Last Saturday we took one of our ‘Walks around London’
books and spent the day wandering around Westminster, Pall Mall and St James’ –
we love doing this, especially when the guide takes us off the touristy ‘beaten
track’.
One such moment happened last weekend when, just outside Westminster Abbey, our book told us to turn right through the archway into Dean’s Yard. We found there an oasis of peace and calm in this quadrangle which borders the Abbey, Westminster School and Church House.
One such moment happened last weekend when, just outside Westminster Abbey, our book told us to turn right through the archway into Dean’s Yard. We found there an oasis of peace and calm in this quadrangle which borders the Abbey, Westminster School and Church House.
It was only when we got back to Amersham whilst browsing
the BBC News website that I realised just hours before our visit, Dean’s Yard
had been the starting point for the great procession of Anglican women priests
marching from Westminster Abbey to St Paul’s last Saturday to celebrate the
twentieth anniversary of the first women ordained priest. I love last Saturday’s photo of the
Archbishop on the steps of St Paul’s surrounded by women actually ordained two
decades ago – he looks both terrified and delighted all at once!
The Baptist Union ordained its first woman minister, Violet Hedger, in 1922 and just last year The Revd Lynn Green became the BU’s first woman General Secretary. Yet it is interesting that the BU website says ’the proportion of women ministers remains disappointingly small in our denomination’. It’s also true that whilst many women have taken up part-time or non-stipendary appointments in the Anglican Church the current level of women ordinands is, in the words of a CofE commentator, a mere ‘trickle’ today.
The Baptist Union ordained its first woman minister, Violet Hedger, in 1922 and just last year The Revd Lynn Green became the BU’s first woman General Secretary. Yet it is interesting that the BU website says ’the proportion of women ministers remains disappointingly small in our denomination’. It’s also true that whilst many women have taken up part-time or non-stipendary appointments in the Anglican Church the current level of women ordinands is, in the words of a CofE commentator, a mere ‘trickle’ today.
The reluctance of some Baptist churches to appoint women
and the fierce debate within the Anglican Church about women bishops is based
on a view of ministry which maintains it should remain male. That view is dependent on a reading of
scripture that takes passages which I believe are ‘descriptive’ (outlining a
tradition appropriate for a particular time) and makes them ‘prescriptive’
(insisting they outline a tradition for all time).
For me, over these last twenty seven years of ministry it
simply hasn’t been an issue – in the sense that personally I rejoice in women’s
ministry and feel the church has benefited enormously from it. In fact Rachel noted just the other day that
most of my ministerial friends are women!
I believe God calls both men and women to the ordained ministry
– and although we missed them last Saturday – I’m glad that hundreds of people
marched from Dean’s Yard to celebrate that inclusivity as a gift from God.
Best wishes,
Best wishes,
Ian
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