Service held to welcome new Bishop of Shrewsbury

The service took place at Shrewsbury Abbey on Saturday afternoon

A special service has been held to welcome the new Anglican Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Right Revd Sarah Bullock.

Previously the Archdeacon of York, she is the first woman bishop to serve in the Diocese of Lichfield.

The bishop, who was welcomed at Shrewsbury Abbey, said it was a "great, great privilege" to be in the role.

Legislation to allow female bishops was formally adopted by the Church of England in 2014.

Bishop Bullock said: "I think the community that I come from in inner-city Manchester is a community that has been transformed by the love of God that's been expressed through local Christian churches and people of faith.

"I really want to be able to share that with the communities that I'm serving here."

The married mother-of-one will oversee churches, ministers and communities in north Shropshire, including Shrewsbury and the northern part of Telford.

The bishop said she had had "a very warm welcome" in Shrewsbury

The 55-year-old was consecrated as the new bishop at St Paul's Cathedral in London on 3 July.

She succeeds the Right Revd Mark Rylands, who stepped down 12 months ago after almost nine years in the role.

Asked if she felt any pressure as one of a small number of female bishops in the Church of England, she said: "I try not to. I think you could feel a pressure with that.

"But I believe God calls people male and female and I just think that God is calling hopefully the right people to the right jobs."

The new bishop said she had previously bought a tile at Shrewsbury Abbey

Bishop Bullock said there was a tile with her "name on it" in the roof at the abbey, where the service took place on Saturday afternoon.

"A friend of mine from school, her father went to be the vicar there many years ago.

"I bought a tile when the roof was being redone, so obviously that's been there for about 30 years, more than that."