Anglicans and Lutherans mark 35 years of ordaining women

This year marks the 35^th anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

Special services and other events will take place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 in historic Lunenberg, N.S. The gathering will be a time of “celebration, reconnecting, sharing stories, renewing baptismal and ordination vows, and a variety of workshops to equip us in future ministry,” say organizers of Reflecting the Light of Christ.

The celebration will begin with a eucharist on Nov. 30, St. Andrew’s Day. This is the same day that in 1976, the Anglican Church of Canada ordained six women priests from four dioceses.

Today, nearly 37 per cent or 886 out of 2,396 active clergy are female. The Anglican Church of Canada has six female bishops, one of whom is Bishop Sue Moxley of the Anglican diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Bishop Moxley will preside over the eucharist.

The Lutheran church ordained its first woman pastor on May 7, 1976 and today, three of its six bishops, are female. One of them, Susan Johnson, is the national bishop.

More information on how to register for the event can be found here.

Celebration organizers have also set up a Facebook page.