SOME of the first women to be ordained as priests in the Church of England have taken part in a celebration to mark the 30th anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood.

The 11 women who had been ordained in 1994 included the Acting Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Rev Jackie Searle.

Those who gathered at the celebration in the Bishop’s Palace Garden on July 10.
(Diocese of Exeter)

They were joined by other women clergy from across Devon for a special choral evensong at Exeter Cathedral, followed by a celebration event in the Bishop's Palace Garden on Wednesday, July 10.

The first women's ordinations took place in March 1994 following years of campaigning by equal rights groups.

The first women were ordained priests in Exeter Diocese on June 26, 1994.

Bishop Jackie, who was ordained at St Paul's Cathedral in 1994 while eight months pregnant, was visibly moved as she addressed the anniversary gathering of women priests. 

She said: "It's been an incredible privilege for me to be part of this journey, to see how women are flourishing in ministry in Devon and how far this Diocese has come."

When Bishop Jackie was ordained at St Paul's Cathedral in 1994.
(Jane Wilson)

Prayers were said at the special evensong by Canon Cate Edmonds, who was ordained in 1995.

She said: "We give joyful thanks for the women who persevered in following God's call for their lives, overcoming obstacles of prejudice, self-doubt and lack of resources.

"We remember with sorrow those whose vocations were never realised and the loss of ministry that could have been.

"We ask for God's strengthening of those who continue to call out gender injustice in the Church and all who work to enable women in ministry to thrive," she added.

This year also marks the 80th anniversary of the first woman to be priested in 1944 and the 10th anniversary of the first woman to be consecrated as a bishop in 2014.

The Dean of Women in Ministry for the Diocese of Exeter, the Rev Prebendary Samantha Stayte, said the celebration was a special one: "It was deeply moving to see the women who were the pioneers at the event. They are the people who paved the way for my generation and those after me," she said.

"Seeing so many women from across Devon gathered together is normalising - the fact that women are priests, older women, younger women, married women and single women are priests. We show the diversity of womankind in the priesthood.

"It shows how far the church has come in a very short time. Thirty years in the history of the Church of England is only a short time and yet the sense of flourishing and enthusiasm and excitement about being people who bring the word of God to others is palpable amongst this group of people."

You can read some of the 30th anniversary stories of the first women priests here: https://exeter.anglican.org/30-years-on-devons-female-clergy-reflect-what-the-ordination-of-women-has-meant-for-them/ .