THE ANGLICAN Archbishop of the West Indies, the Most Rev. Drexel Gomez, will be in Kingston this week to be the guest speaker at a banquet to be held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Friday, February 6, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Ordination of Women to the Diaconate in the Anglican Church in Jamaica.

The Ordination, which took place at the Cathedral, Spanish Town on February 6, 1994, was a turning point in the ministry of women in the church as it gave them entry into the hitherto all-male domain of the order of deacons (and later priests) from which women were previously excluded.

In the Jamaican church, from as early as the 1970s, a synod had voted for the priesting of women but the diocese could not proceed without the consent of the Province of the West Indies and so two decades passed before the final step was taken. In 1994, the first women were ordained to the diaconate in a service held at the Cathedral, Spanish Town, with the then Lord Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Neville deSouza, as ordaining Bishop. Three women were admitted to the Order of deacons ­ Sybil Morris, Judith Daniel and Patricia Johnson. Two years later they were ordained as priests. Today, there are 23 women serving variously as deacons or priests in the diocese. One, Judith Daniel, has the distinction of being the first and so far only woman to be named a Canon of the Cathedral at Spanish Town. Rev. Dr. Patricia Johnson is a hospital chaplain and priest in charge of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Constant Spring. Rev. Sybil Morris who was chaplain at the University Hospital and assistant priest at St. Mary's, Molynes Road, died in 2001.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, a scholarship fund is being launched in her memory, to benefit women undertaking theological studies.

HISTORIC STEP

Four women have been appointed as rectors of cures, another historic step. Rectors are usually appointed after a congregation has requested the church authorities to affirm their choice of a leader. "This means that there is no longer any reservation in the minds of the people about the validity of women in the priesthood. I believe that the people have gone past the gender barrier and are willing to see their ministers as individuals, not male or female. It is a natural development. Out in the wider world, women are taking leadership positions. There is no reason why it should not be so in the church. This is a positive viewpoint, which one hopes will be more widely shared," says a member of the church.

On occasion, persons have opted to remain in the Diaconate which is known as the 'serving ministry'. One such is the Rev. Jean Forbes who previously headed the Order of Deaconess, most of whom have opted for admission into the priesthood. Rev. Forbes is in charge of Deaconess House, which operates a crisis centre. A pioneer in this ministry was Deaconess Esmin Peters who is now retired.

Women also occupy other significant leadership roles in the Church. The first woman to assume leadership of the Church Army, (the evangelistic arm of the church in Jamaica) was Sis. Norma Thompson, a former Director of the Department of Education and Youth of the Diocese. She has since retired and has been succeeded by Sis. Phyllis Thomas who is attached to the Mandeville Parish Church.

It should be noted that other women who served in the Church in Jamaica were ordained earlier in the United States, Canada and England. One such is Rev. Dr. Venice Guntley, who served in Canada and Africa before returning home and is currently on the staff of the United Theological College.

Besides the banquet, the anniversary will be marked by a one-day Conference at St. Jude's Church, Stony Hill, on Saturday February 7. Speakers will address a number of issues relating to the ministry of women and re-enforce the theme of the anniversary 'Women - Bearers of the Good News'.

On Saturday February 8, at the Cathedral, Spanish Town at 4 p.m., there will be a service of thanksgiving. The sermon will be preached by the Rev. Rose Wilkins, a former member of the Church Army in Jamaica who was ordained into the priesthood of the Church of England. She is currently chairperson of the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) which is the successor to the Committee on Black Anglican Concerns, formed in 1987 to address concerns on racism and other cultural challenges in the Church of England.