Carol Stone

{{for|the actress|Carol Stone (actress)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = The Reverend | name = Carol Stone | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|TD|size=100%}} | image =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Peter James Stone | birth_date = 1954 | birth_place = England | other_names = Carol Ann Stone | death_date = 27 December 2014 (aged 60) | death_place = Wroughton, England | burial_place = Swindon, England | alma_mater = {{unbulleted list | University of Leicester | Queens' College, Cambridge | Westcott House, Cambridge}} | spouse = {{unbulleted list | {{marriage|Margaret|1976|1983|end=div}} | Jo-Anne ({{abbr|div.|divorced}})}} | module = {{Infobox clergy | child = yes | religion = Christianity (Anglican) | church = Church of England | ordained = {{unbulleted list | 1978 (deacon) | 1979 (priest)}} | offices_held = {{unbulleted list | Vicar of St Philip's Church, Swindon (1996–2014) | Priest-in-Charge of St Peter's, Penhill (2006–2014)}} }} | module2 = {{Infobox military person | embed = yes | branch = British Army | service_years = 1984–2004 | rank = Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class | service_number = 520138 | unit = Royal Army Chaplains' Department }} }} '''Carol Ann Stone''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|TD}} (formerly '''Peter James Stone''', 1954–2014) was an English Anglican priest and chaplain. She was the first serving priest of the Church of England to transition from male to female.<ref name="BBC - First serving sex-change vicar Carol Stone dies">{{cite news|title=First Serving Sex-Change Vicar Carol Stone Dies|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-30642056|accessdate=31 December 2014|work=BBC News|date=31 December 2014}}</ref> She was ordained in 1978 as a male, underwent sex reassignment surgery in 2000, and continued her ministry as a female.<ref name="BBC - Sex change vicar returns to parish">{{cite news|title=Sex Change Vicar Returns to Parish|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1045021.stm|access-date=31 December 2014|work=BBC News|date=28 November 2000}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Stone was born in 1954.<ref name="BBC - First serving sex-change vicar Carol Stone dies" /><ref name="Crockford entry">{{Crockford| surname = Stone | forenames = Carol Ann | id = 5692 | accessed = 22 June 2018}}</ref><ref name="LG 19 March 1990" /> She studied at the University of Leicester, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975.<ref name="Crockford entry" /> In 1976, Stone entered Westcott House, Cambridge, to train for ordination. She also studied theology at Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating from the University of Cambridge with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977 and being promoted to Master of Arts in 1981.<ref name="Crockford entry" />

==Ordained ministry== Stone was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1978 and as priest in 1979.<ref name="BBC - Sex change vicar returns to parish" /><ref name="Telegraph - Sex-change vicar tells how her prayers have been answered" /> She served her curacy at Holy Trinity Church, Bradford-on-Avon, a Liberal Anglo-Catholic church in the diocese of Salisbury.<ref name="Crockford entry" /><ref name="BBC - Sex-change vicar back in pulpit">{{cite news|title=Sex-Change Vicar Back in Pulpit|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1052786.stm|access-date=31 December 2014|work=BBC News|date=3 December 2000}}</ref> She received a National Broadcasting Award from the Sandford St Martin Trust in 1979 for her contributions to radio.<ref name="BBC - Sex-change vicar back in pulpit"/>

From 1981 to 1983, Stone held her first incumbency as rector of St Mary's Church, Corsley, Wiltshire, in the diocese of Salisbury.<ref name="Crockford entry" /> From 1983 to 1988, she served as chaplain and head of religious studies at Dauntsey's School, a private school in West Lavington, Wiltshire.<ref name="BBC - First serving sex-change vicar Carol Stone dies" /><ref name="Crockford entry" /> From 1989 to 1994, she was vicar of St John the Evangelist's Church, Upper Studley, Trowbridge. Then she once more served as a chaplain, this time at Cheltenham College.<ref name="Crockford entry" /> In 1996, she was appointed vicar of St Philip's Church, Upper Stratton, Swindon.<ref name="BBC - Sex change vicar returns to parish" />

In June 2000, it was announced that she would be taking a short break from her parish work to undergo sex reassignment surgery.<ref name="Telegraph - Sex-change vicar tells how her prayers have been answered">{{cite news|last1=Combe|first1=Victoria|title=Sex-Change Vicar Tells How Her Prayers Have Been Answered |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1376173/Sex-change-vicar-tells-how-her-prayers-have-been-answered.html|accessdate=31 December 2014|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=29 November 2000}}</ref> She had the support of her bishop, Barry Rogerson, who stated: {{blockquote|The Rev Peter Stone has been under medical supervision for some time and has been diagnosed by two psychiatric practitioners as having a condition for which the appropriate medical treatment is Gender Redesignation.

There are no ethical or ecclesiastical legal reasons why the Rev Carol Stone should not continue in ministry in the Church of England.<ref name="BBC - Vicar plans sex change">{{cite news|title=Vicar Plans Sex Change|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/797722.stm|access-date=31 December 2014|work=BBC News|date=19 June 2000}}</ref>}}

In November 2000, she returned to St Philip's and parish ministry and began using the name Carol Ann Stone.<ref name="BBC - Sex change vicar returns to parish" /><ref name="BBC - Vicar plans sex change"/> During her first Sunday service since returning, one woman shouted negative comments at her before being removed from the church by other churchgoers: a police officer had attended the service as a precautionary measure but did not have to become involved.<ref name="obit - Western Daily Express">{{cite news|last1=Cork|first1=Tristan|title=Swindon Vicar Carol Stone, First Church of England Priest to Undergo Sex Change, Dies at 60|url=http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Swindon-vicar-Carol-Stone-Church-England-priest/story-25788075-detail/story.html|accessdate=31 December 2014|work=Western Daily Express|date=31 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231203050/http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Swindon-vicar-Carol-Stone-Church-England-priest/story-25788075-detail/story.html|archive-date=31 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Stone was given a standing ovation at the end of the service by the remaining members of the congregation.<ref name="BBC - Sex-change vicar back in pulpit" /><br />Of the eighty members of the congregation, would be reduced to seventy six, with four members of the congregation leaving the church because of Vicar Stone's transition; the rest "agreed to welcome their priest back as a woman".<ref name="Telegraph - Sex-change vicar tells how her prayers have been answered" />

In 2006, she became a governor of Swindon College, having completed a course in photography there.<ref>{{cite web|title=Governors of Swindon College|url=http://www.swindon-college.ac.uk/governance/governors-swindon-college|publisher=Swindon College|accessdate=31 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231204958/http://www.swindon-college.ac.uk/governance/governors-swindon-college|archive-date=31 December 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> In December 2006, she was appointed priest-in-charge of St Peter's Church, Penhill, Swindon, in addition to her role as vicar of St Philip's.<ref>{{cite web|title=Home Page|url=http://www.stphilipswindon.co.uk/|publisher=St Philip's, Upper Stratton and St Peter's, Penhill Swindon|accessdate=31 December 2014|archive-date=31 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231204814/http://www.stphilipswindon.co.uk/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Military service=== In addition to her parish ministry and school chaplaincy, Stone served as military chaplain. On 18 July 1984, she was commissioned into the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, Territorial Army, as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent in rank to captain): she was given the service number ''520138''.<ref name="LG 10 September 1984">{{London Gazette |issue=49863 |date=10 September 1984 |page=12326 |supp=y }}</ref> From 1984 to 1989, she served as chaplain to a unit of the Army Cadet Force.<ref name="Crockford entry" />

On 1 January 1990, she was transferred from TA Group B to TA Group A, therefore starting her service in the active reserve section of the Territorial Army.<ref name="LG 19 March 1990">{{London Gazette |issue=52080 |date=19 March 1990 |page=3669 }}</ref> On 1 January 1996, she was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (equivalent in rank to major).<ref name="LG 11 March 1996">{{London Gazette |issue=54342 |date=11 March 1996 |page=3706 }}</ref> In June 2003, she was awarded the Efficiency Decoration (Territorial) in recognition of long service in the reserves.<ref name="LG 3 June 2003">{{London Gazette |issue=56952 |date=3 June 2003 |page=6800 |supp=y }}</ref>

She resigned her commission on 7 May 2004.<ref name="LG 24 August 2004">{{London Gazette |issue=57390 |date=24 August 2004 |page=10687 |supp=y }}</ref>

==Personal life== Stone had been twice married and divorced:<ref name="BBC - Vicar plans sex change" /> first to Margaret, from 1976 to 1983, and secondly to Jo-Anne, an American.<ref name="Telegraph - Sex-change vicar tells how her prayers have been answered" /> She had one child from her first marriage, a daughter, who was 18 years of age at the time of her transition in 2000.<ref name="Telegraph - Sex-change vicar tells how her prayers have been answered" /><ref name="BBC - Vicar plans sex change" />

Stone died on 27 December 2014 in Wroughton from pancreatic cancer and was buried in Swindon.<ref name="BBC - First serving sex-change vicar Carol Stone dies" /><ref name="Diocese of Bristol">{{cite web |title=Revd Carol Stone, 1954–2014 |url=https://www.bristol.anglican.org/news/2015/01/05/revd-carol-stone-1954-2014/ |publisher=Diocese of Bristol |access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Carol}} Category:1954 births Category:2014 deaths Category:20th-century English Anglican priests Category:21st-century English Anglican priests Category:Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Category:Alumni of the University of Leicester Category:Alumni of Westcott House, Cambridge Category:Schoolteachers from Wiltshire Category:Army Cadet Force officers Category:Royal Army Chaplains' Department officers Category:20th-century Church of England clergy Category:21st-century Church of England clergy Category:English chaplains Category:LGBTQ Anglican clergy Category:Transgender Christian clergy Category:20th-century English LGBTQ people Category:21st-century English LGBTQ people Category:English transgender women Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in England