A Movement of Women and the Anglican Church in Australia

Below you can find news relating to the movement (or visit the archive). If you have questions about us or want to get involved, please contact us. We can give you information and share our experiences with you. Above all, we welcome courteous and sincere dialogue with those who may disagree with us.

News

Special edition MOWatch jewellery in MOWatch/suffragette colours

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of women priests in Australia, jewellery maker Alan Temme has designed a special range of jewellery using the MOWatch/ suffragette colours of green white and violet.

Alan Temme has been designing and making jewellery for the last seventeen years, using semi precious stones and sterling silver components. He works out of the Old Bus Depot Markets in Canberra, and is a member of the St Philips Anglican congregation in O'Connor ACT. The Reverend Jeannette McHugh asked him to design a range of jewellery using the MOWatch/ suffragette colours of green white and violet. For green he has chosen green aventurine, for white either mother of pearl or white howlite, and for violet amethyst. The range includes necklaces, earrings, pendants and bracelets.

Images of and information about the jewellery, including the artist statement, information about how to order, prices and shipping information are available here. They will also be available at the MOWatch national conference later in the year.

Updated 28 April 2012

MOWatch Quiet Day: Learning, gentleness and the arts - Abbesses of Saxon England as models of ministry

In the Anniversary Year celebrating women ordained to the priesthood in Australia the focus for reflection will be three women in our English Church tradition who helped shape that tradition. The Quiet Day material was prepared by the Rev'd Lesley McLean.

To participate in the Quiet Day you need to register from 23 May to Lesley McLean - click here to send an email.

Download the flyer for more information [pdf].

Updated 11 April 2012

20th anniversary of women priests in the Australian Anglican Church

MOWatch is celebrating this year the 20th anniversary since the first women priests were ordained in the Australian Anglican Church.

Visit our special anniversary page to download a timeline of events in 1992 and browse the calendar of special celebratory events being held around Australia.

The logo on the left was designed by Ro Yule for MOW Melbourne for the 1992 ordinations. It was used on a large banner in St Paul's Cathedral and appeared on souvenirs such as mugs and scarves. We will be using it as a special anniversary logo during this year, 2012. The logo appears here as it was used on the banner.

Updated 28 January 2012

Vale Pam Albany

Pam Albany died peacefully on 28 December after 11 weeks in Palliative Care at Calvary Hospital in Sydney. Pam was convenor of MOW Perth in the early years of MOW and became one of the first Vice-Presidents of MOW National. Pam was a person who gave much of herself in the cause of women and the Church. An early prophet, she is one for whom we all give thanks.

A Thanksgiving Eucharist will be held at St Mark's South Hurstville on Tuesday 3rd at 10:30am. Followed by refreshments in the hall. A short Committal Service will be held at Woronora Crematorium at 2:30pm.

Please continue to keep Chris, Alison, Bruce and Katie and Pam's mum Alice in your prayers.
Updated 31 December 2011

And Genieve makes three...

MOWatch members and friends are all delighted at the appointment of a third woman to be a bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia. Bp Stuart Robinson has announced that he will consecrate Archdeacon Genieve Blackwell as a bishop on 31st March 2012. Bishop-elect Genieve is to be the Assistant Bishop region of Wagga Wagga, North-West and South-West in the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn. Genieve is currently Rector of Yass and Archdeacon of Goulburn Rural Ministries. In early 2012 she will move to Wagga Wagga and become Rector of Turvey Park and Archdeacon of Wagga Wagga.

Genieve studied at Moore College, Sydney and was ordained Deacon in Sydney in 1993, she moved to Bathurst Diocese where she was ordained priest in 1998. She appointed as Rector of Yass in the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn in 2005. Genieve was appointed an archdeacon in 2007.

Archdeacon Ian Lambert will be Assistant Bishop region of the Coast, Southern Monaro and the Snowy and will be consecrated with Genieve. The appointments have received the necessary permissions. The chief consecrator at the service will be the Right Reverend Dr Brain Farran, Bishop of Newcastle. Bishop Brian is the most senior Bishop in the Province of NSW and he stands in for the Archbishop when he is unable to be present at certain events.

Further details can be found on the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn website.

Please pray for Genieve and for Ian as they prepare for lives as bishops.

In 2008 Bishops Kay Goldsworthy (Perth) and Barbara Darling (Melbourne) were both consecrated as bishops.

Sing songs and dance with shouts of joy.
Updated 13 December 2011

Vale Diane Heath

MOWatch Inc celebrates the life of Diane Heath a leader in the Movement for the Ordination of Women both nationally and in Melbourne. In Melbourne Diane was elected as Vice Moderator at the inaugural MOW Melbourne meeting in 1984; after Janet and John Gaden moved to Adelaide in 1986, Diane became co-convenor with Linda Walter and Susan Sandford.

Diane was the first MOW (National) Treasurer and steered the way for incorporation becoming our first Public Officer. Diane spoke passionately in synods and other platforms about the full inclusion of women in the Church. She was one of the women who went to Lambeth in 1988. Diane's own call to the ordained ministry was not accepted in Melbourne and Diane and Gail went to Perth where Diane was ordained as a deacon and subsequently as a priest in 1993. In Perth Diane had several ministries; she retired in 2007 and returned to Melbourne.
Updated 13 December 2011

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first women deacons

The year 1986 was an auspicious occasion, during that year Australia's first women deacons were ordained in the dioceses of Melbourne, Tasmania, Perth and North Queensland.

AUSTRALIA'S FIRST WOMEN DEACONS
Eight women - Marjorie McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Alfred, Angela Carter, Olive Dyson, Kay Goldsworthy, Carlie Hannah, Bessie Pereira and Kate Prowd - were ordained on Sunday 9 February 1986 at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne.

Among these eight women Elizabeth Alfred, retired and then aged 72 had been a deaconess for 42 years. Kate Prowd, on the other hand was fresh from theological college, ordained alongside her classmates as a matter of course. There was a second ordination of women deacons in Melbourne on May 9 1986, because the numbers were too great for one service.

Three women, Marie Kingston, Elvie Fraser and Rosemary Perrett were later ordained deacon in Tasmania on 24 February.

In Perth the first three women, Jenny Hall, Joyce Polson and Anna Cullen were ordained as deacon on March 1st.

In 1992 Kay Goldswothy was among the first women to be ordained as priest in Perth and in 2008 became Australia's first woman to be consecrated as a bishop.

So, there is plenty of reason to celebrate.
Updated 11 November 2011

For more news, see the archives.