Women and leadership in ministry in the Church of Ireland

Some years ago during the Eucharist in a typical suburban parish in Manchester, a female churchwarden completing her year in office received a presentation. To my amazement she was described as having achieved something unique – she had actually been “the first female churchwarden in peacetime!” Following the debacle last year in the Church of England culminating in the failure to open the episcopate to women, one cannot but speculate whether there is a significant difference between our two islands in attitudes in general towards women in leadership. To enquire a little further into this issue may point to some key issues that have to be taken into account in considering the scope for, and the development of, female leadership in the church.

* Full article available in printed copies.

John R W Neill

Was Archbishop of Dublin (2002 – 2011) and as Bishop of Tuam (1986) introduced the debate on women’s ordination at the Lambeth Conference of 1988 ; he also chaired the group which prepared the Lambeth 1988 Resolution on Women’s Ordination to the Episcopate.