Jo Wells

Joanne Caladine Bailey Wells From 2013 until 2016, she had served as Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury; she was then Bishop of Dorking, a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of Guildford, 2016–2023.

Early life and education Wells was born on 24 June 1965 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. She was educated at Queenswood School, an all-girls private school in Hertfordshire, and attended sixth form at Marlborough College, an independent school in Wiltshire. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1987: as per tradition, her BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree in 1990. During her time at Cambridge, she was awarded a half-blue for ice hockey.

Ordained ministry Wells was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1995 and as a priest in 1996. She had known Welby when they were both students at Durham. On February 5, 2024, she was one of two women to meet with Pope Francis and his Council of Cardinal Advisors, and spoke with them about her experience as an ordained woman and about the Anglican Church's journey to the ordination of women.

Personal life In 1994, Bailey married Sam Wells, a Church of England priest. They have two children: a son and a daughter.

Selected works