Blessed is She
The Ven Gillian Rookyard
At the invitation of the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide, 100 clergy women from across the Anglican Church of Australia gathered in the city of churches for a three-day in person conference at the end of August.
Our time together was marked by worship, learning, remembering, encouraging and feasting, all with the purpose of equipping us afresh for the work to which God has called us.
Guest speakers included bishops, clergy and lay leaders, with topics spanning leadership development, governance, theology of women’s ministry, history of women’s ministry, and systemic change for diversity and inclusion. The inspirational opening keynote address was offered by Gov Frances Adamson AC, with a second encouraging keynote address being offered by Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy: For such a time as this (Esther 4: 14). Archdeacon Justine Coverdale presented an excellent paper on Anglican Identity and the Next Generation, and Dr Julia Baird offered the closing words of encouragement, and a toast to Dolly!
Perth was well represented by ten delegates. Here are some of their reflections …
“I’m not a cradle Anglican, so a lot of the stories and experiences in the Anglican church are not known to me. Blessed is She was a terrific opportunity to learn more of the origins and the journey of my sister priests. The history, the vision and the perseverance we heard about has been quite literally awe inspiring, together with belonging to a worldwide organisation lead by a woman... I call that hope for the world.” - Caro.
“I was particularly taken by Rosslyn Cox’s presentation on living ‘unapologetically’, challenging imposter syndrome and encouraging us to Take Up Space. It was unexpectedly fabulous to be with bishops of all shapes, sizes, ages and stages. It made it feel like so much is possible, and my hope is renewed.” - Gemma.
“I am thankful for the wisdom, courage and strength of my sisters in Christ and the support we offer each other in doing God’s work through the church into the world. I am thankful that the hospitality and generosity of spirit shared at the conference is the face of our church in this time and place.” - Mandy
“At the recent Blessed is She conference in Adelaide, two reflections stood out for their insight into leadership, vocation and faithful change. They offered a timely reminder that female Christian leadership is both practical responsibility and spiritual calling. I came away encouraged to see leadership as a shared work of courage, faithfulness and hope. As we continue to serve in our own communities, may we measure what must change, gather others into the work, and remain grounded in the creative purpose of God.” - Sylvia
“It was great to gather with women clergy from across the nation; diverse in age, church background, ministry context and theology. We shared and learned from the stories and wisdom from each other, highlighting both shared and different experiences across our Church.
I was able to reconnect with someone who was a curate in my parish over fifteen years ago, and was the first person I ever told that I felt called to ordained ministry. We shared tears of joy, and remembered women, both lay and ordained who had championed both of us in our journeys.” - Bec.
Each of us extend our gratitude to the Anglican Diocese of Perth for their unequivocal support of women in ministry, and for the opportunity to attend this remarkable event. It was blessed indeed.
