No women were priests in the Episcopal Church until 34 years ago when 11 women broke the
barriers on July 29, 1974. The very first woman priest in the Anglican Communion, by the way,
was the Rev. Li Tim Oi, ordained 30+ years earlier in Hong Kong during World War II.
Today 31% of Episcopal Clergy are women, according to the latest Church Compensation Report by
the Church Pension Group. Most likely the percentage is even higher due to the fact that this
report was compiled two years ago and reflects only compensated clergy. Not all women who have
been ordained are compensated.
In Philadelphia on that date eleven women were ordained to the priesthood of the Episcopal
Church. They were "irregularly" ordained. These women are often referred to as the
"Philadelphia Eleven."
The Philadelphia Eleven were:
Merrill Bittner
Alison Cheek
Alla Bozarth (Campell)
Emily C Hewitt
Carter Heyward
Suzanne R. Hiatt (deceased 2002)
Marie Moorefield
Jeanette Piccard (deceased 1981)
Betty Bone Schiess
Katrina Welles Swanson (deceased 2006)
Nancy Hatch Witting
The ordaining bishops, all retired, were Daniel Corrigan, Robert L DeWitt, Edward R Welles,
with Antonio Ramos assisting. Barbara Harris served as crucifer at the ordination, which took
place at her home church in Philadelphia, the Church of the Advocate, a mostly African
American congregation. Little did she or anyone there know that in 1989 she would be ordained
bishop. The Philadelphia Eleven were all white, and either middle class or rich. Several were
lesbians. One, Jeannette Piccard, was a famous balloonist who had once held the world record
for highest altitude achieved by a human being. At the time of the Philadelphia ordination,
she was 79.
On August 15, 1974, the House of Bishops was called to an emergency meeting, and denounced
the ordinations, declaring them invalid. Charges were filed against the bishops who ordained
the women and attempts were made to prevent the women from serving their priestly
ministries.
In September 1976, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church approved the ordination of
women to the priesthood and episcopate. The long struggle for women's began in the mid-1850s
and lasted for almost 125 years. Although there was no specific canon that specifically
prohibited ordaining women to the priesthood, the canons required a recommendation from the
standing committee. Many were upset because these women did have such a recommendation;
however others were ready for change and ventured into new territory for the Episcopal
Church.
Only two dioceses of the 112 of The Episcopal Church do not now ordain women - Fort Worth and
Quincy in Illinois, arguably the smallest dioceses of the Episcopal Church with only 24
congregations.
Women have been ordained priests in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Burundi
and Sudan. Women priests are all across the old British Empire: England, Scotland, Ireland,
Wales, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India, and Hong Kong. Women are priests in the
Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
In fact, women are priests in 26 of the 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion. Women may be
bishops in 15 of the 26 provinces. Furthermore, women are priests in the five dioceses that
border the Diocese of Fort Worth. These are Northwest Texas, Oklahoma, Dallas, Texas and West
Texas.
But NOT in the Diocese of Fort Worth.
In late April at All Saints Church in Fort Worth, Bishop Iker said, "he would take communion
from an immoral gay priest who was male before he would take it from a moral priest who was a
woman."
24 Women are Bishops in the Anglican Communion
This month the Church of England's ruling body voted its support for women to become bishops.
Almost exactly 20 years ago (September 1988) the Episcopal Church of the U.S.A. elected
Barbara Clementine Harris as suffragan bishop of Massachusetts. Consecrated in February,
1989, she retired from her post in Boston in 2003. She was succeeded as bishop suffragan by
another African American woman, Gayle Elizabeth Harris. Bishop Barbara Harris continues as an
Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Washington (DC).
A year after Barbara Harris' election New Zealand elected a woman bishop, Penelope Jamieson.
Canada elected its first woman bishop, Victoria Mathews, in 1995. She served as suffragan in
the Diocese of Toronto and later translated as diocesan bishop of Edmonton. She was narrowly
defeated as Primate of Canada last year; this year she was elected Bishop of Christ Church,
New Zealand. It is interesting to note that this remarkable woman is a cancer survivor.
Women have been seated as bishops all across the Anglican Communion. Cuba has one; New Zealand
two; Australia has two; Canada has four and the U.S. has 15. Other Anglican churches around
the world have authorized women to serve as bishop, but none have yet been chosen.
Most notable of all is that The Episcopal Church, the Anglican body in the U.S., is led by a
woman, the Most Reverend Katharine Jeffert Schori.
In the past year the Diocese of Texas consecrated a woman as suffragan bishop. She is the
Right Reverend Dena A. Harrison; her offices are in Austin. Also, in 2007, another woman,
Nerve Cot Aguilera, was chosen Suffragan Bishop of Cuba.
The 15 U.S. women bishops are Laura Ahrens (Ct.), Jane Dixon (DC), Carol Gallagher (S.Va),
Mary Gray-Reeves (El Camino Real), Barbara Harris (Mass.), Gayle E. Harris (Mass.), Dena A.
Harrison (Texas), Carolyn Irish (Utah), Chilton Knudson (Maine), Mary Adele McLeod (Vermont),
Bavi (Nedi) Rivera (Olympia), Catherine Roskam (N.Y.), Catherine Waynick (Indianapolis),
Geralyn Wolf (R.I.).
Our sincere appreciation for information for the above from Dr. Louie Crew, professor
emeritus, Rutgers University, the office of Women's Ministry and Dr. Katy Sherrod, award
winning journalist. - opa
Chronology of Women Clergy in Anglican Communion
1942 Florence Li Tim Oi was ordained as a priest on an emergency basis in Hong Kong. Some sources report 1943 or 1944.
1968 The Lambeth Conference recommended that women be ordained as deacons.
1971 In Hong Kong Joyce Bennett and Jane Hwang were the first regularly ordained priests in the Anglican Communion.
1974 11 women were ordained as priests in Philadelphia.
1975 Four women are ordained as priests in Washington.
1976 The General Convention of the Episcopal Church, USA votes to allow female
ordination; the 15 illegal ordinations are regularized.
1976 Six female priests are ordained by the Anglican Church in Canada.
1977 Five female priests are ordained by the Anglican Church of New Zealand.
1983 A woman priest is ordained in Kenya.
1983 Three women priests are ordained in Uganda.
1987 Women are ordained as deacons in Australia.
1987 A woman deacon is ordained in England.
1988 A woman is consecrated bishop in Massachusetts; 20 years later 15 women have become
bishops in The Episcopal Church.
1990 Women are ordained as priests in Ireland.
1992 Church of England voted to allow the ordination of women.
1992 Australia ordains ten female priests.
1992 Anglican Church of South Africa ordains a female priest.
1992 Women are ordained as priests in the Philippines.
1994 The first female priests of the Church of England were ordained in Bristol Cathedral.
1998 Anglican Church in Japan approves female ordination to the priesthood.
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