Christine Polhill reflects on 40 years in ministry, marking 30 years as a priest in the Church of England. While the Church appears progressive, with women in senior roles, she argues that deep inequalities persist. After the 1992 vote to ordain women, opposition remained, and discriminatory practices were introduced, such as bishops being labeled "tainted" for ordaining women. Polhill is frustrated that the Church still ordains men who reject women as priests and calls for an end to this institutionalized sexism. She hopes for a future where women and men can work as equal partners in ministry.

Rosalind Rutherford reflects on the slow progress of gender equality within the Church of England, despite the 2014 decision allowing women to become bishops. While Parliament pressured the Church to ensure women bishops were represented in the House of Lords, legislation passed in 2015 has not yielded sufficient change. Currently, only seven diocesan bishops are women, prompting another legislative extension. Rutherford critiques the Church’s internal barriers, including the role of the Crown Nominations Commission and the continued influence of those opposing women’s leadership, leading to ongoing discrimination cloaked under the term "mutual flourishing."

WATCH shares its reflections on the Independent Reviewer’s report into the appointment of the Bishop of Blackburn. While the Church of England claims the process followed regulations, the report highlights key concerns around rushed consultations, conflicts of interest, and the ongoing lack of transparency regarding women’s ordination. Could this report signal the need for deeper changes in the Church's approach to gender equality? Explore the full blog to learn more about the findings and WATCH's response.

After the publication of a report into the appointment of the Bishop of Blackburn and its implications that has taken almost a year, the Church of England has issued a simultaneous press release headed ‘Independent reviewer upholds appointment process for Bishop of Blackburn.’  Or, in other words, ‘Nothing to see here.’...

As the 30th anniversary of her ordination approaches, Christine Allsop reflects on the ongoing struggle for women’s equality in the Church of England. For her, women’s ordination has always been a matter of justice, comparable to other forms of discrimination. Despite the progress since the 1992 vote to ordain women, significant inequalities remain, with women underrepresented in senior leadership roles and still barred from certain positions. The introduction of the Five Guiding Principles has often silenced women, leaving many, including Allsop, frustrated by the church’s slow progress. However, she believes that this frustration can drive meaningful change, much like Jesus’ challenges to injustice in his time. Allsop looks forward to the upcoming Not Equal Yet conference as an important opportunity to continue advocating for equality.

In the Church of England, naming the persistent inequality faced by women remains a challenge, even 30 years after the first women were ordained as priests. Drawing on Sara Ahmed’s insight—“when you expose a problem, you pose a problem”—this blog highlights the ongoing disparity women experience in ministry roles, despite their equal image in God. The resistance to acknowledging this issue reflects deeper institutional biases, and addressing it is necessary for the church to reflect true equality and justice. The post calls for open dialogue and action to bring these hidden inequalities into the light.

A prayer marking the 80th anniversary of Florence Li Tim-Oi's priesting, highlights the ongoing discrimination women face in the Church and globally. We encourage you to join in this prayer as a call for equality and justice.

Dr Alex Fry explores the connection between Christian theology, social science, and clergy attitudes towards the ordination of women in the Church of England. Drawing from research with theologically conservative male clergy, the author examines how social, psychological, and theological factors shape their resistance to women’s leadership in the church. The post highlights the role of group identity, limited exposure to female clergy, and selective interpretation of scripture in maintaining these views, while offering insights for future theological reflection and potential change.

WATCH has raised concerns about the ongoing discrimination and sexism women face in the Church of England, citing failures in transparency and compliance with the 2014 House of Bishops' Declaration. Issues include parishes limiting women’s ministry without proper consultation, skewed clergy appointments favoring men, and the silencing of women through fear and Non-Disclosure Agreements. WATCH calls for an end to the Declaration, advocating for equality and unity within the Church, a stance supported by the majority of clergy.

The Church of England has announced the appointment of Bishop Debbie Sellin as the next Bishop of Peterborough, marking a significant step forward for gender equality within its leadership. Despite progress, the Church still faces challenges in promoting women to senior roles, with only 7 out of 42 diocesan bishops being female. The secretive and unbalanced appointment process, where traditionalist members may block female candidates, hinders further progress. As many clergy and laypeople push for greater equality, this issue highlights ongoing governance concerns within the Church.

It should go without saying that all schools in this country want to teach children that all people are equal and should have equal opportunity. And it is important that schools should do this, as young people may be picking up other messages in society, in their home lives and from religious leaders...

Suppose you are a senior leader of a major institution in the UK, two thirds of whose customers are female, and you are asked to set a gender diversity target for all the paid posts in your institution. You would probably come up with a figure of 50% for women or even more...

Acting according to theological conscience is the calling of all Christians and must be respected. But I can’t help suspecting that the phrase ‘in conscience’ (just like its cousin ‘for the sake of unity’) is being used more and more in Church of England circles to legitimise bigotry. And, when we hear it, alarm bells should ring...

Surprise, surprise – there actually is dissension in Blackburn about the Church’s proposed appointment of a bishop who does not ordain women and did not vote in favour of General Synod’s recent decision to allow the blessing of same sex couples...

April Alexander highlights that the Church of England's struggle with discrimination against gay priests began in 1987, not a decade ago as some imply. The General Synod's debates, starting with Tony Higton's motion condemning homosexuality, led to decades of exclusion, especially through the Issues in Human Sexuality document, which has no clear record of official adoption by the Synod. Despite progress, the Church's relationship with Parliament remains complex, with parallels drawn between past provisions for women priests and the current push for same-sex marriage, both of which have deepened divisions within the Church.

At Christmas parties this year, the chances are that someone will start talking to you about the dire national census results for the Church of England, which show that less than 50% of people in the UK now identify as Christians. If, like me, you are ‘in the Church’ in some capacity – perhaps a minister or a Churchwarden – they’ll want your take on it...

April Alexander welcomed the Bishop of Oxford's proposals on same-sex relationships, praising the call for "freedom of conscience" for clergy and ordinands, which moves beyond the outdated Issues in Human Sexuality document. While hopeful about these steps, she expressed concern over proposals that accommodate opposition to same-sex marriage, fearing they could perpetuate discrimination, much like the provisions for those opposed to women's ordination. Alexander urged the Church to align with the Equality Act and avoid creating further divisions while embracing inclusivity.

Martine Oborne reflects on her journey from a successful career in investment banking to becoming a vicar in the Church of England. Despite the strides made for women's ordination, she highlights the continued discrimination within the Church, where legal provisions still allow parishes to reject women as priests or bishops. As Chair of WATCH (Women and the Church), she advocates for full equality and hopes the Church will eventually align with modern anti-discrimination laws and truly value the contributions of women.