1983
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The Movement for the Ordination of Women [MOW] in Australia was founded. The name
and to some extent the impetus for its formation came from the Movement for the
Ordination of Women in the United Kingdom which was founded in 1979. It was
principally built however on the inspiration and commitment of already existing
Anglican groups and individuals in a number of dioceses, such as Women and Holy
Orders in Adelaide and Anglican Women Concerned in Sydney. The eststablishment of the first MOW branch in Sydney in
1983 was followed quickly by the establishment of branches in Melbourne, Perth,
Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra-Goulburn. These came together as the first
`Members' of the National Movement for the Ordination of Women, with Dr
Patricia Brennan as the founding president. Dr Brennan had been a missionary
doctor in Africa and later developed a high media profile in Sydney as a TV
presenter. Other leading members were Colleen O’Reilly and Marlene Cohen.
MOW members came from many Christian denominations and their cause gained wide
media coverage. One response to this was the 1989 formation of an Australian
branch of the (anti-female ordination) Association for the Apostolic Ministry.
Sydney's Archbishop, Donald Robinson was co-chairman of the international body
of AAM.
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1985
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The first annual conference of MOW was held in Sydney. Bi-annual conferences
were held in the following years. These conferences attracted speakers of
eminence, many from overseas.
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1989
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March
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Sydney ordained its first female deacons. Women had already been ordained as
deacons in Melbourne, Perth, Tasmania, Gippsland and North Queensland in 1986
and in Canberra-Goulburn and Newcastle in the following year.
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1991
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December
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Bishop Owen Dowling of the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn announced his intention
to ordain eleven women as priests on 2nd February the next year.
Archbishop Robinson attempted to use his authority as Metropolitan to dissuade
Dowling from proceeding, but Dowling would not agree.
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1992
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Patricia Hayward replaced Heather Thomas as Convenor of MOW Sydney. Patricia
led MOW Sydney until 1995.
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January
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A
Sydney layman, Dr Laurie Scandrett and two clergymen, Rev. Dalba Primmer from
Canberra-Goulburn and Rev. David Robarts from Melbourne, commenced proceedings
in the NSW Supreme Court to restrain Bishop Dowling. The court dismissed the
application and the plaintiffs then went to the Supreme Court of the NSW Court
of Appeal, which upheld the appeal, pending a final determination.
In Perth, Archbishop Peter Carnley announced he would ordain ten women priests
on March 7.
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February
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The
Goulburn ordinations did not take place, but MOW celebrated the visit of
Australian Harvard academic, the Rev. Alison Cheek, who had been ordained to
the priesthood in Philadelphia, USA in 1974.
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March
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Legal
attempts by Scandrett and others failed to restrain Archbishop Carnley and the
first ordinations of women to the priesthood took place in Perth, Australia as
planned.
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June
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A
notable diocesan conference on the subject of women's ordination was held at St
John's, Parramatta under the chairmanship of Harry Goodhew, Bishop of
Wollongong, who would later succeed Donald Robinson as Archbishop of Sydney.
Speakers were Chris Forbes and Kevin Giles who argued for Biblical equality and
David Peterson and Glenn Davies who maintained the status quo.
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July
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The
Supreme Court ruled against the plaintiffs in the Scandrett & others v
Dowling & others case, saying that the civil courts did not have
jurisdiction over the matter, which was essentially one for the church to
decide.
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November
11
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The
English General Synod voted to accept the ordination of women to the priesthood.
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November
21
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Australia's
General Synod voted to permit the ordination of women by any diocese that
wished to do so. Since then, the following diocese have ordained women as
priests:- Adelaide, Bathurst, Bendigo, Brisbane, Bunbury, Canberra-Goulburn,
Gippsland, Grafton, Melbourne, Newcastle, North Queensland, Northern Territory, Perth, Rockhampton, Riverina, Tasmania and Willochra.
[note: Armidale has ordained one woman under special, non-continuing
legislation.]
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1993-95
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Sydney
Synod observed an agreed three year moratorium on discussion of the issue of
women's ordination to the priesthood.
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1995
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July
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After
two years planning, MOW's invitation to the Bishop of Dunedin, Penny Jamieson,
came to fruition. New Zealand had first ordained women as priests in 1977.
Bishop Jamieson's visit to Sydney created considerable media interest,
especially as Sydney's archbishop, Harry Goodhew directed that she could only
function as a deacon while in Sydney. However, she preached to packed
congregations at St James, King Street, St Stephen's Newtown, St John’s, Darlinghurst, St Alban's Epping
and All Saints Hunter's Hill. She also lectured at a mid-week conference of
Anglican women clergy.
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1996
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In the latter part of 1995, Patricia Hayward had been elected National President. Now MOW Sydney operated under the leadership of Deb Brown, Julia Baird and John Pomeroy until 1997 when Julia became Convenor.
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October
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MOW
National Conference in Sydney. Theme: "A Big Enough Church." Guest speakers
included the Rev. Dr Ann McElligott, Director of St John's College, Morpeth and
the Reverend Dr Sarah Mitchell, Principal of the United Theological College,
North Parramatta. The conference concluded with a public "Women's Synod" in
Sydney Square addressed by Julia Baird. This conference agreed to consider the
possible dissolution of MOW in the following year.
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November
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Julia
Baird, co-Convenor of MOW Sydney and Justice Keith Mason proposed a "compromise
motion" to Sydney Synod. This would have allowed women to become priests but
not to be in charge of a parish. The motion put in a secret ballot was lost,
with Clergy voting 79 for and 151 against and Laity voting 200 for and 210
against. MOW saw 49% support by the synod laity as a considerable encouragement.
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December
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In
Dubbo, the Reverend Gloria Shipp, Australia's first indigenous woman priest was
ordained.
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1997
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July
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George
Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury visited Sydney and was greeted at the door of
St Andrew's Cathedral with a MOW delegation, with banners proclaiming ,
"Welcome George Carey - Evangelical Supporter of Women Priests." MOW members
enjoyed a brief happy chat with the English Primate as he waited to enter.
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November
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In
Brisbane, MOW `s Annual General Meeting decided to set up.a Review Committee to
plan the restructuring of MOW National. The Reverend Val Graydon was elected
national president.
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1998
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At
this year's AGM, it was decided to give the MOW National Executive the
authority to draw up a proposal for a restructured national organisation to be
presented to the membership the following year.
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1999
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September
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At
the Adelaide AGM, a new national structure was approved for MOW and the
Bulletin was renamed, "MOWatching."
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October
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Justice
Ken Handley, Chancellor of the Diocese attempted to promote an ordinance, which
was essentially the same as the Mason/Baird proposal. On a procedural matter,
synod refused to discuss the matter. Prior to that same synod, a number of
Sydney women deacons publicly supported the Handley proposal in a letter sent
to members and one spoke to this matter during synod.
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2000
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August
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Sydney
MOW `s AGM approves plans for a revised structure for Sydney . Elaine Peterson
elected Convenor.
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October
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The
Handley motion was on a synod agenda as a Private Member's Bill as Standing
Committee had refused to endorse it. It thus did not rise high enough on the
agenda to be considered.
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November
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At
the national AGM in Brisbane, the Australian organisation officially changed
its name to "MOWatch Incorporated".
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