Awesome Voices: God working through ordained women
today
Lis Goddard, Clare Hendry, Sally Hitchiner,
Liz Hoare, Suse McBay, Jane Morris, Jane Plackett, and Kate
Wharton
Gilead Books £7.95
(978-0-9926713-0-3)
Church Times Bookshop £7.15
THIS year, in which falls the 20th anniversary of women's
ordination to the priesthood in the C of E, the publication of this
book is particularly timely. It contains the story of the
beginnings of the organisation AWESOME, alongside six testimonies
telling of the experiences of some of its members in the processes
of selection, training, and practice of ordained ministry.
Definitely from the Evangelical stable, AWESOME stands for
Anglican Women Evangelicals: Supporting our Ordained Ministries.
The narratives highlight the challenges and frustrations faced by
women from the Evangelical tradition seeking to be obedient to
God's call to ordained ministry in the face of opposition. In this
case, unsurprisingly, the opposition is rooted in debates about
headship and the interpretation of scripture.
Each of the personal testimonies contained in the book is
written with passion and conviction. Together, they provide a
powerful illustration of the many and diverse ways in which people
experience and respond to God's call to ordination, and to the
variety of contexts in which they exercise ministry. In this
respect, the book could prove to be a particularly helpful resource
for those seeking to discern their vocation, and those in training
for ordination, as well as others who journey alongside them in
different capacities.
As an organisation, AWESOME seeks to support and encourage
ordained Evangelical women in the Church. In the same way, the
narratives, by giving voice to the experiences of ordained women,
have the potential to bring encouragement and hope to all women
ordained in the C of E. As an ordained woman, I, while holding
different theological views, found aspects of my own journey and
approaches to ministry reflected in some of the testimonies, and
they offered me new ways of understanding the past and moving
towards the future.
The book also highlights the many challenges and frustrations
still faced by many ordained women. For example, the facts that
still today only 18 per cent of stipendiary incumbents are women;
that even fewer lead so-called "larger" churches; and that women
are also under-represented in senior posts are surely causes for
concern for all ordained women, and, indeed, for many of our male
colleagues.
While the main purpose of the book is to allow a diversity of
Evangelical women's stories to be heard and understood, the
narratives allude to, but do not explore fully, some of the
theological themes and the spirituality of ministry underpinning
them. This does mean that sometimes the narratives are asked to
carry too much weight in relation to meaning; too much is expected
of them, so to speak. Perhaps greater depth could have been
achieved by some deliberate highlighting and reflection on these
themes.
Moreover, as the stories unfold, it becomes clear that they
contain significantly divergent opinions on issues such as the
Church in mission; the relationship between leadership and
priesthood; and the part played by the ordained minister. These
different perspectives echo those to be found across the spectrum
of theologies in the Church of England. Does this indicate that
there is room for a second volume, in which all our treasured
identities become less significant than commitment to honest debate
and further exploration? I hope so.
Canon Christine Worsley is the Kingdom People Development
Officer in the diocese of Worcester.