News

Recent Appointments

Future Events

Reports

• Canon Lucy Winkett AGM Keynote Address
• Ripon & Leeds WATCH
• Isle of Wight WATCH
• Southwark WATCH
• Chelmsford WATCH
• Guildford WATCH
• Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the ordination of Constance Coltman
• New Bishop of Lund Consecrated
  

NEWS

First woman bishop appointed in Victoria

The Anglican Church in Melbourne reports: The Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier, has announced the appointment of Canon Barbara Darling as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Melbourne. She is currently the vicar of the parish of St James’, Dandenong.

Canon Darling (60) is only the second woman to be made a bishop in Australia, following the recent appointment of Archdeacon Kay Goldsworthy as an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Perth. Canon Darling will be consecrated as a bishop on 31 May in St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne.

The members of Archbishop in Council which met last night greeted the nomination of Canon Darling with great warmth and affirmation across the board, many members sharing their experiences of her as a pastor, mentor and colleague. She was described as a steady, wise and deeply caring individual with many gifts to offer as a bishop.

Canon Darling was among the first women in Australia to be ordained priest in 1992 in St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne. She was elected as a canon of St Paul’s Cathedral in 1995, and appointed as an Examining Chaplain in 1998. Before becoming the Vicar of St James’ Dandenong in 2005, she was the Vicar of All Souls’ Sandringham for almost 10 years, from 1995-2005, and before that she was the Minister in Charge and then Vicar of St Paul’s with All Saints, Ascot Vale, from 1989-1995.

She has many years experience as a teacher, including six years at secondary level, and 14 years as a lecturer at Ridley theological College, Melbourne. Her qualifications include an MA from the University of Melbourne, a BA and a Diploma in Education from the University of Sydney, and a Licentiate of Theology with First Class Honours from Ridley College, Melbourne.

In announcing the appointment, Dr Freier said that he believed Canon Darling is a woman of “deep faith, as well as outstanding pastoral, teaching and organisational ability,” and that he was greatly looking forward to working with her as a member of his Episcopal team.

Canon Darling said that she was “delighted, particularly for all women – both clergy and laity. We have been waiting many years for this opportunity, and now, at long last, the day has arrived. I felt called by God to some form of Christian ministry from an early age, and gradually I felt called to ordination, first as a deacon and then as a priest. I am now surprised and somewhat humbled, yet excited, about responding to the call to be a bishop.”

She wants to be a bishop, she said, who “walks alongside people.” “Being aware of people’s concerns, fears and doubts and helping them to grow and develop, and to understand where God is in their lives, is very important to me.” She is also passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. “I love teaching and making the Gospel relevant to people’s lives and in the Australia of today.”

Australia's first female Anglican bishop to be consecrated
ABC News (Australia) reports:

The Venerable Kay Goldsworthy, 51, will be consecrated on May 22 at St George's Cathedral in Perth. Archdeacon Goldsworthy was one of the first women to be ordained in 1992 shortly after the order allowed women to become priests. Last year, the Anglican appellate tribunal paved the way for the elevation of women to the position of bishop, saying nothing in the church's constitution could stop such a move.

Archdeacon Goldsworthy has had extensive experience within the Perth diocese, including terms as school chaplain, canon of the cathedral and parish priest. Archdeacon Goldsworthy says it is a hugely important day for the church as women take their place alongside men.

"We've been a while catching up in Australia," she said. "Twenty years ago we weren't yet ordaining women as priests, but the time has come and I know that the great majority of Australian Anglicans warmly welcome this day, and the fact that there is no longer any discrimination against women in pastoral leadership."

The Anglican Archbishop of Perth, the Most Reverend Roger Herft, says he hopes the appointment will help overcome resistance to the elevation of women from some parts of the church. Archbishop Herft says the move will refresh the church. "The church has brought about diminishment to women in the world and in the church," he said. "So there needs to be a time where we say in this act we are also saying sorry to those many women for whom the church has been a place of isolation and exclusiveness."

The former Premier Richard Court, who was at the conference which announced Archdeacon Goldworthy's appointment this morning, said the move by the Anglican church is a positive step which will enrich the church. "It's a wonderful day for the church in Australia," he said. "I have a very simple Anglican faith and I know that the church has been greatly enriched by the ordination of women which occurred here in the early 1990s and this is the next logical step."

WATCH STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH CHURCH IN WALES
WATCH is deeply disappointed by the result of the vote on women bishops in the Church in Wales. However, we note that the vote succeeded with getting well over the required two-third’s majority in both the House of Laity (52 in favour, 19 against, 1 abstention) and the House of Bishops (5 in favour, none against, no abstentions). It was only in the House of Clergy that the vote failed by the merest of margins – (27 in favour, 18 against, 1 abstention).

We applaud the leadership of Archbishop Barry Morgan in not compromising on the principle of having women as bishops on the same basis as men are bishops. The six diocesan bishops agreed unanimously to resist all attempts to include arrangements which would have discriminated against bishops who are women. In his statement released before the vote, Archbishop Barry Morgan said that “to appoint a bishop with jurisdiction for those opposed to the ordination of women would alter irreparably the Church in Wales as we know it. It would be to sanction schism and for these theological reasons the bishops, as guardians of unity, could not give their support for such a measure.”

We commend this approach to the House of Bishops in the Church of England as it receives the report of the Legislative Drafting Group and as it prepares its own report for General Synod in July.

WATCH Ripon and Leeds host lunch with Ann Cryer on women challenging injustice
See in Press Releases

Women Bishops for Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia's highest legal authority, the Appellate Tribunal, has cleared the way for the consecration of women as diocesan bishops across Australia.
In a majority decision the Tribunal has ruled that there is nothing in the Church's Constitution that would prevent the consecration of a woman priest as a diocesan bishop in a diocese which by ordinance has adopted the Law of the Church of England Clarification Canon 1992. Not every diocese has done so. For more details go to http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002660.html#comments

The Proposed Covenant
What the proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion is about (click here) and the WATCH response to the draft Covenant on this, which has been sent to all members of General Synod.

Bishop Christina Odenberg's visit to WATCH fringe meeting at July 2007 General Synod in York Click here for the text of her talk.

A new Swedish woman bishop
Following the retirement of Bishop Christina Odenberg, a new woman bishop, Antje Jackelén, was consecrated Bishop of Lund in Sweden in April. Click here for a full report.

Anglican women commit to staying in communion
At the latest meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the Anglican delegation of women produced a statement indicating their belief that no disagreement would cause them to break communion with each other, as their commitment to mutual support and collaboration in the face of global suffering was an essential part of their Christian faith. See statement.

Legislative Group appointed for Women Bishops
Since this group has been set up they have met several times. There was no report at the July 2007 General Synod in York. Maybe there will be something when the General Synod meets in February 2008.

The members of the Women Bishops Legislative Drafting Group are:

The Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester (chair)
The Ven Donald Allister, Archdeacon of Chester
The Revd Jonathan Baker
The Rt Worshipful Dr Sheila Cameron, Dean of the Arches
The Very Revd Vivienne Faull, Dean of Leicester
Dr Paula Gooder
Mrs Margaret Swinson
Sister Anne Williams
The Rt Revd Trevor Willmott, Bishop of Basingstoke

To see the WATCH response to this please see our Press Release.

'Women priests are 'normal'
WATCH has responded to the comments of the Archbishop of Canterbury made in an interview with the Catholic Herald, and reported out of context in other media. For more details go to Press Releases.

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RECENT APPOINTMENTS

Jane Alexander is next Bishop of the Diocese of Edmonton in Canada

Jane Alexander, rector of All Saints Cathedral and Dean of Edmonton, was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Edmonton in Canada on March 8. Chosen on the third ballot, she received 52 clergy votes and 89 lay votes. She "takes over" from Bishop Victoria Matthews who recently retired and who has been proposed – but not confirmed – as the next bishop of Christchurch in New Zealand. A relative newcomer to holy orders, Jane was ordained to the priesthood in 2001, served several parishes in the diocese and has served as dean since 2006. She began her professional life in 1981 as a music teacher in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, however her interest in church life was apparent as her B.A. in music from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, earned in 1980, analyzed English liturgical music from 1370 to 1430. In the 1980s, she worked as a special education teacher in England, then pursued research in educational psychology in Alberta. She earned a master's degree in education in 1993 and a Ph.D. in educational psychology in 1996, both from the University of Alberta. She earned a master's degree in theological studies in 2001 from Newman Theological College.

Queen's Chaplain Appointment
We have just heard the very good news from National WATCH that the Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkins, a WATCH member, has been made a Queen's Chaplain. Many congratulations Rose from all of us.
You might like to note that three of the four women Queen's Chaplains are members of WATCH : Ann Easter, Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Pippa Thorneycroft.

Reverend Gilly Myers, a WATCH member, will be installed as Canon Precentor of Manchester Cathedral in March. At present she is Succentor of Durham Cathedral.

Another woman Archdeacon in Canada
News is just in that Revd Canon Janet Griffith has been appointed as Archdeacon in the Diocese of Montreal in Canada.

Ann Easter to become Queen's Chaplain

Many congratulations to Revd Canon Ann Easter, one of our members from Chelmsford Diocese, who has been appointed as a Queen's Chaplain. There are only 36 of these and Ann will be one of only three women. Her duties will include preaching at St James' Palace once a year and she will also be presented to HM at a Garden Party.

Revd Karen Gorham, a WATCH member, has been appointed as Archdeacon of Buckingham in Diocese of Oxford. This brings the number of women Archdeacons up to 13. Click here to download the official Press Release.

Revd Becky Hollis to go to Columbo, Sri Lanka in July. See Press Release.

Revd Dr Laura Ahrens was elected as bishop suffragan for the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut at a special convention in Hartford on 10 March. She is the first woman elected bishop in the Diocese of Connecticut. At present she is rector of St James’ Episcopal Church in Danbury, Connecticut.

Ellen Clark King has been appointed Archdeacon of Burrard in the Diocese of New Westminster in the Anglican Church of Canada. At present she is associate priest at Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver. Ellen came to the diocese in January 2005 from the staff of St Anthony’s Priory in Durham.

The Anglican Church in Cuba has just appointed a woman as their Suffragan Bishop. She is Canon Nerva Cot Aguilera. More details to follow.

WATCH congratulates Revd Dr Charlotte Methuen on her appointment by the Bishop of Gloucester as the first Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Gloucester. For more details please see in Press Releases.

Revd Janina (Jan) Ainsworth has been appointed as CofE's Chief Education Officer.

Revd Canon Janet Henderson has been appointed as Archdeacon of Richmond in Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, the first woman Archdeacon in York Province.

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FUTURE EVENTS

2008

Pre-Lambeth
Women and leadership Conference @ Cuddesdon
Christina Rees

Thursday 15 May
Manchester WATCH Relaunch
12.30 – 2.30pm
University Chaplaincy, Oxford Street, Manchester
Further details: UnaKroll@aol.com Tel: 0161 797 7877

Saturday 17 May
Isle of Wight WATCH AGM
Speaker: Christina Rees
Quay Arts Centre, Isle of Wight
Further details: Annis Fessey Tel: 01983 616466, fessey@homeiow.freeserve.co.uk

Sunday 18 May
A Service to Remember Alan Webster, former Dean of St Paul's Cathedral
3.15pm Service, followed by a reception in the crypt
St Paul's Cathedral
The service will be under the dome, with full choir. This will not be a traditional Memorial Service but will focus on the themes that concerned Alan the most.

Thursday 22 May
Severn Forum Lecture: 'Sex and the Sins of the Fathers'
Speaker: Revd Canon Professor Marilyn McCord-Adams
7.30pm £3 entry fee
Gloucestershire University, Park Campus, Cheltenham

Saturday 28 June
London WATCH Meeting
Speaker: Revd Dr Jane Hedges "A Peculiar Ministry"
Times & venue to be confirmed.
Further details: Sally Barnes, Secretary London WATCH
sally.barnes3@btopenworld.com Tel: 0208731 9860

Monday 21 July – Saturday 2 August
LAMBETH CONFERENCE
University of Kent
For full details of Conference Programme: www.lambethconference.org
Tuesday 22 July: WATCH Fringe Event: Godly Play session
Monday 28 July, 6.30pm: WATCH Reception for all Women bishops
If you are considering visiting the Lambeth Conference we need your help with staffing our stall and with our two fringe events. Please contact Jenny Standage by email jennystandage@pobox.com for more details.

Tuesday 22 July
Eucharist and Bring & Share Supper
Preacher: Revd Canon Peggy Jackson
6.30pm
Gloucester Cathedral

Saturday 27 September
QUIET DAY led by Canon Lucy Winkett at St Paul's Cathedral
10.15am – 3.45pm
The theme of the day will be "Your Faith Has Made You Well"
Further details: Sally Barnes, Secretary London WATCH
sally.barnes3@btopenworld.com Tel: 0208731 9860

Saturday 4 October
WATCH Study Morning
'Ordained Church Leadership Now and in the Future'
Speakers: Canon Jane Kenchington (Dean of Women Clergy) and Revd John Witcombe (Officer for Ministry and Diocesan Director of Ordinands)
10am – 1pm (9.30 for coffee) £5
St John's Church, Churchdown, Gloucestershire

Saturday 1 November
WATCH DAY 2008
10.30am – 3.30pm
10.30am Annual General Meeting
12noon Eucharist
2pm Afternoon session. Speaker: Canon Joy Tetley
St John's Church, Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TY
Apologies to the Secretary: jennystandage@pobox.com

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REPORTS

Ripon & Leeds WATCH

Revd Dr Daphne Green reports: Ripon and Leeds WATCH held a lunch at Leeds Civic Hall on January 25th which was widely attended by WATCH members from many northern dioceses, local business women and members of CWO. Ann Cryer MP for Keighley and a strong WATCH supporter, urged women should be more active in speaking out against injustice in the Church of England. She said “Something is wrong when women who make up 52% of humanity are not properly represented in the Church. It is also wrong that none of the 26 bishops who have seats in the House of Lords can currently be women”.

The Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, The Rt Revd John Packer also spoke at the event and said that the great majority of his fellow bishops were strongly in favour of the ordination of women as bishops. However, it was important that the consciences of those who were opposed were respected. The challenge was to find a solution that both those for women bishops and those against could accept.
We are rejoicing in having the first woman archdeacon in the North of England and hope for many more soon in the Northern Province! The Ven. Janet Henderson, Archdeacon of Richmond, spoke on the need for the Church to act decisively now regarding women bishops.

Una Kroll went from Manchester to the lunch and she reports: Ann Cryer spoke of her work for some Asian Muslim women who appealed to her to help them avoid forced marriages, but, even when she was successful, could not dare to speak out for themselves. She felt that it was important for women to become bishops and to represent all disadvantaged and oppressed women in society through their membership of the House of Bishops in the Lords. Bishop Packer, who is very supportive of women’s ministry in his own diocese, spoke of the practical difficulties in the way of this happening. It would seem likely to be a long drawn out process and the opposition is very well organised.

Listening to these two speakers in 2008 reminded me of all the debates I had attended from 1970 onwards about the ordination of women to the priesthood, and made me wonder why there was so much apparent apathy among younger women priests who had benefited greatly from our struggles at that time? Same old arguments; same old delaying tactics; same old stalemates and concern for the opponents rather than for the mission of the Church; same struggle against fear and apathy. BUT, and it’s a huge BUT, the women priests in the Anglican Communion have done a great job in the past 15 years.

Ripon & Leeds WATCH is planning further events this year and we always welcome more members. So do get in touch if you would like to get involved!

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Isle of Wight WATCH

Eleanor Boulter & Brian Bowers report: In its first full year of existence, IOW WATCH has held several enjoyable social events, as well as the first of our series of annual lectures. This was given in April by Revd Canon Flora Winfield in the pleasant setting of the Quay Arts Centre in Newport, and proved to be a most interesting and stimulating occasion. (A report on the lecture was given in the Autumn edition of Outlook).

As well as this lecture and our formal meetings, we were treated to a garden supper at the home of Liz and Brian Bowers in Wootton. Unfortunately the weather was not kind – as was usual during that miserable summer – but there was room for all indoors and we had a very enjoyable evening. Then in September we held a meeting in Shalfleet (West Wight) – which boasts one of the oldest churches on the Island – at which Revd Grenda Hurt chaired a meeting on Inclusive Language. It became clear that we were not all by any means in agreement on this topic, but we had a very lively discussion! To end the year we returned to Shalfleet for a Christmas social event with wine and mince pies.

Our next lecture will be on 17th May, again at the Quay Arts Centre where our speaker will be Christina Rees. Our AGM will precede the lecture.

In the next year we hope to continue to build on these foundations, working with all clergy and congregations of our Island, and anticipate, with hope, the day when our services are no longer required.

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Southwark WATCH

A Celebration of Women’s Ministry

Martin Carr reports: 2007 marked the 20th anniversary of the ordination of women to the diaconate in the Church of England, and to celebrate the ministry of women in all three orders, London and Southwark WATCH joined forces to host a special Eucharist at St John’s Waterloo on Saturday 6 October.

An incredible amount of work had been done beforehand by musicians, servers, preachers, caterers and more. Then at 3pm the procession entered the church to John Bell’s hymn ‘There is a line of women’, a favourite at WATCH celebrations. Instead of a single sermon, we heard three reflections. Caroline Mullins spoke of her expectations as a newly ordained deacon in Southwark. Peggy Jackson, dean of women’s ministry in Southwark, reflected movingly on her experiences of priestly ministry following the vote in Synod, and finally a meditation on the movement of the Spirit from Katherine Jefferts Schori’s book “A Wing and a Prayer” gave us an Episcopal perspective. How we all longed for a women in our own Church to give the same from the pulpit! The liturgy was beautifully performed by an experienced team of servers and ministers, the highlight being the singing of a specially adapted Eucharistic preface by the celebrant, Claire Robson.

After the liturgy we gathered for a reception at the back of church, to greet old friends, meet new ones, and celebrate how far we have come in 20 years. Special thanks were offered to Margaret Webster for the support she and her late husband, Alan, had given to women’s ministry over the years. We were also joined by members of CWO (Catholic Women’s Ordination) and prayed with them, and by Carrie Pemberton, whose organisation CHASTE is a practical example of where women’s ministry is at the cutting-edge.

On behalf of London and Southwark WATCH I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the day in whatever way. It was good to have a large and diverse group celebrating together and looking towards a future Church fully inclusive of the ministries of both women and men.

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Chelmsford WATCH

Revd Bryan West reports: The AGM of WATCH Chelmsford was held on 13 October at St John the Evangelist, Moulsham, Chelmsford and a good proportion of the membership attended.

The ‘nuts and bolts’ part of the AGM complete, our Chair, the Revd Dr Jane Freeman led the gathering in a reflection focused on the Li Tim-Oi Foundation, the genesis of which was the inspiring life and ministry of this priest. Particularly moving and challenging was a DVD of the talk given by Dr Esther Mombo, Dean of St Paul’s Theological College in Limuru, Kenya, as part of the re-launch of the Foundation on 30 April 2007 at Lambeth Palace. Those who met were enabled to fully appreciate what the logo of the Foundation “It takes one woman” is saying to the Church of today about the particular nature of the ministry of women.

Revd Jane Freeman leads the gathering		WATCH Chelmsford AGM

During the season of Advent WATCH Chelmsford encouraged members to include in their personal prayerful preparation for the celebration of the incarnation the coming into being of bishops who are women. Members were asked to be deliberate in the hope that the fullness of the incarnation might extend to be a Church in which the exclusion of women from the episcopate ends and ends soon.

Looking forward to the unfolding of 2008 WATCH Chelmsford plans to have time of reflection and prayer during the year on 25 March, 22 July and 17 November using, as a focus, the prayer cards WATCH has produced. It is also planned once again to have a presence at the Bradwell Pilgrimage on 5 July.
It is encouraging to see how membership holds up in the Chelmsford Diocese but every opportunity is sought to recruit.

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Guildford WATCH

The priest, the body, the bride and the whore

The speaker at the WATCH annual lecture this year was Ali Green. Ali is a non-stipendiary minister in Monmouth and was a doctoral research student of Tina Beattie, Reader in Theology at Roehampton University. Ali received her doctorate at the end of the summer. The aim of her lecture to Guildford WATCH was to suggest ways in which women could inhabit the symbolic role of celebrant of the Eucharist in a culture which has, for most of the Church’s life, seen this as a male preserve.

Tina began with an outline of the ways in which women have been excluded from participation in the Eucharist over the centuries and quotations from theologians and others who have rationalised this: women are “unclean”, “unable to think logically” etc. The following is a comment to the Archbishop’s Commission in 1936, on the issue of women in the priesthood.

“The ministration of women will tend to produce a lowering of the spiritual tone of Christian worship...it would be impossible for the male members to be present at a service at which a woman ministered without becoming unduly conscious of her sex.”

With regard to Scripture, our relationship with the divine has over the ages, Ali suggested, been a male relationship, extending over biblical hermeneutics, genealogies, language and symbolism. Sometimes, too, the Bible uses male/female relationships to delineate for example, in the relationship between Christ and his bride, the Church, which mirrors God’s relationship with Israel in the prophesies of Hosea.
When it comes to the Eucharist, male/female issues extend beyond the obvious argument that Christ was a man and must therefore be represented by a man. Sacrifice has, suggested Ali, been a male preserve, in most faiths and cultures. Priests officiating at a sacrament whose central theme is sacrifice always were, and, it would be argued, always must be male.

So what can women do? Ali put forward important ways in which women can transform the role of celebrant at the Eucharist. By witnessing to a history of exclusion and prejudice they can, she suggested, play a key role in challenging any and all ideas of domination. Second, while stereotypes for either gender are often misleading, women’s traditional role means that the stereotype of care and nurture, can be taken into the Eucharist and uncover a range of symbolic new meanings.

Women are made in the image of God and as priests must mediate this image, just as men have done hitherto. Ali was anxious not to be seen as diminishing the role of male priests, stressing instead that the roles of male and female priests complemented each other. Together, male and female priests can minister to the whole body of the Church in ways not possible up to now. Her lecture ended thus:
“Women and men serving together as priests witness to the God-intended relationship between the sexes of mutuality and reciprocity. Neither is dominant or subordinate, neither more or less in Imago Dei; both play an equal and vital role in being part of the Body of Christ. The Eucharist can now fulfil its destiny as an eschatological celebration that allows all believers to affirm their own identity and hope in God as bodily, sexed beings with a shared spiritual ethos expressed in diverse ways according to individuals’ ways of being in the world...All worshippers flourish at the wedding banquet in the presence of God beyond language, embodiment and gender. In communion with God through the symbolic use of the body, they experience most intimately the aspiration to become divine in a bodily participation with God. The true and full significance of the wedding feast can unfold as the female body fully participates in the narrative of faith.”

Bishop’s new Advisory Group in Guildford Diocese

Hilary Cotton reports: In a new venture, the Bishop of Guildford has appointed a group of women (4 clergy, one lay) whose concern is the ministry of ordained women.
This group:
• Succeeds the role of Diocesan Advisor in Women’s Ministry
• Aims to ensure that clergy appointments comply with the spirit of Equal Opportunities legislation
• Monitors statistics on the numbers and roles of clergywomen
• Assesses the adequacy of pastoral care for clergywomen
• With Diocesan senior staff, provides support and representation for clergywomen in situations of conflict or confrontation.
• Liaises with the national network for Diocesan Advisors on Women’s Ministry on current issues
• Reports regularly to the Bishop and senior staff
As the lay member of this Group, I am delighted that it is taking on a number of tasks that WATCH has been doing in Guildford, and which I have often advocated as more properly the responsibility of the Diocese. This frees WATCH Guildford to do other things...we have yet to get together and discuss what!

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Celebrating the Ministry of Women and the 90th anniversary of the ordination of Constance Coltman as the first Congregational minister in England

Jean Mayland reports:

Constance Todd was ordained as the first Congregational woman Minister on 17 September 1917. The day before (16 September) her friend Maude Royden had begun her preaching ministry – non ordained – at the City Temple as she felt that her ministry would never be accepted in the Church of England in her lifetime. Maude remained an Anglican. On 18 September Constance married Claud Coltman and they were appointed as joint Ministers to the Darby Street Mission of the Congregational King’s Weigh House Church in the West End of London. Constance had taken a degree course in history at Oxford (not degree as women were still excluded from degrees at Oxford and Cambridge). She had then trained at Mansfield College, Oxford and also taken a London BD degree.

The ordination of Constance and her friendship with Maude Royden were celebrated in a Holy Communion Service at St Columba’s URC Church in Oxford on 17 September of this year. The service was conducted by the Revd Elizabeth Gray-King, who is responsible for Post Ordination Training in the URC Church. The Revd Dr Janet Wootton, who is responsible for Ministerial Training in the Congregational Federation, read one of the lessons, read an extract from her new book This is our Story (Epworth, 2007) about Free Church women ministers and gave the blessing. Revd Jean Mayland read a lesson and co-celebrated with Elizabeth. Hymns were sung by Janet Wootton, Brian Wren and the Revd Professor June Boyce Tillman.

The sermon was preached by the Revd Canon Flora Winfield who currently occupies the International Affairs Desk at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI). She is also involved in reconciliation work in Iraq through the St  Ethelburgha’s Centre in London. At one time she was Chaplain at Mansfield College and lectured in feminist theology at Oxford University. She spoke of the friendship between   Constance and Maude and the work they did together to further the ministry of women.

Constance and Maude shared other interests too; they met at Swanwick in 1915 at a Conference of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation. After the conference some of the participants, including Constance and Maude, travelled round England in a caravan advocating pacifism – not a popular message then! At one time they only escaped by jumping into a railway carriage and were surprised to hear the guard cry as he shut the door behind them ‘Keep going, I am right behind you!’

Constance and Maude were also involved in the Suffragette Movement and were founders of the Society for the Ministry of Women in the Church (ecumenical) along with Lady Stansgate, mother of Wedgwood Benn. Flora stressed the fact that as far as Constance and Maude were concerned, it was the advocating of the ministry of women, which was their main passion, but they did it NOT for women but for the Gospel. They did it to liberate the Gospel of liberation to proclaim the message of reconciliation and equality and the worth of all. These qualities were paramount in the work and life of Jesus and can be found in the Early Church. Later they were crushed by the acceptance of civil norms of society and patriarchal culture.

So often the Church moves forward and then back. This has happened frequently in women’s battle for recognition. In the service we were challenged and encouraged to move forwards again. 

It was a joy to be there and join with women friends from number of Churches including the Roman Catholic Church. It was a privilege to share in leading the communion service and to be strengthened with the bread of life. We came out to the words of Janet’s blessing:

The wisdom of God,
Architect of Creation
unfold in us visions and plans
full of creativity;
The Word of God
heard in the darkness
surprise our intelligence
with richer light;
The breath of God
brooding over the deep,
bring us into fullness of life

From left to right: Revd Elizabeth Gray-King, Revd Jean Mayland, Revd Canon Flora Winfield and Revd Dr Janet Wootton		Elizabeth Gray-King conducts the service

Antje Jackelén was elected (on the first ballot) in December 2006. From 2001 until moving to Lund, she was Associate Professor of systematic theology at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, USA, with a particular focus on questions of science and religion. Having grown up in Germany she moved to Sweden after completing her theological studies, where she was ordained in 1980, and served as a parish priest for 16 years in the Dioceses of Stockholm and Lund before returning to Lund University to take her doctorate. She is married to Rev. Heinz Jackelén, and they have two daughters.

The consecration was a wonderful, uplifting, and moving occasion. The Bishops and clergy attending officially were arrayed in a rainbow of copes with, for the bishops, matching mitres. The service was very ecumenical, including representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, from all the British Anglican Churches, the Northern European Methodist Church as well as from the other Scandinavian and Baltic churches. Bishop Antje’s predecessor, Christina Odenberg, assisted the Archbishop and the Dean of Uppsala in presiding at the service. There was some sadness the day before that Church of England had not sent a senior cleric to represent them at this important event; the Church of Ireland, the Church in Wales and the Scottish Episcopal Church had all sent Bishops to honour the occasion (Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Bishop of Meath and Kildare; Rt Revd John Davies, Bishop of St Asaph; and Rt Revd John Mantle, Bishop of Brechin). Even if it were not possible for the C of E to send a Bishop, surely a senior person could have been nominated to attend? It was good, however, that Revd Nicholas Howe, Chaplain of Stockholm, was there as an official guest.

One interesting aspect of the service booklet was the inclusion of an illustration and explanation of Bishop Antje’s coat-of-arms and of her motto, “God is greater”. Designing a coat of arms and selecting a motto seemed such a good way to point a direction and to show some priorities at the beginning of a new ministry. I leave you with Bishop Antje’s motto.

God is greater
This phrase comes from 1 John 3.18-20 which says: “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before God whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and knows everything.”

Our hearts condemn us for what we have thought, said or done – or for what we have not thought, said or done. Sometimes rightly so, at other times on false grounds, but always, as Martin Luther said, with the risk that we become turned in upon ourselves, captives to our own condemnation. Then the assurance that God is greater than our hearts provides comfort, hope and boldness. Forgiveness, uplift and encouragement are prerequisites of being able to live with openness and love. To be grounded in that “God is greater” means being able to rest in the midst of the unrest that the world and our own hearts could jointly thrust us into.

But “God is greater” also creates unrest in the midst of rest. God is greater than our images of God. However much we know and however strongly we believe, our search is never done and we never own it all. God is greater than all the riches of wisdom and knowledge that humanity has gathered by exploring the material, mental and spiritual worlds. The cry that “God is greater” disrupts every totalitarian claim, be it religious, political, cultural or scientific. Therein lies an unequalled incitement toward tolerance, respect and prayer for the Spirit of truth. The insight that God is greater spurs cooperation and candid search, with all humanity, for the ineffable light.

So my motto is comfort and challenge at the same time. It invites questions and conversations, while at the same time pointing to the grace of God that comes to us in Jesus Christ. Bishop Antje Jackelén

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