On Sunday 16 May two new Canons will be collated and installed in an Evensong service at Southwell Minster. The service will be livestreamed from 3.30pm on our YouTube page.
The Revd Kate Bottley, the presenter of the BBC’s Songs of Praise and of BBC Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday, and the Revd Dr Stephen Hippisley-Cox, who is Rector of Willoughby on the Wolds with Wysall and Widmerpool, and Area Dean of East Bingham.
Honorary Canons are local clergy who have given distinguished service to the Church, and who are invited to play a part in the life of the Minster as the Cathedral of the diocese.
The Very Revd Nicola Sullivan, Dean of Southwell, said, “We are looking forward to welcoming Kate and Stephen into the College of Canons at last. Each will bring particular gifts and experience of mission and ministry, which will add richness to the life of the Cathedral. Although by necessity of the current restrictions we are not be able to have a packed out church, the special installation service will be a blessed and celebratory occasion joined by many online.”
About The Revd Kate Bottley
Originally from Sheffield, Kate trained for ordination at Saint John’s College, Nottingham and was deaconed at Southwell Minster in 2008 and priested the following year. Before being ordained Kate was a Head of RE in secondary schools in Sheffield.
As a result of appearing on Channel 4’s ‘Gogglebox’, Kate’s media profile grew and, with the opportunity to extend her communication of the Gospel more broadly, Kate left full time stipendiary parish ministry to become a self-supporting minister working across the media. She currently presents the BBC’s flagship religious show ‘Songs of Praise’ and BBC Radio 2’s ‘Good Morning Sunday’.
Kate is licensed to St Saviour’s, Retford where she takes services and helps with occasional offices.
Kate said, ‘I am thrilled to be invited to become an Honorary Canon at Southwell minster. I look forward to exploring ways to use my gifts and skills to contribute to the life of the cathedral and promote its work across the diocese and beyond. I am thankful to be able to share this special occasion with my incredibly supportive family, especially my Mum and Dad.‘
About The Revd Dr Stephen Hippisley-Cox
The Revd Dr Stephen Hippisley-Cox is rector of Willoughby on the Wolds with Wysall and Widmerpool, and Area Dean of East Bingham. Originally an academic mathematician, he trained for the priesthood at Westcott House in Cambridge and was ordained deacon and priest in 1999 and 2000 respectively.
Stephen is happiest when he is either teaching people about the things of God, or when he is helping people learn to pray better. These twin callings are at the heart of what he has offered across the diocese over the years, from his work in spiritual direction to helping train readers and licensed lay ministers, and they continue to inform his work with clergy and lay leaders in the East Bingham deanery.
Stephen told us, “I am looking forward to working more closely with our cathedral in this new role as a member of the College of Canons. Many years ago, the Minster was our home church whilst I was training at Westcott House, and has always had a place in my heart”.
This is the second of two installation services: last month, the Revd Angela Fletcher was installed as an Honorary Canon, and the Rt Revd Monsignor Patrick McKinney (Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham) and Bishop Pangani McNight Thipa (Senior Pastor of the Calvary Family Church) were made Ecumenical Canons.