ a b "First Female Dean of Lichfield Appointed" . Lichfield Cathedral . 5 June 2024. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k
"Janet Elizabeth McFarlane" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 30 November 2015 .
^ a b "Norwich vicar Jan's debt to Dawn French" . Network Norwich . 15 October 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2015 .
^ a b c "McFARLANE, Ven. Janet Elizabeth" . Who's Who 2016 . Oxford University Press. November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2016 .
^ a b "Archdeacon of Norwich set to be made a bishop" . Network Norfolk . 26 February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016 .
^ a b c "First-ever female archdeacon set for Norwich" . Network Norfolk . 20 June 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2015 .
^ a b c d e "Archdeacon of Norwich" . Diocese of Norwich . The Church of England. Retrieved 24 November 2015 .
^ a b c "Suffragan Bishop of Repton: Janet Elizabeth McFarlane" . GOV.UK . Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016 .
^ "Archdeacon of Norwich to be made a bishop" . Diocese of Norwich . Church of England. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016 .
^ "Women Bishops: Enough Waiting – Jan McFarlane's message to General Synod" . Archbishop of Canterbury . 15 November 2012. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2015 .
^ "The Archdeacon of Norwich, the Venerable Jan McFarlane, on today's women bishops vote" . BBC Radio Norfolk . 14 July 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2015 .
^ "Welcome service for the Bishop of Repton" . derbycathedral.org . Derby Cathedral. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016 .
^ "New Canon Custos at Lichfield Cathedral" .
^ "UK news in brief" . www.churchtimes.co.uk . 31 January 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020 .
^ @BpJanMc (3 April 2020). "Thanks to modern technology I am now officially commissioned as Canon Custos @LichfieldCath and Assistant Bishop @Lichfield_CofE. Apparently I kept disappearing off the screen. I promise not to do this in real life" (Tweet ) – via Twitter .
^ "Appointments" . Church Times . 19 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023 .
^ "Who's Who: Interim Dean" . Lichfield Cathedral . Retrieved 28 May 2023 .
^ "Appointment of Dean of Lichfield: 5 June 2024" . GOV.UK . Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024 .
^ "No. 64438" . The London Gazette . 20 June 2024. p. 11922.
^ Gretton, Adam (30 August 2014). " 'The more open we can be, the less frightening cancer becomes' – the Archdeacon of Norwich, the Ven Jan McFarlane, shares her story about her fight with breast cancer" . Eastern Daily Press . Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015 .
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