Libby Lane is Church of England's first female bishop

The Church of England named Libby Lane as the bishop of Stockport in the diocese of Chester in North England.

"It's a remarkable day for me and I realize an historic day for the church. I'm honored and thankful to be called to serve as the next Bishop of Stockport," Lane said, adding that she acknowledged the efforts of those "recognized and unrecognized" who had struggled for this moment.

Prime Minister David Cameron's office announced that Queen Elizabeth, the supreme governor of the church, had approved Lane's nomination: "I would like to congratulate Elizabeth Lane on her appointment as Suffragan See of Stockport and in doing so becoming the first woman bishop in the church," Cameron said in a statement published by his office.

A former vicar, Lane also served as the dean of women in the ministry for the diocese and was one of the first women to be inducted into the clergy after the church's approval in 1992.

The Church of England finally agreed to the appointment of female bishops a month ago, after a long process which involved tedious debates between liberal and conservative believers.

At the time, Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, said it had started "a great adventure of seeking mutual flourishing while still, in some cases, disagreeing."

The Church of England has more than 85 million followers in 185 countries and is the main church of the Anglican Communion. Churches in Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and the United States have women bishops.

mg/jr (AFP, dpa, AP)