List of the first 32 women ordained as Church of England priests

On 12 March 1994, the first 32 women were ordained as Church of England priests. The service was officiated by Bishop Barry Rogerson in Bristol Cathedral.[1][2][3][4][5]

Rogerson ordained the women in alphabetical order so Angela Berners-Wilson is considered to be the very first woman to be ordained.[6][7][8]

The youngest woman to be ordained was Karen McKinnon, with Jean Kings being the second youngest. The oldest was 69.[9]

In 2004 the tenth anniversary of the ordinations was celebrated at Bristol Cathedral and, by then, one of the women priests had died and 14 had retired.[10][11]

The 32 women ordained on the day were: (Complete list copied from the Order of Service)

  1. Angela Berners-Wilson, a university chaplain[7]
  2. Waveney Bishop
  3. Christine Clarke[9][12]
  4. Judith Creighton
  5. Faith Cully
  6. Brenda Dowie
  7. Carol Edwards, of St Christopher's, Brislington[13][14]
  8. Annis Fessey
  9. Jan Fortune-Wood[7]
  10. Susan Giles[2][10]
  11. Jane Hayward[1][11][3][5]
  12. Jean Kings, part-time parish deacon who was also chaplain at University of the West of England[9]
  13. Karen McKinnon, full-time parish deacon[9]
  14. Audrey Maddock
  15. Charmion Mann
  16. Helen Marshall
  17. Glenys Mills, Christ's Church, Clifton[13][15][16][17]
  18. Jillianne Norman
  19. Clare Pipe-Wolferstan
  20. June Plummer
  21. Susan Restall, St Mary's, Yate[5][13]
  22. Susan Rose
  23. Susan Shipp[18][14]
  24. Margery Simpson
  25. Sylvia Stevens
  26. Judith Thompson
  27. Anita Thorne[2]
  28. Sheila Tyler[2]
  29. Pauline Wall
  30. Rosemary Dawn Watling, at the time a 61-year-old Anglican nun and deacon in a vicarage in Bristol[7][2]
  31. Valerie Woods, Vicar of Wood End in Coventry[2][10]
  32. Ailsa Newby

The officiating bishop believed it would be 10 years before the first woman bishop was appointed.[19]

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Andrew Brown (13 March 1994). "'Send down your Holy Spirit upon your servant Angela': History is made as the Church of England ordains its first women priests". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/send-down-your-holy-spirit-upon-your-servant-angela-history-is-made-as-the-church-of-england-ordains-its-first-women-priests-1428835.html. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f Orizio Riccardo (13 March 1994). "le sacerdotesse di Sua Maesta'". Corriere della Sera: p. 5. http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1994/marzo/13/sacerdotesse_Sua_Maesta__co_0_94031314565.shtml. 
  3. ^ a b John Darnton (March 13, 1994). "After 460 Years, The Anglicans Ordain Women". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/13/world/after-460-years-the-anglicans-ordain-women.html. 
  4. ^ "A female Archbishop? The contenders". The Guardian (London). 25 July 2002. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/jul/25/gender.uk2. 
  5. ^ a b c Walter Schwarz (March 12, 1994). "Day of reckoning: First women priests embraced as equals". The Guardian (London). http://century.guardian.co.uk/1990-1999/Story/0,,112675,00.html. 
  6. ^ Meet Sue – the first woman in 400 years of tradition at King's, Worcester News, September 18, 2007.
  7. ^ a b c d Anne Senior (7 March 1994). "Church of England fulfilling women's rites". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: p. a.1. 
  8. ^ Ian Jones (2004). Women and priesthood in the Church of England: ten years on. Church House Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 0715140353. 
  9. ^ a b c d Andrew Brown (7 March 1994). "Women take difficult journey into priesthood: Andrew Brown talks to two of the female ministers in the first group to be ordained this week". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/women-take-difficult-journey-into-priesthood-andrew-brown-talks-to-two-of-the-female-ministers-in-the-first-group-to-be-ordained-this-week-1427511.html. 
  10. ^ a b c "Our journey isn’t over, say women priests". Church Times (7357). 12 March 2004. http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=21458. 
  11. ^ a b Jonathan Petre (13 March 2004). "Women priests still held back after 10 years". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1456723/Women-priests-still-held-back-after-10-years.html. 
  12. ^ Sue Leeman (March 8, 1994). "Church Of England To Ordain Women -- Action Marks End Of Spiritual Struggle". Seattle Times. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940308&slug=1899073. 
  13. ^ a b c Joe Joseph (March 28, 1994). "Congregations sing praises of their new women priests". The Times: p. 9. 
  14. ^ a b "Church appointments". The Independent (London). 21 May 1994. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/church-appointments-1437401.html. 
  15. ^ "A new priest and her congregation". The Times. March 14, 1994. 
  16. ^ Doreen M. Rosman (2003). The evolution of the English churches, 1500-2000. Cambridge University Press. p. 331. ISBN 0521645565. 
  17. ^ Andrew Brown (14 March 1994). "Quiet revolution as women celebrate first communions: Catholics round on Belgian priest who publicly criticised Rome's attitudes at Anglican ordination". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/quiet-revolution-as-women-celebrate-first-communions-catholics-round-on-belgian-priest-who-publicly-criticised-romes-attitudes-at-anglican-ordination-andrew-brown-reports-1428963.html. 
  18. ^ "Women Lead Anglican Services". New York Times. March 14, 1994. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/14/world/women-lead-anglican-services.html. 
  19. ^ Keith Gilley (25 September 2004). "The ministry of women". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/sep/25/gender.religion. 

External links