The Diocese of Edinburgh has chosen a new Bishop, following the election yesterday (14 February) of the Rt Rev Dr Dagmar Winter.
The Bishop-Elect of Edinburgh is the current Suffragan Bishop of Huntingdon, and will be translated to her new post later in the year.
Bishop Dagmar was elected following the retirement of the Rt Rev Dr John Armes who served the Diocese as Bishop for 13 years. She accepted the post following a vote of the Electoral Synod where she received over half of the votes in each house, with clergy and lay representatives from congregations across the Diocese voting.
Bishop Dagmar was ordained priest in 1997 in the Diocese of Rochester, Church of England, serving there and in the Diocese of Newcastle, and was made a Canon of Newcastle Cathedral in 2011. She was consecrated Bishop of Huntingdon in the Diocese of Ely in 2019. She also served as Acting Bishop of Ely in between 2023 and January 2026.
Speaking just after the election, the new Bishop-Elect said: “I am hugely honoured to have been elected as the next Bishop of Edinburgh and would like to thank most warmly all those involved in the thorough process, indeed, in electing me.
“I rejoice in the diversity and inclusivity of the Diocese of Edinburgh and can’t wait to get to know all the clergy and people in the charges from the Tweed to the Firth of Forth – your joys, your challenges, your opportunities. I firmly believe that the Scottish Episcopal Church has a unique voice to share in today’s world, and I am committed to supporting and encouraging all who contribute to its mission and ministry and to raising its profile further. I also look forward to joining the College of Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
“As I pray for you, please pray for me as I prepare to leave Ely and join you in Edinburgh.
“Only last night I confirmed some young people, preaching on John 20:19–end, and told them ‘as Jesus was sent, so he sends us’. It will be exciting to discover with you where God will lead us. The one who calls us is faithful – this is our joy, our hope and our strength.”
Responding to the result, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Rev Mark Strange said: “I am delighted to welcome Bishop Dagmar as Bishop-Elect into this new season of ministry in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and I am looking forward to welcoming her to the College of Bishops. The gifts she brings will enhance the life and mission of the Church.
“I would also like to thank everyone who took part in the process – those who offered themselves and tested their discernment, as well as members of the Electoral Synod, Diocesan Officers, Preparatory Committee, diocesan staff and Bishop Andrew Swift, Convener of the Electoral Process, for their prayerful work.
“Please keep Bishop Dagmar in your prayers as we plan her installation and new beginnings in Scotland.”
BIOGRAPHY
Bishop Dagmar, who is of British and Swiss-German descent, studied at the Universities of Erlangen, Aberdeen and Heidelberg. She was ordained as deacon in 1996 and as priest in 1997. From 1995 to 1999 she served as curate at St Mark’s, Bromley, Kent, and was Assistant Chaplain at Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust. From 1999 to 2006 she was Associate Vicar at Hexham Abbey and Deanery Training Officer in the Diocese of Newcastle. From 2006 to 2015 she was Priest-in-Charge of Kirkwhelpington with Kirkharle & Kirkheaton, and Cambo in Northumberland, and the Officer for Rural Affairs for the Diocese of Newcastle. In 2010 she became Area Dean of Morpeth and in 2011 Honorary Canon of Newcastle Cathedral. From 2012 to 2019 she was Bishop’s Adviser for Women’s Ministry, returning in 2015 to Hexham Abbey as Rector and Lecturer. She was consecrated as a bishop in 2019.
She is Vice-President of the Conference of European Churches which runs a number of projects, especially Pathways to Peace, a coordinated response of the European church fellowship to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With a particular interest in New Testament scholarship, she has contributed to a number of English and German books and journals.