Christine Hardman

The Right Reverend
Christine Hardman
Bishop of Newcastle
Diocese Diocese of Newcastle
In office 22 September 2015–present
Predecessor Martin Wharton
Other posts Archdeacon of Lewisham/of Lewisham and Greenwich (2001–2012; title changed 2008)
Orders
Ordination 1987 (deacon)
1994 (priest)
Consecration 30 November 2015
by John Sentamu
Personal details
Born (1951-08-27) 27 August 1951
Denomination Anglicanism
Spouse Roger Hardman
Children 2
Education Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls
Alma mater University of London
Westminster College, Oxford

Christine Elizabeth Hardman (born 27 August 1951) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 22 September 2015, she has been the Bishop of Newcastle. She was Archdeacon of Lewisham from 2001 to 2008, then Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich from 2008 to 2012.

Early life and education

Hardman was educated at Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls, then an all-girls grammar school in Barnet, London.[1] She studied economics at Woolwich Polytechnic (now the University of Greenwich),[2] and graduated from the University of London with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1973.[3] After this, she worked as an articled clerk and with an estate agency. She later studied for a Master of Theology (MTh) in Applied Theology at Westminster College, Oxford.

She trained for ordained ministry on a part-time basis with the St Albans Ministry Course (this later merged to become the present day Eastern Region Ministry Course).[4] She is the first Church of England diocesan bishop to have been trained on a part-time course rather than at a residential theological college.[5]

Ordained ministry

Hardman served as a deaconess at St John the Baptist, Marykate Street in the Diocese of St Albans from 1984 to 1987. She was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1987. She then served as Parish Deacon of St John's for a year. From 1988 to 1991, she was a tutor on the St Albans Ministerial Training Scheme. She served as Course Director of the St Albans and Oxford Ministry Course from 1991 to 1996. She was ordained as a priest in 1994; the first year that the Church of England ordained women to the priesthood. She returned to St John the Baptist, Marykate Street to serve her curacy between 1994 and 1996.[3]

Hardman was then Vicar of Holy Trinity and Christ the King, Stevenage from 1996 to 2001, as well as Rural Dean of Stevenage from 1999 to 2001. She was then Archdeacon of Lewisham[6] (the title of the post changed to Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich in 2008) until her retirement from the post on 30 November 2012. She then became an assistant priest at Southwark Cathedral and held the title of archdeacon-emeritus.[7]

She has been a Member of the General Synod of the Church of England since 1998, with a brief break, and was the Prolocutor of the Lower House of the Convocation of Canterbury in the last synod 2010–2015; as a diocesan bishop she will automatically become a member of the synod once again in the House of Bishops. On the synod, she has served on the following committees: Eucharistic Prayers Revision Committee, the Dioceses and Pastoral Measures Review Group, and the Ethical Investment Advisory Group. She was involved in the legislation which allowed women to become bishops in the Church of England.

Episcopal ministry

On 2 September 2015, it was announced that Hardman is to become the twelfth Bishop of Newcastle[4] — the second woman to be a diocesan bishop in the Church of England and the first in the Province of York. She became the Bishop of Newcastle when her canonical election was confirmed on 22 September 2015 at York Minster.[8] On 30 November 2015, she was consecrated a bishop by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, during a service at York Minster.[9] On 12 December, a service of inauguration was held at Newcastle Cathedral during which she was enthroned as Bishop of Newcastle.[10]

Upon the retirement on 30 September 2015 of Jonathan Gledhill, Bishop of Lichfield, a seat in the House of Lords became vacant. With the passing of the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015, the vacancy had to be filled by a woman if one is eligible. As Hardman's confirmation of election had taken place eight days earlier, she became eligible. On 18 November 2015, she officially joined the House of Lords as a Lord Spiritual but tradition dictates that she would only take her place once she had participated in a introduction ceremony.[11] On 26 January 2016, she was introduced to the House of Lords, and can now take part in debates and votes.[12]

Personal life

At the age of 19, she married Roger Hardman.[2] They have two adult daughters, Elinor and Isabel, and four grandchildren.[13] Her hobbies including running and cycling; she has completed the London Marathon three times and the Great North Run once.

Styles

References

  1. ↑ ‘HARDMAN, Ven. Christine Elizabeth’, Who's Who 2012, A & C Black, 2012; online edition, Oxford University Press, November 2011 Accessed 12 April 2012
  2. 1 2 Robins, Wendy (22 September 2015). "In Profile: Christine Hardman". Diocese of Newcastle. Church of England. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Christine Elizabeth Hardman". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 6 December 2015. (subscription required)
  4. 1 2 Diocese of Newcastle — Christine Hardman to be Twelfth Bishop of Newcastle (Accessed 2 September 2015)
  5. ↑ Eastern Region Ministry Course (2 September 2015). "APPOINTMENT OF VEN. CHRISTINE HARDMAN AS BISHOP OF NEWCASTLE". Thinking Anglicans. Retrieved 11 September 2015. Christine is to be the first diocesan bishop who trained on a course
  6. ↑ Southwark Anglican
  7. ↑ "Church Times gazette". Church Times. 17 August 2012. p. 24. #7796.
  8. ↑ "Confirmation of Election Service for the 12th Bishop of Newcastle". Diocese of Newcastle. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  9. ↑ Diocese of Newcastle — Confirmation of Election Service for the 12th Bishop of Newcastle (Accessed 23 September 2015)
  10. ↑ "Inauguration of the twelfth Bishop of Newcastle". What's On. Diocese of Newcastle. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  11. ↑ "Bishop of Newcastle". House of Lords. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Diocese of Newcastle — Bishops' Diaries (Accessed 27 January 2016)
  13. ↑ Thinking Anglicans blog. Next Bishop of Newcastle announced (Accessed 2 September 2015)
Church of England titles
Preceded by
David Atkinson		 Archdeacon of Lewisham
2001–2012 		Succeeded by
Alastair Cutting
Preceded by
Martin Wharton		 Bishop of Newcastle
2015–present 		Incumbent
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