The Reverend will mark the end of centuries of all-male leadership in the church when she becomes the Bishop of Stockport in January
Meet Reverend Libby Lane, a Manchester United-supporting mother-of-two who plays the saxophone and enjoys doing cryptic crosswords.
She is also the Church of England's first ever female Bishop.
Following a historic change to canon law, she will become the the Bishop of Stockport, at a ceremony at York Minster on January 26.
Lane was ordained a priest in 1994 and has served a number of parish and chaplaincy roles in the north of England in the dioceses of Blackburn, York and Chester.
For the past eight years she has served as vicar of St Peter's, Hale, Greater Manchester, and St Elizabeth's, Ashley, Cheshire.
She said: "This is unexpected and very exciting.
"This announcement has been a long time coming and I'm extremely honoured to be nominated as the first bishop in the Church of England.
"And I'm very conscious of those who have gone before me, men and women ... whose prayers and work in ministries have laid the work for today.
"But most of all I am thankful to God."
The announcement comes a month after the General Synod formally adopted legislation in favour of women bishops .
A move that marked the end of centuries of all-male leadership in the Church - 20 years after women became priests.
Church of England priests
A relative unknown, she was not on bookmakers' shortlists of female priests tipped to be selected to the historic role.
But Rev Lane is a very well-respected figure locally in the church.
Lane added: "I'm delighted to be part of that line of continuing change as the Church works to serve its community.
"Today, I pray that it will not be simply about this one woman called to a new ministry in the Church but, much more than that, an opportunity to acknowledge all that has gone before and to look ahead to what is still to be done.
"I've no doubt that many will follow on from me and I look forward to the time when I'm still the first, but not the only, woman to be nominated as a bishop in the Church of England."
Church of England bishops (as of January 26)
100
Male
1
Female
She comes from an Anglican, but not particularly church-going, family, and says she "was loved into faith" by a small Anglican church community in rural Derbyshire.
She went on to study theology at St Peter's College, at Oxford University, where she met her husband, now the Rev George Lane.
The couple have two grown-up children, Connie, 20, and Benedict, 18.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Congratulations to the Rev Libby Lane on becoming the first woman bishop in the Church.
"A historic appointment and important day for equality."
Congratulations to Revd Libby Lane on becoming the first woman bishop in the Church. An historic appointment and important day for equality.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) December 17, 2014 Congrats to Libby Lane and huzzah for Stockport. Us left footers need to up our game.
— Dermot O'Leary (@radioleary) December 17, 2014 The Church of England’s first female bishop is Libby Lane - of Stockport! Stockport leads the way!
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) December 17, 2014 The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said Lane will bring a wealth of experience in parish ministry, in hospital and FE chaplaincy, in vocations work and the nurture of ordinands.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu also passed on his good wishes.
Sentamu said: "When the General Synod rejected the previous proposals in November 2012, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, wrote to 'pour some balm on (my) wounded heart'.
"That year, he encouraged me, his province was finally celebrating the election of two women bishops. 'Be comforted', he said, 'it will come.'
"When I wrote to him last weekend to offer my prayers for his battle with prostate cancer, he replied with these words: 'Wonderful that you over there will soon have women bishops. Yippee! I know you have pushed for this for a long time. Yippee again!"'
