Denise Ferguson is a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

in the

Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia, originally known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania, is a Christian church in Australia and an autonomous church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. In 2016, responding to a peer-reviewed study ...

. She served as an

assistant bishop An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop. Church of England In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually retired (diocesan or suffragan bishop, suffragan) bishops – in ...

in the

Anglican Diocese of Adelaide The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia. It is centred in the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia and extends along the eastern shore of the Gulf St Vincent from the town of Eudunda in the ...

from July 2019, to July 2024 appointed bishop in the Province of South Australia. Denise was born in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, and prior to entering ministry served as a staffer to the

New Zealand Defence Force The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF; , "Line of Defence of New Zealand") is the three-branched military of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and its realm, promoting its interests, ...

. She commenced training for ministry at the age of 39, and began her ministry career in the

Anglican Diocese of Wellington ThDiocese of Wellingtonis one of the thirteen dioceses and ''hui amorangi'' (Māori bishoprics) of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The diocese covers the area between the bottom of the North Island of New Zealand up to ...

, where she was licensed as a lay reader in 1988 and ordained as a deacon in 1999. Ferguson served as vicar of St Matthew's

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...

and then as

Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denomina ...

of Manawatu. She later served as the Bishop's Chaplain for Ministry Discernment in the Diocese of Wellington, and her final position prior to relocating to Australia, Ferguson was the Canon Registrar for the Diocese of Waikato and Taranaki. In 2014 Ferguson moved to Australia, where she worked in the Diocese of Brisbane as Rector of the Parish of East Redland as well as Archdeacon of Moreton. Ferguson was consecrated as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Adelaide on 21 July 2019. Her responsibilities involve parish visiting and liturgical roles, as well as oversight of three areas of ministry across South Australia: multicultural diversity in ministry, healthcare chaplaincies – covering both hospital and social service based care contexts – and ministry formation. Ferguson is married to Martin, an army officer who put his career on hold to support her ministry training. She also has a daughter and is a grandmother.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Denise 21st-century Anglican bishops in Australia Assistant bishops in the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide Living people New Zealand Anglican clergy New Zealand emigrants to Australia Year of birth missing (living people) Women Anglican bishops