“I am passionate about every member of the body of Christ being nurtured and supported to live out our baptismal calling ‘to witness to God’s love and to work for the coming of God’s kingdom’ every day of the week among the people and places of our lives."
Bishop Rachel was consecrated as the 41st Bishop of Gloucester in 2015 and made history by becoming the first female diocesan bishop and the first female bishop in the House of Lords.
Bishop Rachel trained as a Speech and Language Therapist at Reading University and began her life in ordained ministry in 1994, after training at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford.
Her role in the House of Lords includes being the Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons in England and Wales and she is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women in the Penal System. In addition, she holds a number of positions across a wide range of voluntary and statutory organisations, which include being President of the Nelson Trust, a Patron of both the Prison Fellowship and The Welcome Directory and an Ambassador for the Christian charity Restored.
Bishop Rachel holds the portfolio for and is the House of Bishops champion for Setting God’s People Free. She explains “I am passionate about every member of the body of Christ being nurtured and supported to live out our baptismal calling ‘to witness to God’s love and to work for the coming of God’s kingdom’ every day of the week among the people and places of our lives.
During her time as the Bishop of Gloucester, she has launched two nationally and internationally recognised campaigns #Liedentity and Fighting for Women’s Justice.
The #Liedentity campaign was launched in 2016 and raises awareness of body image anxiety in young people and the pressures they face through social media, TV and advertising to look a certain way, changing the message that ‘who you are, is all about how you look’.
With a keen interest in gender justice and a particular passion for vulnerable girls and women she launched the campaign Fighting for Women’s Justice in 2017. The campaign aims to change the women’s justice system and raise awareness of the incredible work that takes place through Women’s Centres across the country, supporting the most vulnerable women in our communities.
Bishop Rachel is married to Guy, who was a vicar in the City of London until their move to Gloucester. Together they enjoy walking and canoeing.