Jane Alexander (bishop)

Jane Alexander (born March 29, 1959)^[1] is a British-born Canadian Anglican bishop. She is the current Bishop of Edmonton, a bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada.^[2] She was installed on May 11, 2008, at All Saints' Anglican Cathedral.^[3]

Until her consecration as a bishop Alexander served as Dean of Edmonton and Rector of All Saints' Cathedral. She is the first female diocesan bishop to succeed another female diocesan bishop in the Anglican Communion.

Early life and teaching career

Alexander grew up in England and attended Brunts Grammar School in Mansfield. As a child she was forbidden from attending any religious classes at school by her father.^[4] It was not until she was 25 that she was baptized with her eldest child in the Church of England.^[3]

Alexander graduated from Newcastle University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours, having completed a thesis on English liturgical music from 1370 to 1430.^[2] She then worked as a music teacher, eventually specializing in special education.^[2]

After moving to Canada with her family in 1990, Alexander earned a Master of Education degree in 1993, followed by a Ph.D. degree in educational psychology in 1996, both from the University of Alberta.^[2] She then worked as a professor in educational psychology at the University of Alberta.

Ministry

In 1998 Alexander was ordained as a deacon. She was ordained as a priest in 2001 after earning her Masters of Theological Studies from Newman Theological College, a private Roman Catholic college. She worked at a number of parishes in the Diocese of Edmonton.^[2] In 2006 she was appointed Dean of All Saints' Cathedral in Edmonton.^[2][5]

Episcopate

In 2007 Bishop Victoria Matthews resigned as Bishop of Edmonton and Alexander became diocesan administrator in her capacity as dean of the diocese. She was elected to be the next bishop on 8 March 2008 on the third ballot.^[2]

Alexander was consecrated as a bishop at All Saints' Cathedral and formally installed as Bishop of Edmonton on 11 May 2008, the feast of Pentecost.^[3]

Alexander's succeeding of Matthews as Bishop of Edmonton was the first instance in the Anglican Communion in which a female diocesan bishop succeeded another. Matthews was Alexander's ordaining bishop for her diaconal and priestly ordinations and was a co-consecrator for her episcopal ordination.

Consecrators

• The Most Reverend John Robert Clarke, 10th Archbishop of Athabasca
  • 15th Metropolitan of Rupert's Land
• The Right Reverend Gregory Kerr-Wilson, 11th Bishop of Qu'Appelle
  • Previously Dean of Edmonton and Rector of All Saints' Cathedral
• The Right Reverend Victoria Matthews, then Bishop-Elect of Christ Church
  • 9th Bishop of Edmonton

References

Bishops of Edmonton (Canada)
Henry Gray Arthur Burgett Walter Barfoot Howard Clark Gerald Burch John Langstone Kent Clarke Ken Genge Victoria Matthews Jane Alexander
Edmonton portal