Anthea's Story.
Anthea was a Reader in training. For those not familiar with the Church of England, Readers, also called Lay Readers, and nowadays often Licensed Lay Ministers, are, as it says on the tin, lay ministers in the church. The CofE uses "minister" as a general term. (To a Methodist, "minister" means ordained.) The licence allows them to take services and assist with communion. They can't preside at (lead) communion, or pronounce absolution, or do blessings. All ministers have to have working agreements, so what they actually do will vary in practice. Many but not all evangelical clergy may object to women priests, but not have a problem with female Readers.
One day, Anthea bumped into someone she knew from her church, who greeted her with, "I'm so sorry you're giving up your training". It was the first Anthea had heard of it. It turned out that her incumbent had announced to the Parochial Church Council the previous night that she was leaving.
This is not one of those stories where nobody did anything. The Rural Dean arranged a meeting (at the incumbent's house, which may not have been the best choice of venue) between the incumbent, the Rural Dean, and Anthea. During the meeting, Bob, the incumbent, had been right royally told off and advised as to his future conduct. In front of Anthea. The Rural Dean showed her out and had a very stiff meeting with Bob. He then phoned Anthea to tell her how angry he was and to be very supportive.
Sadly, Anthea had already stopped her training, and didn't feel able to pick it up again. She would have had to have moved parishes, which the church would have arranged. But her husband was very ill (he later died), and she didn't feel able to take him away from friends, nor indeed to upset him. He had also been very supportive, and had gone round to Bob's house and all but asked him to step outside!
She told me she did feel supported by the church. Well, good. But as far as I know, and I am now out of touch, she never did start up again. So Bob got his own way, even though she was looked after. He got rid of a Reader in training he didn't want.
In another case, actually in the next door parish, the new incumbent sat down with his Readers and announced he would be dispensing with the services of the women. Two of them were a married couple, and the man said he wouldn't have anything to do with it if she wasn't allowed. So from four he went down to one.
One of the Readers was an elderly lady who went emeritus, and then carried on taking funerals, which was her main ministry, and occasionally doing services at other churches. She was the quiet type, not given to revolution. The married couple were given the support of both the Rural Dean and the Archdeacon. They were moved to anther parish, where, sadly they weren't very happy. And they also got Permission to Officiate in the neighbouring Diocese, and took services there.
A number of questions: why didn't the remaining Reader say something? I talked to him on one occasion and I can't say he was much concerned. Why didn't the parish, the Church Wardens perhaps, say something? Why did the Bishop appoint someone who was anti-women to a parish where there were women serving? And why didn't he do something about it when it happened? This last question applies also to the first case.
These stories are about the fact that "good men do nothing". And also, that the bullies get their own way, even when the powers that be are alerted and do act. However you look at it, the Church needs to do better than this.
Anthea was a Reader in training. For those not familiar with the Church of England, Readers, also called Lay Readers, and nowadays often Licensed Lay Ministers, are, as it says on the tin, lay ministers in the church. The CofE uses "minister" as a general term. (To a Methodist, "minister" means ordained.) The licence allows them to take services and assist with communion. They can't preside at (lead) communion, or pronounce absolution, or do blessings. All ministers have to have working agreements, so what they actually do will vary in practice. Many but not all evangelical clergy may object to women priests, but not have a problem with female Readers.
One day, Anthea bumped into someone she knew from her church, who greeted her with, "I'm so sorry you're giving up your training". It was the first Anthea had heard of it. It turned out that her incumbent had announced to the Parochial Church Council the previous night that she was leaving.
This is not one of those stories where nobody did anything. The Rural Dean arranged a meeting (at the incumbent's house, which may not have been the best choice of venue) between the incumbent, the Rural Dean, and Anthea. During the meeting, Bob, the incumbent, had been right royally told off and advised as to his future conduct. In front of Anthea. The Rural Dean showed her out and had a very stiff meeting with Bob. He then phoned Anthea to tell her how angry he was and to be very supportive.
Sadly, Anthea had already stopped her training, and didn't feel able to pick it up again. She would have had to have moved parishes, which the church would have arranged. But her husband was very ill (he later died), and she didn't feel able to take him away from friends, nor indeed to upset him. He had also been very supportive, and had gone round to Bob's house and all but asked him to step outside!
She told me she did feel supported by the church. Well, good. But as far as I know, and I am now out of touch, she never did start up again. So Bob got his own way, even though she was looked after. He got rid of a Reader in training he didn't want.
In another case, actually in the next door parish, the new incumbent sat down with his Readers and announced he would be dispensing with the services of the women. Two of them were a married couple, and the man said he wouldn't have anything to do with it if she wasn't allowed. So from four he went down to one.
One of the Readers was an elderly lady who went emeritus, and then carried on taking funerals, which was her main ministry, and occasionally doing services at other churches. She was the quiet type, not given to revolution. The married couple were given the support of both the Rural Dean and the Archdeacon. They were moved to anther parish, where, sadly they weren't very happy. And they also got Permission to Officiate in the neighbouring Diocese, and took services there.
A number of questions: why didn't the remaining Reader say something? I talked to him on one occasion and I can't say he was much concerned. Why didn't the parish, the Church Wardens perhaps, say something? Why did the Bishop appoint someone who was anti-women to a parish where there were women serving? And why didn't he do something about it when it happened? This last question applies also to the first case.
These stories are about the fact that "good men do nothing". And also, that the bullies get their own way, even when the powers that be are alerted and do act. However you look at it, the Church needs to do better than this.
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