Carol Stone

Carol Ann Stone, TD (1954 – 27 December 2014) was a Church of England priest and chaplain. She was the first serving priest of that denomination to transition from male to female. She was ordained in 1978 as a male priest. She underwent sex reassignment surgery in 2000, and continued her ministry as a female priest.

Early life
Stone was born Peter James Stone in 1954. She studied at the University of Leicester, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1975.

In 1976, Stone entered Westcott House, Cambridge to train for ordination. She also studied theology at Queens' College, Cambridge, and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA degree in 1977; as per tradition, her BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA (Cantab)) degree in 1981.

Ordained ministry
Stone was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1978 and as priest in 1979. She served her curacy at Holy Trinity Church, Bradford-on-Avon, a Liberal Catholic church in the Diocese of Salisbury. From 1981 to 1983, she held her first incumbency as Rector of St Mary's Church, Corsley, Wiltshire in the Diocese of Salisbury.

From 1983 to 1988, she served as chaplain and head of religious studies at Dauntsey's School, an independent school in West Lavington, Wiltshire. From 1989 to 1994, she was vicar of St John the Evangelist's Church, Upper Studley. Then she once more served as a chaplain, this time at Cheltenham College. In 1996, she was appointed vicar of St Philip's Church, Upper Stratton, Swindon.

In June 2000, it was announced that she would be taking a short break from her parish work to undergo sex reassignment surgery. She had the support of her bishop, the Rt Rev Barry Rogerson, who stated: The Rev Peter Stone has been under medical supervision for some time and has been diagnosed by two psychiatric practitioners as having a condition for which the appropriate medical treatment is Gender Redesignation. There are no ethical or ecclesiastical legal reasons why the Rev Carol Stone should not continue in ministry in the Church of England.

In November 2000, she returned to St Philip's and parish ministry. During her first Sunday service since returning, one woman shouted negative comments at her before being removed from the church by other church goers: a police officer had attended the service as a precautionary measure but did not have to become involved. Stone was given a standing ovation at the end of the service by the remaining members of the congregation. Four out of eighty members of the congregation left the church because of her transition; the rest 'agreed to welcome their priest back as a woman'.

In 2006, she became a governor of Swindon College having completed a course in photography there. In December 2006, she was appointed priest-in-charge of St Peter's Church, Penhill, Swindon, in addition to her role as vicar of St Philip's.

Military service
In addition to her parish ministry and school chaplaincy, Stone served a military chaplain. On 18 July 1984, she was commissioned into the Royal Army Chaplains' Department, Territorial Army, as a Chaplain to the Forces 4th Class (equivalent in rank to captain. She was given the service number 520138. From 1984 to 1989, she served as chaplain to a unit of the Army Cadet Force.

On 1 January 1990, she was transferred from TA Group B to TA Group A, therefore starting her service in the active reserve section of the Territorial Army. On 1 January 1996, she was promoted to Chaplain to the Forces 3rd Class (equivalent in rank to major). In June 2003, she was awarded the Efficiency Decoration (Territorial) in recognition of long service in the reserves and therefore granted the post-nominal letters TD.

She resigned her commission on 7 May 2004.

Personal life
Stone had been twice married and divorced: First to Margaret, from 1976 to 1983, and secondly to Jo-Anne, an American. She had one child from her first marriage, a daughter, who was 18 at the time of her transition in 2000.

Stone died on 27 December 2014 from pancreatic cancer.