Jill Duff

{{short description|British Anglican bishop|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{EngvarB|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific_prefix = The Right Reverend Dr | name = Jill Duff | honorific_suffix = | title = Bishop of Lancaster | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | church = Church of England | province = | diocese = Diocese of Blackburn | see = | elected =  | term = 2018–present | predecessor = | successor = | other_post = Director of {{nowrap|St Mellitus}} College, {{nowrap|North West}} {{nowrap|(March 2013{{snd}}2018)}}  | ordination = 2003 (deacon) <br /> 2004 (priest) | ordained_by = | consecration = 2018 | consecrated_by =  | birth_name = Jillian Louise Calland Worsley | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1972}}  | birth_place = Bolton, Lancashire, England | death_date =  | death_place =  | buried =  | resting_place_coordinates = | nationality = British | religion = Anglicanism | residence = | parents = | spouse = Rev. Jeremy Duff | children = 2 sons | occupation = | profession =  | education = | alma_mater = {{plain list| * Christ's College, Cambridge * Worcester College, Oxford * Wycliffe Hall, Oxford }} }}

'''Jillian Louise Calland Duff''' (called '''Jill''';<ref name="Next" /><ref name="joins" /><ref name="LT">{{cite news|last1=Jacobs|first1=Bill|title=Church of England names Dr Jill Duff as first female bishop in Lancashire|url=http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/16083110.Church_of_England_names_Dr_Jill_Duff_as_first_female_bishop_in_Lancashire/|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=Lancashire Telegraph|date=13 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="announced" /> {{née}} '''Worsley'''; born 1972) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 2018, she has been the Bishop of Lancaster, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Blackburn. Previously, she had been Director of St Mellitus College, North West, an Anglican theological college, from 2013 to 2018.

Before ordination, she studied chemistry at university and worked in the oil industry. After ordination in the Church of England, she served in the Diocese of Liverpool in parish ministry, chaplaincy, and church planting.

==Early life and education==

Duff was born in 1972 in Bolton, Lancashire, England.<ref name="GOV">{{cite web|title=Queen approves appointment of Suffragan See of Lancaster|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/queen-approves-appointment-of-suffragan-see-of-lancaster|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|accessdate=13 March 2018|date=13 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="Crockford">{{Crockford| surname = Duff | forenames = Jillian Louise Calland | id = 1417 | accessed = 13 March 2018}}</ref> She was educated at Bolton School, a private school in Bolton.<ref name="Next">{{cite web|title=Next Anglican Bishop of Lancaster is Rev Dr Jill Duff|url=https://www.blackburn.anglican.org/news/107/next-anglican-bishop-of-lancaster-is-rev|website=Diocese of Blackburn|accessdate=13 March 2018|date=13 March 2018}}</ref> She studied Natural Sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1993:<ref name="Crockford" /><ref name="joins">{{cite web|title=Jill Duff joins SMC staff|url=https://www.stmellitus.org/news/jill-duff-joins-smc-staff|publisher=St Mellitus College|accessdate=13 March 2018|date=11 March 2013|archive-date=14 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180314104709/https://www.stmellitus.org/news/jill-duff-joins-smc-staff|url-status=dead}}</ref> as per tradition, her BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree in 1997.<ref name="Crockford" /> She then studied chemistry at Worcester College, Oxford, completing her Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree in 1996.<ref name="Crockford" /><ref name="joins" /> Her doctoral thesis was titled "Investigations of redox-coupled proton transfer by iron-sulfur cluster systems in proteins".<ref name="thesis">{{cite web|last1=Duff|first1=Jillian L. C.|title=Investigations of redox-coupled proton transfer by iron-sulfur cluster systems in proteins|url=http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.337785|website=E-Thesis Online Service|publisher=The British Library Board|year=1996}}</ref> Her early career was spent working in the oil industry.<ref name="GOV" />

==Ordained ministry==

Duff trained for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, an evangelical Anglican theological college.<ref name="Next" /> She also studied theology during this time, and graduated from Wycliffe with a BA degree in 2002.<ref name="Crockford" /> She was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2003 and as a priest in 2004.<ref name="Crockford" />

From 2003 to 2005, Duff served her curacy at St Philip's Church, Litherland in the Diocese of Liverpool.<ref name="Next" /> In 2005, she was appointed the first pioneer minister in the Diocese of Liverpool.<ref name="joins" /> In that role, she was tasked with planting churches in Liverpool city centre to evangelise to the unchurched in their 20s and 30s.<ref name="GOV" /><ref name="joins" /> In 2009, she was additionally appointed chaplain to Liverpool College, then a private all-through school:<ref name="GOV" /> she would continue this role part-time until 2016.<ref name="Next" />

In 2011, Duff left her church planting role, and was appointed a vocations development advisor in the Diocese of Liverpool and an initial ministerial education (IME) tutor.<ref name="GOV" /><ref name="Crockford" /><ref name="Next" /> In 2012, she liaised between St Mellitus College, an Anglican theological college in London, and the Church of England's north west dioceses (Blackburn, Carlisle, Chester, Liverpool, and Manchester) to create a new theological college in the North West of England.<ref name="joins" /> In March 2013, she was appointed the first director of St Mellitus College, North West.<ref name="GOV" /><ref name="joins" /> St Mellitus NW is the first full-time ordination course in the North West since St Aidan's College, Birkenhead was closed in 1969.<ref name="joins" /> She has additionally held Permission to Officiate in the Dioceses of Liverpool since 2013, of Chester since 2017, and Diocese of St Asaph since 2018.<ref name="Crockford" />

===Episcopal ministry===

On 13 March 2018, Duff was announced as the next Bishop of Lancaster, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Blackburn.<ref name="GOV" /><ref name="Next" /> She was consecrated a bishop by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, on 29 June 2018 during a service at York Minster.<ref>Daily Telegraph Issue no 50,733 (dated Saturday 30 June 2018) p6, news</ref><ref name="LT" /><ref name="announced">{{cite web|title=Jill Duff announced as next Bishop of Lancaster|url=https://www.stmellitus.org/news/jill-duff-announced-next-bishop-lancaster|website=St Mellitus|accessdate=14 March 2018|date=13 March 2018|archive-date=15 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315133605/https://www.stmellitus.org/news/jill-duff-announced-next-bishop-lancaster|url-status=dead}}</ref> She was installed as the eighth suffragan Bishop of Lancaster in July 2018 during a service at Blackburn Cathedral.<ref>{{cite web |title=Installation of The Bishop Of Lancaster Rt Rev. Dr Jill Duff |url=https://www.blackburncathedral.com/installation-of-the-bishop-of-lancaster-rt-rev-dr-jill-duff/ |website=Blackburn Cathedral |accessdate=17 October 2018 |date=4 July 2018}}</ref>

===Views=== Duff is an evangelical Anglican.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Macintyre |first1=James |title=Jill Duff, evangelical with oil industry background, appointed bishop of Lancaster |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/jill-duff-evangelical-with-oil-industry-background-appointed-bishop-of-lancaster/127317.htm |website=Christian Today |access-date=26 April 2021 |language=en |date=13 March 2018}}</ref> She was involved in the Church of England's "Living in Love and Faith" (LLF);<ref name="response">{{cite web |last1=Goddard |first1=Andrew |title=Living in Love and Faith: an evangelical response |url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/living.in.love.and.faith.an.evangelicaangelicl.response/135920.htm |website=Christian Today |access-date=26 April 2021 |language=en |date=18 November 2020}}</ref> discussions relating to "matters of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage".<ref>{{cite web |title=About Living in Love and Faith |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/living-love-and-faith/about-living-love-and-faith |website=The Church of England |access-date=26 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref> She was also involved in ''The Beautiful Story'', a film released by the Church of England Evangelical Council in response to LLF which championed the Church of England's traditional teaching on sex, sexuality and same-sex relationships.<ref name="response" /> She holds an "orthodox position" on sex and marriage, which means that she is against same-sex marriage.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Duff |first1=Jill |title=Don't pre-judge the CofE's new resources on sexuality |url=https://www.premierchristianity.com/home/dont-pre-judge-the-cofes-new-resources-on-sexuality/3167.article |website=Premier Christianity |access-date=26 April 2021 |date=9 November 2020 |quote=So we who hold an orthodox position [...] We have an advantage of unity, the status quo, and the international Christian community, and two millennia of history.}}</ref>

In 2023, following the news that the House of Bishop's of the Church of England was to introduce proposals for blessing same-sex relationships, she signed an open letter which stated:<ref name="Doctrine of Marriage">{{cite web |title=LLF: a paper on the Doctrine of Marriage |url=https://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/llf-a-paper-on-the-doctrine-of-marriage |website=Thinking Anglicans |access-date=31 January 2023 |language=en |date=31 January 2023}}</ref>

{{blockquote| many Christians in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, together with Christians from across the churches of world Christianity, continue to believe that marriage is given by God for the union of a man and woman and that it cannot be extended to those who are of the same sex. [...] Without seeking to diminish the value of many committed same-sex relationships, for which there is much to give thanks, we find ourselves constrained by what we sincerely believe the Scriptures teach which cannot be set aside.<ref name="Doctrine of Marriage" />}}

During the Church of England's February 2023 General Synod meeting, Duff was one of four bishops in the house to vote against the successful proposal to introduce blessings and prayers for same-sex relationships.<ref name="gs-2023-llf-vote">{{cite web |title=General Synod 9 TH February 2023 – Item 11 |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/Item%2011%20by%20House.pdf |publisher=Church of England |access-date=10 May 2023}}</ref> She also voted against introducing "standalone services for same-sex couples" on a trial basis during a meeting of the General Synod in November 2023; the motion passed.<ref>{{cite web |title=GENERAL SYNOD NOVEMBER 2023 GROUP OF SESSIONS BUSINESS DONE AT 5 P.M. |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/consolidated-business-done.pdf |website=churchofengland.org |publisher=The Church of England |access-date=23 November 2023 |date=13 November 2023 |quote=7. The motion (as amended) ‘That this Synod, conscious that the Church is not of one mind on the issues raised by Living in Love and Faith, that we are in a period of uncertainty, and that many in the Church on all sides are being deeply hurt at this time, recognise the progress made by the House of Bishops towards implementing the motion on Living in Love and Faith passed by this Synod in February 2023, as reported in GS 2328, encourage the House to continue its work of implementation, and ask the House to consider whether some standalone services for same-sex couples could be made available for use, possibly on a trial basis, on the timescale envisaged by the motion passed by the Synod in February 2023.’ was carried following a counted vote by Houses.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=General Synod 15th November 2023 – Item 007 |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/item-7.pdf |website=churchofengland.org |publisher=The Church of England |access-date=23 November 2023 |date=15 November 2023}}</ref>

Despite being an "outspoken opponent of the introduction of blessings for same-sex couples in the Church of England", she took part in the laying on of hands during the consecration of David Morris as a bishop in the Church in Wales: he is engaged to marry a man but the Church in Wales allows its clergy to enter into same-sex marriages.<ref name="judge">{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Francis |title=Bishop of Lancaster: I cannot judge Welsh bishop |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/17-may/news/uk/bishop-of-lancaster-i-cannot-judge-welsh-bishop |access-date=19 May 2024 |work=Church Times |date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518105023/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/17-may/news/uk/bishop-of-lancaster-i-cannot-judge-welsh-bishop |archive-date=18 May 2024}}</ref>

==Personal life==

Duff is married to Jeremy Duff: he is an Anglican priest who is currently the Principal of St Padarn's Institute, a theological training initiative of the Church in Wales. He is also the author of a well known Greek textbook, “The Elements of New Testament Greek (3rd edition)”.<ref name="Next" /> Together they have two sons.<ref name="joins" />

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duff, Jillian Louise Calland}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Anglican bishops of Lancaster Category:Women Anglican bishops Category:21st-century English Anglican priests Category:British academic administrators Category:Women academic administrators Category:Clergy from Bolton Category:People educated at Bolton School Category:Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Category:Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Category:People in the petroleum industry Category:Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Category:Evangelical Anglican bishops Category:Staff of St Mellitus College