THOSE who oppress and spread hatred cannot triumph over the souls of those who rejoice and celebrate, said the new Bishop of Crediton in her first sermon in the Diocese of Exeter.?

Speaking at her welcome service in Exeter Cathedral on Sunday, October 14, the Rt Revd Jackie Searle said: “People need hope in our world. We need purpose, a sense of belonging, and belief in a greater power, that power we know as God.

“Do not be put off by headlines of despair, by negative views of church, by the statistics of decline.

“We do not know how it looks to God. But we do know that we human beings need and long for love and life and joy and laughter as much as we ever did.

“We long for forgiveness, for goodness, for justice and truth. I dare to believe that these are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Bishop Jackie quoted the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby when he said that cathedrals should be places of fun, and Pope Francis when he said that the church will grow when Christians share their joy.

She is the 10th Bishop of Crediton and was ordained by the Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Dr John Sentamu, in Southwark Cathedral just over a fortnight ago. She was the first woman to be made a bishop there.

Jackie was among the first women to be ordained as priests when she was a curate in London. She served curacies in Harrow and Ealing, before joining the staff of Trinity College, Bristol where she was Lecturer in Applied Theology.

She moved to be Vicar of Littleover in the Diocese of Derby, serving also as Dean of Women’s Ministry and as Rural Dean.

In 2012 she took up her most recent appointment as Archdeacon of Gloucester and Canon Residentiary of Gloucester Cathedral.

Jackie is married to the Rev David Runcorn and they have two grown-up children, Josh and Sim.

Bishop Jackie said: “I really am looking forward to getting out there and meeting more people – and to serving the people of Devon with joy and with hope.”

The Mayor of Crediton, Cllr Frank Letch, was one of the first to congratulate Bishop Jackie on her Installation following the service at Exeter Cathedral.