Displaying items by tag: Episcopate

Last Saturday Canon Joanna Penberthy was consecrated as Bishop of St Davids - the first female bishop in Wales. Her consecration marks the end of a journey that the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said had been ‘long and hard’ for the women of the Church - ‘first to be made deacon, then priest, and now bishop’. The Church in Wales had started debating women in the episcopate in 2005. After a setback in 2008, a bill was carried in 2013, and a Code of Practice made provision for those who remained opposed. Bishop Joanna’s election had been determined by her gifts and not her gender, Dr Morgan told the 500-strong congregation. He suggested that the liturgical confession might spur collective reflection on how the Church had impeded women’s ministry. His address praised the women for ‘daring to trust and daring to hope’, and for not allowing themselves to become cynical or bitter.