Carol Wagner
{{Short description|South-African born Australian Anglican bishop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| honorific-prefix = {{pre-nominal styles|size=100%|RRevd}}
| name = Carol Wagner
| title = Assistant Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn
| church = Anglican Church of Australia
| diocese = Canberra and Goulburn
| predecessor = Trevor Edwards
| ordination =
| consecration = 22 February 2020
| consecrated_by = Peter Stuart
| other_post = Archdeacon for the Coast, Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn (2016–2020)
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|65|2019|10|29}}{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Steve |title=Don't push God out of schools - bishop's plea |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6461734/dont-push-god-out-of-schools-bishops-plea/ |accessdate=3 May 2020 |work=The Canberra Times |publisher=Australian Community Media |date=29 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227220047/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6461734/dont-push-god-out-of-schools-bishops-plea/ |archive-date=27 December 2019 |url-status=live }}
| nationality = Australia
| religion = Anglican
| children = 3 sons, 1 daughter (deceased)
| alma_mater = Australian College of Ministries
Sydney College of Divinity
| image =
| successor = Vanessa Bennett
| term_end = 2024
}}
Carol Wagner (born 1953/1954) is a South-African born Australian bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia. She served as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn from February 2020 to 2024.
Early life and parish ministry
Wagner was born in South Africa.{{cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Burney |last2=Payne |first2=Alison |title=Carol Wagner consecrated at Goulburn's Saint Saviour's Cathedral |url=https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/6644766/special-day-carol-wagner-consecrated-as-assistant-bishop/#slide=1 |accessdate=3 May 2020 |work=Bega District News |publisher=Australian Community Media |date=24 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323195555/https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/6644766/special-day-carol-wagner-consecrated-as-assistant-bishop/#slide=1 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |url-status=live }} She grew up in a non-religious family, but came to faith after what she describes as "an encounter with God" at age 15.{{cite news |title=The Rev Carol Wagner |url=https://www.naroomarotary.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Beacons/Beacon-2011-06-09.pdf |accessdate=3 May 2020 |work=The Beacon |issue=61 |publisher=Rotary Club of Narooma Inc. |date=9 June 2011 |volume=53 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404214237/https://www.naroomarotary.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Beacons/Beacon-2011-06-09.pdf |archive-date=4 April 2019 |url-status=live }}
Until her mid-40s, Wagner was a music teacher, who ran a business with her husband offering music lessons to children in Sydney from a mobile classroom. When she and her husband sold the business they employed 23 staff and taught up to 900 students a week.
Wagner then studied theology. She obtained an Advanced Diploma in Ministry from Australian College of Ministries, Sydney, and a Bachelor of Theology from Sydney College of Divinity, through Australian College of Ministries and St Mark's National Theological Centre.
After becoming a priest, Wagner served in a number of parishes in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, including Berridale and the Snowy Mountains, Taralga and North Goulburn.{{cite news |title=New Assistant Bishop Appointed |url=https://anglicancg.org.au/new-assistant-bishop-appointed/ |accessdate=3 May 2020 |work=Anglican Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn |date=28 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319160540/https://anglicancg.org.au/new-assistant-bishop-appointed/ |archive-date=19 March 2020 |url-status=live }} She became rector of the Parish of Bodalla-Narooma in 2011, a role which she held until she was consecrated as bishop.
On 27 February 2016, in addition to her parish role, Wagner was collated by Bishop Stuart Robinson as Archdeacon to the Coast, a role in which she assisted in the administration of the diocese and had oversight of Anglican churches stretching from the Victorian border to Batemans Bay.{{cite news |title=Reverend Carol Wagner appointed as Archdeacon to the Coast |url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3773820/reverend-carol-wagner-appointed-as-archdeacon-to-the-coast/#slide=0 |accessdate=3 May 2020 |work=Illawarra Mercury |publisher=Australian Community Media |date=7 March 2016}}
Episcopal ministry
On 28 October 2019, Wagner was appointed as the new assistant bishop of the Canberra and Goulburn Diocese, succeeding Trevor Edwards. She was consecrated bishop in St Saviour's Cathedral on 22 February 2020 by Bishop of Newcastle Peter Stuart. Wagner's role is based in Canberra and she holds particular responsibility for ministry support and the development of clergy and church workers.
At the time of her appointment as assistant bishop, Wagner criticised the Government of the Australian Capital Territory and its Education Minister Yvette Berry for abolishing chaplains in schools, claiming it was a "drive to push any whisper of Christian teaching out of schools". She considered her appointment to be a "big deal" because of the Anglican Church's conservative history and that the appointment of women priests "enriched" the church.
Personal life
References
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Category:21st-century Anglican bishops in Australia
Category:Assistant bishops in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn
Category:Date of birth missing (living people)