anglican focus

The news site of the Anglican Church Southern Queensland: nourishing and connecting our faith community

Movement for the Ordination of Women (MOW)

People & History People & History

Movement for the Ordination of Women: history, origins and key figures

The driving force behind the Movement for the Ordination of Women in Australia was Dr Patricia BrennanAs a woman and a lay person, Patricia was not permitted to preach during a visit to Brisbane. The thenDean got around this restriction by concluding Evensong with a lengthy procession around the Cathedral, after which Patricia entered the pulpit and spoke,” says The Rev’d Canon Dr Marian Free

"Mavis Rose follows a process of construction and deconstruction in relation to the position of women in the Church. She looks effectively to the teachings of Jesus, and how He treated women of His time with equality, respect and dignity, which was counter-cultural in patriarchal Roman imperial society" (Dr Gwenneth Roberts)
Books & Guides

Gender-Balanced Belief: A New Ethic for Christianity

“Reading this book has brought back memories of how we in the Movement for the Ordination of Women in the Anglican Church of Australia were joined by Catholic, Orthodox and Lutheran women and men, and others, to support our struggle for women’s ordination in the 1980s and 90s,” says Dr Gwenneth Roberts, trailblazing ordination of women campaigner

Features

From biscuits to Bishop

The Rev’d Kate Ross tells us about trailblazing ordination of women campaigner, mother of six, nurse and midwife, childbirth educator and social justice advocate, Gwenneth Roberts, and about an exhibition she and Gwenneth are opening in the Cathedral to honour the women of our Diocese historically