Sue Agnew

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
—Galatians 3: 28

Dear friends in Christ,

Today we commemorate Florence Li Tim-Oi, who was the first woman ordained a priest in the Anglican Communion.

As a deaconess, she had been serving in Macao, but the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong made it impossible for priests to get to Macao to celebrate the Eucharist. She traveled through Japanese-occupied territory to meet with her bishop and was ordained a priest on January 25, 1944.

After the end of World War II, Florence’s ordination became the subject of controversy and she decided not to exercise her priesthood.

Some 30 years later, the ordination of women to the priesthood began being discussed (and voted against) at General Conventions. In 1974, three retired bishops agreed to ordain a group of qualified female deacons—these women became known as the Philadelphia Eleven.

It was not until 1976, however, that General Convention approved the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopacy. (Fun fact, long-time Saint Philip’s parishioner Peg Anderson was a delegate to that convention.) 

Almost 50 years after that, Sarah Mullally was named the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to be chosen for the role. However, the bishops of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a group of conservative prelates, rejected the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury and in fact proclaimed themselves the official voice of Anglicanism.

Regardless, Sarah’s appointment will be ratified in just a few days and she will be installed in March.

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.
—BCP p. 816

Yours in Christ,
—Sue

(Note: these are very brief, over-simplified descriptions of interesting and important events; you’re encouraged to research them further.)