WATCH: the story so far…

Women and the church: the ‘hidden gallery’.

Maude Royden, Elsie Chamberlain, Isabella Gilmore, Betty Ridley, Una Kroll, Christian Howard, Monica Furlong, Joyce Bennett, Florence Li Tim-Oi, Constance Coltman, Margaret Webster…heard of them? Probably not – all were icons in the campaign to get women ordained, but as with most women’s lives, they are in the ‘hidden gallery’ of history. But Elsie Chamberlain was the first female full chaplain in the RAF. Una Kroll famously shouted, ‘We asked for bread and you gave us a stone’ (a reference to Matthew 7:7-11) when in 1978 the General Synod refused to allow women to be ordained, creating the momentum for the Movement for the Ordination of Women to be formed. Florence Li Tim-Oi was the first female Anglican priest, ordained during the war to serve behind Japanese lines in China. And so on…

So it was with women in the church: in a majority, but mostly hidden in the background, with children’s work, making tea, cleaning, in the office, caring for neighbours, letting the vicar know when someone needs a visit. However, since 1994, things have changed.

Want to know more about our celebrated women? Their stories can be downloaded as pdf files here:
Maude Royden | Isabella Gilmore | Dame Betty Ridley | Florence Li Tim-Oi | Joyce Bennett | Constance Coltman

1994: Women are ordained as priests – London WATCH is formed.

In 1994, after 50 years of active campaigning, 1500 women were at last ordained as priests in the Church of England. In most places they were welcomed with excitement and joy, but in some places (particularly London) they were received with resistance, anger and exclusion. London WATCH was formed to monitor incidents of discrimination and to support female clergy, some of whom continue to be on the receiving end of revulsion and spite from their male colleagues. Direct and indirect discrimination against women continues, and the Church of England has dispensation from Sex Discrimination Laws.

WATCH goes national: 1996

In 1996 national WATCH was formed as a forum for promoting women’s ministry in the Church of England, and also to provide a national network and support group for women priests and all who are working for an inclusive church. Our priorities are:
• the appointment of women at all levels in the Church (particularly as bishops)
• honesty and openness in all appointments
• support for women in lay and ordained ministries, and for all those who suffer because of their advocacy of women's ministries.

In the last 10 years

WATCH has been doing the groundwork to enable the Church of England to be ready for women bishops. We have monitored and encouraged the appointment of women to increasingly senior positions; we have produced educational and campaigning material on the key issues; and we have challenged the deliberate and unconscious ways in which women are denied an equal place in
the church, at local and national levels.

In July 2006 the General Synod momentously agreed to the Church of England having women bishops. The issue of arrangements for those who will not accept them is now being discussed and debated – and WATCH is taking a full part in moving this forward.