Bishop of Crediton retires after 30 years of service

The Rt. Rev’d Jackie Searle, Bishop of Crediton, has retired after over six years of service as one of Devon’s bishops and more than three decades in ordained ministry. 

Her farewell service, held at Exeter Cathedral on Saturday, 18 January, marked the end of an influential chapter in her career with the Church of England.

During her farewell, Bishop Jackie was celebrated for her dedication to promoting inclusivity and wellbeing within the Church of England. 

The recruitment process for her successor as Bishop of Crediton is now underway.

The Rt. Rev’d Mike Harrison, Bishop of Exeter, expressed his gratitude for Bishop Jackie’s wise and passionate contributions to the College of Bishops. 

He highlighted her instrumental role in helping him transition smoothly into his new role, acknowledging her significant work in wellbeing, ecumenism, and social justice.

Bishop Jackie, one of the first women to be ordained as a priest in 1994 and one of the first female bishops in the Church of England, has long been a champion of equality and inclusion.

Rev’d Prebendary Samantha Stayte, Dean of Women in Ministry, praised Bishop Jackie for her tireless work to increase the number of women clergy in Devon and her campaign for gender equality within the Church, noting the personal cost of her advocacy. 

She acknowledged that Devon now leads the way in supporting women and men to offer distinctive ministries.

A particularly poignant moment in Bishop Jackie’s ministry came when she became the first woman in 900 years to preside at the Cathedral’s Chrism Eucharist Service last Maundy Thursday.

Rev’d Stayte described the occasion as a significant milestone for the diocese.

Reflecting on her time as Bishop of Crediton, Bishop Jackie expressed deep gratitude for the privilege of her role. 

“It has been a privilege to minister in this Church of England, which has been my spiritual home since my teens. I was ordained first as deacon, then as a priest when that was allowed, and then as a bishop when that was allowed. What a time to be alive! My testimony is one of God’s faithfulness through that journey.”

Bishop Jackie’s journey with the Church of England, which began in her teens, has been one of faith and transformation. 

She was ordained as a deacon, then as a priest when it became possible, and later as a bishop, all of which she described as a “time to be alive.” 

“My testimony is one of God’s faithfulness through that journey,” she added.

At the conclusion of the Choral Eucharist service, Bishop Jackie laid down her mitre and bishop’s crozier on the altar, symbolising her relinquishment of the role. 

She and her husband, author and priest David Runcorn, will be relocating to Warwickshire to begin the next chapter of their lives.