female ordination

• 1920 Lambeth Conference: first attempt to discuss women's ordination
• China 1944: ordination of Florence Li Tim-Oi

  • ordained in response to the shortage of men in the Church following the Japanese invasion
  • temporary + she resigned her licence post-war
  • officially recognised as a priest following the Synod of Hong Kong + Macao ordaining two other women priests in 1971
• 1987: first ordination of women as deacons (CofE)

  • not able to become priests yet
• 1994: first 32 women ordained as priests (CofE)
• 2015: Libby Lane consecrated as bishop in UK
• debate around ordination of women centres around Apostolic Succession

  • tradition of male ordination going back to the apostles
• many individuals + congregations continue to oppose female ordination

  • CofE allowance of 'alternative episcopal oversight': parishes are put under the authority of a Bishop who also opposes female ordination, in addition to the Bishop of their own diocese
• number of female priests has risen + the position of Bishops who oppose the ordination of women has become the subject of criticism

  • 2017: Philip North the next Bishop of Sheffield but opposed the ordination of women
  • many parishes in the area welcomed the ministry of women so North was forced to withdraw his acceptance of the post
• some have found themselves unable to continue to accept the authority of the Church following the ordination of women - a number of churches have refused to accept any oversight from bishops who ordain women

  • 2017: parish of Jesmond invited a bishop from a conservative Church in South Africa to consecrate their curate as a bishop - totally rejecting authority