Julie Conalty
{{Short description|British Anglican bishop}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = bishop
| honorific_prefix = The Right Reverend
| name = Julie Conalty
| honorific_suffix =
| title = Bishop of Birkenhead
| image = Bishops and canons (52416187603) (Julie Conalty cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Conalty in 2022
| church =
| province =
| diocese = Diocese of Chester
| term = 2021 to present
| predecessor = Keith Sinclair
| successor =
| other_post = Deputy lead bishop for safeguarding (2022–present)
| previous_post = Archdeacon of Tonbridge (2017–2021)
| ordination = 1999 (deacon)
2000 (priest)
| ordained_by =
| consecration = 19 July 2021
| consecrated_by = Stephen Cottrell
| laicized =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1963}}
| baptised =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
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| nationality = British
| religion = Anglicanism
| residence =
| parents =
| spouse = Simon Malcolm
| children = 2
| occupation =
| profession =
| education =
| alma_mater =
}}
Julie Anne Conalty (born 1963) is a British Anglican bishop. Since 19 July 2021, she has been the Bishop of Birkenhead, one of two suffragan bishops of the Church of England Diocese of Chester. She previously served as Archdeacon of Tonbridge in the Diocese of Rochester since 2017.{{cite web |title=Meet a New Archdeacon of Tonbridge |url=https://www.rochester.anglican.org/communications/news/meet-a-new-archdeacon-of-tonbridge.php |website=Diocese of Rochester |access-date=29 May 2021 |date=September 2017}}{{cite web |title=Archdeacon of Tonbridge |url=https://rochester.anglican.org/diocese/archdeacons/archdeacon-of-tonbridge/ |website=Diocese of Rochester |access-date=29 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529132418/https://rochester.anglican.org/diocese/archdeacons/archdeacon-of-tonbridge/ |archive-date=29 May 2021}}
Conalty trained for the ministry at the South East Institute for Theological Education; she was ordained deacon in 1999, and priest in 2000. She was at East Wickham from 1999 to 2004; and Charlton to 2010.{{Crockford | forenames = Julie Anne | surname = Conalty | id = 705 | accessed =25 September 2017 }} After a curacy at Plumstead Common she was Vicar of Erith from 2012 until her appointment as Archdeacon.
Early life and education
Conalty was born in 1963.{{Crockford| surname = Conalty | forenames = Julie Anne | id = 705 | accessed = 29 May 2021}} She was educated at Ormskirk Grammar School in Ormskirk, Lancashire: it was a grammar school which became a comprehensive school while she was there.{{cite web |title=The Ven Julie Anne CONALTY |url=https://www.crockford.org.uk/people/w13414/The_Ven_Julie_Anne_CONALTY |website=The Church of England Year Book |publisher=Church House Publishing |access-date=29 May 2021}} She attended Cottage Lane Mission church and was a member of the youth group, before taking a Biblical Studies degree at the University of Sheffield.{{cite web |title=Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Birkenhead: 27 May 2021 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-of-suffragan-bishop-of-birkenhead-27-may-2021 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street |access-date=29 May 2021 |language=en |date=27 May 2021}}{{cite web |title=The next Bishops of Birkenhead and Stockport |url=https://chester.anglican.org/news/the-next-bishops-of-birkenhead-and-stockport.php |website=Diocese of Chester |publisher=Church of England |access-date=29 May 2021 |date=28 May 2021}} Although she felt called to ordained ministry as a teenager, women could not become priests in the Church of England at that time.
After leaving university, Conalty first worked with the homeless as a night shelter manager between 1985 and 1986. She then moved into offender management, first as a community service officer (1986 to 1988), and then as a probation officer (1990 to 2002). In between, she trained as a social worker.{{cite web |title=New Bishops of Birkenhead and Stockport announced |url=https://www.archbishopofyork.org/news/latest-news/new-bishops-birkenhead-and-stockport-announced |website=The Archbishop of York |access-date=29 May 2021 |language=en |date=27 May 2021}} In the 1990s, she finally trained for ordination on a part-time basis with the South East Institute of Theological Education.
Ordained ministry
Conalty was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1999 and as a priest in 2000. She began her ecclesiastical career as a non-stipendiary minister (ie, part-time and unpaid) in the Diocese of Southwark, while continuing to work in probation and youth services. She first served at St Michael the Archangel, East Wickham from 1999 to 2004, and then at St Luke with Holy Trinity, Charlton from 2004 to 2010.{{cite web |title=Conalty, Ven. Julie Anne, (born 1963), Archdeacon of Tonbridge, since 2017 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U289790 |website=Who's Who 2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |date=1 December 2019}}
In 2010, Conalty left her secular career and moved into full-time ministry,{{cite web |title=The Revd. Julie Conalty |url=https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/5f3ecf1e68cdc/content/pages/documents/1442826694.pdf |access-date=29 May 2021 |date=2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529142847/https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/5f3ecf1e68cdc/content/pages/documents/1442826694.pdf |archive-date=29 May 2021}} becoming associate priest of the Plumstead Common United Benefice. In 2012, she moved to the Diocese of Rochester where she had been appointed Vicar of Christ Church, Erith. She was additionally Bishop's Advisor for the Ministry of Ordained Women (2013 to 2017) and Area Dean of Erith (2014 to 2017). In 2016, she was made an Honorary Canon of Rochester Cathedral. On 24 September 2017, she was collated as Archdeacon of Tonbridge. She was also the Bishop of Rochester's Lead for Safeguarding.
Conalty has been a member of the General Synod of the Church of England since November 2013.
=Episcopal ministry=
On 27 May 2021, it was announced that Conalty would be the next Bishop of Birkenhead, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Chester. She legally took up the post on 19 July 2021, the day of her consecration as a bishop by Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, at York Minster; she was consecrated alongside the other suffragan of the diocese, Sam Corley, Bishop of Stockport.{{Cite web|url=https://chester.anglican.org/news/julie-and-sam-to-be-consecrated-at-york-minster.php|title=Diocese of Chester | Julie and Sam to be consecrated at York Minster}}
Since April 2022, she has also been deputy lead bishop for safeguarding with a focus on survivor engagement.{{cite web |title=New deputy lead bishop for safeguarding |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/safeguarding-news-and-releases/new-deputy-lead-bishop-safeguarding |website=The Church of England |access-date=22 June 2023 |language=en |date=5 April 2022}}
=Views=
In 2023, she was one of 44 Church of England bishops who signed an open letter supporting the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith (i.e. blessings for same-sex couples) and called for "Guidance being issued without delay that includes the removal of all restrictions on clergy entering same-sex civil marriages, and on bishops ordaining and licensing such clergy".{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Francis |title=Don’t delay guidance allowing priests to be in same-sex marriages, say 44 bishops |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/3-november/news/uk/don-t-delay-guidance-allowing-priests-to-be-in-same-sex-marriages-say-44-bishops |access-date=2 November 2023 |work=Church Times |date=1 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102131648/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/3-november/news/uk/don-t-delay-guidance-allowing-priests-to-be-in-same-sex-marriages-say-44-bishops |archive-date=2 November 2023}}
Conalty favours the disestablishment of the Church of England.{{Cite web |title=Quotes of the week |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2025/21-february/regulars/quotes/quotes-of-the-week |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=www.churchtimes.co.uk}}
Personal life
Conalty is married to Simon Malcolm, and they have two sons. The Conalty family support South London club Charlton Athletic.{{cite web |title=Bishops |url=https://www.chester.anglican.org/diocese/bishops/ |website=Diocese of Chester}}
References
{{Portal|Christianity}}
{{Reflist}}
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{{s-rel|en}}
{{S-bef|before=Clive Mansell}}
{{s-ttl|title=Archdeacon of Tonbridge|years=2017{{snd}}2021}}
{{S-non|reason=TBA}}
{{S-bef|before= Keith Sinclair}}
{{s-ttl|title=Bishop of Birkenhead|years=2021{{snd}}present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Archdeacons of Tonbridge}}
{{Bishops of Birkenhead}}
{{Diocese of Chester}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conalty, Julie Ann}}
Category:Archdeacons of Tonbridge
Category:21st-century English Anglican priests
Category:21st-century Anglican bishops
Category:Women Anglican clergy
Category:Women Anglican bishops
Category:Bishops of Birkenhead
Category:Members of the General Synod of the Church of England