Bishop Sophie with students of Blue Coat CofE School
On the day of her announcement as the new Bishop of Coventry, the Right Reverend Sophie Jelley, has been on a whistle stop tour of the diocese.
The tour included visiting parishes, schools and charities, as well as meeting future colleagues.
Bishop Sophie started her day at Blue Coat Church of England School in Coventry where she joined collective worship with Year Eleven. There was an opportunity for the students to ask her questions and Bishop Sophie also posed the question, “What do you think is an important quality in a leader today?” to the students.
Bishop Sophie commented; “I am so impressed with the welcome I received from the school, and it was such a joy to join the wonderful worship. I was struck by the students’ thoughts of what qualities people in leadership should have, with service and empathy being especially important, which I whole heartedly agree with.”
The assembly at Blue Coat School ended with a confetti canon.
Next, she visited St Francis Employability, a charity which provides vital support for unemployed people based at St Francis Church, Radford. Bishop Sophie chatted to the Revd Aggy Palairet and her team. After the visit Bishop Sophie said; "I am so very inspired to see the support and excellent practical care being shown to those in our communities who are in need."
At twelve noon Bishop Sophie joined in with an important ritual in the daily life of Coventry Cathedral, the Litany of Reconciliation. The Litany of Reconciliation was written by Canon Joseph Poole in 1958 and continues to be prayed in the Cathedral every weekday at noon, and throughout the world by partners in the Community of the Cross of Nails.
Bishop Sophie gave a short message to those gathered for the litany. She referenced Coventry’s fame for being a city of reconciliation: “One of the meanings of the word reconciliation is ‘again becoming friends.’ As the new Bishop of Coventry, I am committed to leading a diocese that extends the hand of friendship across the differences that can so easily divide us and play a leading role in the work of reconciliation that for Christians, lies at the very heart of our faith.”
After the praying of the litany, Bishop Sophie met with the Cathedral leadership team and local civic and faith leaders.
After a busy morning in Coventry, Bishop Sophie had the opportunity to have lunch at Saints in Nuneaton. Saints is community regeneration project based in Nuneaton town centre, working with local churches and led by Together for Change. Whilst enjoying a delicious lunch prepared by the Saints café team, Bishop Sophie chatted to Jet Jones, CEO of Together for Change, as well as Archdean Missioner, Barry Dugmore.
Bishop Sophie with the Saints team taking a tour of the redevlelopment taking place.
It was down to the south of the diocese in the afternoon, with Bishop Sophie making a brief stop at Fenny Compton village hall. The village hall has found recent fame as the place where 30 to 40 ex sub-postmasters and mistresses met for the first time in 2009 under the leadership of Alan Bates to discuss the injustices carried out against them and was included in the ITV drama about the Post Office scandal broadcast earlier this year. Bishop Sophie prayed for all those suffering due to injustices.
Next, Bishop Sophie dropped in at the Simply Sing after school club at Kineton Church of England School. As a keen soprano singer herself, Bishop Sophie enjoyed joining in with the children and talked to them about the importance of music to wellbeing and mental health.
Bishop Sophie joining in with the children at the Simply Sing after school club.
From Kineton, Bishop Sophie travelled across to Stratford-Upon-Avon to meet with the Revd Patrick Taylor, Area Dean of Fosse Deanery and Chaplain of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Meeting at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Bishop Sophie enjoyed a tour of the theatre. As someone who is deeply passionate about the arts and theatre, Bishop Sophie found the tour fascinating and looks forward to frequent visits to the theatre when she moves to Coventry.
The last stop on the tour was St Nicholas Church, Alcester, our Rural Mission Hub. The mission hub offers a gathering point and a focus where people can come from local rural churches for support. Bishop Sophie heard about the recent successful rural conference and the resources and training the mission hub provides. She addressed parishioners gathered at St Nicholas for a prayer meeting with a message encouarging Christians to be future focused people, whose true citizenship is in heaven.
Bishop Sophie talking to the congregation at St Nicholas, Alcester.
After a jam-packed day, Bishop Sophie headed back to the Diocese of Sheffield where she continues her duties as Bishop of Doncaster until her consecration as Bishop of Coventry sometime in Spring 2025.
When asked to describe her day in three words, she said "much coffee, lovely food and lots of warm welcomes. But most of all a strong sense of the goodness of God." She looks forward to visiting more of the diocese and meeting more people in the Spring.