Bishop Rachel has been Bishop of Gloucester since 2015. Prior to this all her ministry had been in London. Bishop Rachel made history as the first woman to become a diocesan bishop in the Church of England and the first female bishop to take a seat in the House of Lords. She is also the Bishop for HM Prisons in England and Wales.
She believes that every person is loved and known by God by name, and she longs for people of all ages and background to flourish and become the person they have been created to be. This belief shapes everything she does.
A passionate champion of children and young people, Bishop Rachel works to make sure their voices are heard and taken seriously. In her work for criminal justice reform, she recently ran a county-wide survey asking young people what they thought about the prison system, then took a group to the House of Lords to share their ideas directly with politicians and charity leaders.
She also led the national #Liedentity campaign, which helped raise awareness of body image worries and the pressures young people face from social media, advertising and popular culture. The simple message was: "Who you are is more than how you look.” Bishop Rachel went on to share the views of local young people in Parliament during discussions that helped shape the Online Safety Bill.
Bishop Rachel is also a national advocate for women and girls, not least within the criminal justice system, and also speaks on issues around violence against women and girls in the UK and around the world.
She is a patron for a number of charities and is a frequent visitor to Israel and Palestine.
Before becoming a bishop, Rachel worked as a paediatric speech and language therapist, helping children and families thrive.
Whether she's speaking in schools, churches, festivals or Parliament, Rachel brings a message of hope, courage and belonging. She is passionate about helping people discover who they are, how much they are valued, and the difference they can make in the world.
