Bible readers: Naomi Long MP
It's a tradition that a local personality is asked to give the Bible reading on each evening of the Bishop's Bible Week. This year all our readers are women of note in public life.
Naomi Long, MP for Belfast East
Born in 1971, Naomi Long was born and raised at the heart of her constituency, attending Mersey Street Primary and Bloomfield Collegiate School. She studied Civil Engineering at Queen's University, Belfast, earning a Masters with distinction.
Naomi first took political office in 2001 when she was elected to Belfast City Council for the Victoria ward after which she enjoyed a fairly rapid rise in local politics. She became an Assembly member for East Belfast in the 2003 election and within three years became deputy leader of the party.
Despite her higher profile, she maintained her interest in local government and became only the second female Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2009. Her husband Michael is also a politician, serving on Castlereagh Borough Council.
Alongside her busy political career, Naomi finds time for other activities. She serves on the committee of Bloomfield Presbyterian Church and is a senior guider with the Girl Guides.