Celebrating Women’s Rise to Holy Orders

Today, July 29^th, is a special day for the Episcopal Church, and in particular Episcopal women. It is the shared feast day of Martha and Mary of Bethany and the commemoration of the first ordination of women to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church. Despite being some of Jesus’ fiercest and most faithful disciples, women have historically been neglected from leadership roles in the church, claiming biblical precedence for their exclusion. The road for women in ministry has been long and arduous, and as a woman priest in the Episcopal Church, I am both thankful and awe-inspired by the persistence and faithfulness of the godly women who have paved this path for me and my colleagues. 

Martha and Mary were among many strong, faithful, female characters in the Bible. Their kindness, hospitality, fidelity, and service to Jesus shows us, as described in A Great Cloud of Witnesses, “the beauty of human friendship and love at its best.” Martha and Mary remain quintessential examples of the fierce faith and love that women embody, and it is no surprise that the first ordination of women to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church took place on their feast day. This year, 2024, we celebrate the 50^th anniversary of this momentous and glorious occasion, and remember that journey.

The road to women’s ordination in the Episcopal Church was a long and winding one, exhibiting both triumphs and setbacks. The journey began in 1857,  the first six deaconesses were ‘set apart for service’ by the bishop of Maryland. Other bishops soon followed suit. Though they were set apart for ministry, deaconesses did not hold the same status as deacons regarding holy orders and did not perform liturgical roles in the church.

In 1970, the role of deaconess was officially eliminated and all women serving in that capacity automatically became deacons as we know them today. Three years later, General Convention rejected women’s ordination to the priesthood for the second time. The very next year, on July 29th, 1974, three bishops, one resigned and two retired, ordained 11 female deacons to the priesthood at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, PA. Despite pushback from the House of Bishops who called the women’s ordinations invalid, these 11 female priests persisted in their ministries.

On September 15, 1976, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church officially recognized women’s ordination to the priesthood, as well as the episcopacy (bishops). Despite the Lambeth Conference’s long-awaited acceptance of female priests, the 1978 gathering still recommended that no province consecrate a woman bishop, except under extenuating circumstances. It took ten years, but on September 24, 1988, the Rev. Barbara Harris was the first women elected bishop in the Anglican Communion (Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts), and in November 1993 the Rev. Mary Adelia McLeod was elected the first female Diocesan Bishop in the Episcopal Church (Diocese of Vermont). 

In 2006, the Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori became the Episcopal Church’s first female Presiding Bishop, and I believe the 25^th Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold spoke for all of us when, greeting her at the National Cathedral said, “Katharine, Bishop in the Church of God, we have looked forward to your coming with great joy. In the name of Christ, we greet you.” 

This is a significantly truncated version of the story of women’s rise to holy orders within the Episcopal Church/Anglican Communion. A more detailed timeline can be found at  https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2014/07/28/ordination-timeline/

As we raise children to believe in themselves and encourage them to pursue their dreams, the reality is that the road will have its bumps, sometimes leaving them downtrodden and discouraged. Teaching our children how to persevere, and rise above the institutional and cultural barriers that threaten to hold us back from God’s call for our lives is critical, and not always easy. Utilizing inspirational stories like women’s ordination is a wonderful way of demonstrating how being true to ourselves and having faith in God’s plan for us, can pay dividends. 

Celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of Women in the Priesthood at home with your child/ren today can create a perfect segue to these important conversations! You know your child best, so choosing age-appropriate activities that will engage your child is the key to making your family’s celebration memorable. 

• For younger children, perhaps bake a cake together celebrating the “birthday” of women as priests in the Episcopal Church (don’t forget the 11 candles!). As you work, talk with them about how God makes each person special and equips us all with different gifts. Share how important it is that we lift up everyone to be the person God made us to be. We are all equal and beloved in God’s eyes, and our gender does not disqualify us from being who God calls us to be. After you sing your favorite hymn and blow out the candles, enjoy the coloring sheet below together!

• For older children/tweens/teens, perhaps sharing the timeline of women’s ordination in the Episcopal Church might be of interest to them. Use the opportunity to review what a priest does, and talk about why women have historically been excluded from holding this role within the Church. Explore with your child issues of equality, being made in the image of God, and what it means that God has a unique call for each of us. Ask your child about the gifts God has given them and how they might use those gifts in the world. Talk with them about potential vocations God might be calling them to in the future and brainstorm how our culture/society’s prejudices and infrastructures might create road blocks for them. Affirm for them that no challenge is too large, reminding them that they are supported and loved throughout their journey, and encourage them to remain faithful to God and to follow their dreams. 

The 2024 General Convention emphasized the Episcopal Church’s continued work in recognizing, welcoming, and celebrating diversity, as well as its stress on the full inclusion of all people. While there is always more work to be done in these areas, I hope anniversaries like that of The Philadelphia Eleven can be a reminder to us all of how far we have come, and provide us with the hope and strength to persevere in our work to come.