THE newly appointed Bishop of Crediton ordained four new priests last weekend, becoming the first woman bishop in the Church of England to lead an ordination service.

Bishop Sarah ordained two new priests in Ottery St Mary last Saturday, and two in Sampford Peverell last Sunday.

The four clergy have spent a year in the parishes as deacons and after being ordained priests by Bishop Sarah, are now able to take weddings and lead Communion services.

Dame Sarah Mullally was consecrated as the new Bishop of Crediton by the Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral in July.

She was the fourth woman bishop to be appointed in the Church of England.

Before the ordinations Bishop Sarah said: “It is a great privilege to join these curates at such a significant point in their journey of faith.

“Their ordination as priests occurs in the midst of the communities they serve and as I join them in their significant day, it is another step towards making women bishops a normal part of the Church of England.”

In Ottery St Mary’s parish church, Bishop Sarah ordained Leisa McGovern and Sheila Walker, and in St John’s, Sampford Peverell she ordained Glyn Lewry and Jill Purser.