Anglican Diocese of Armidale explained

Jurisdiction:Diocese
Armidale
Rite:Anglicanism
Coat:Anglican_Diocese_of_Armidale_logo.png
Coat Size:150px
Coat Alt:Coat of arms
Country:Australia
Province:New South Wales
Metropolitan:Archbishop of Sydney
Coordinates:-30°N 150°W
Churches:34
Bishop:Rod Chiswell
Cathedral:St Peter's Cathedral Armidale
Website:armidaleanglicandiocese.com
Module:
Child:yes
Logo Alt:Logo of the Diocese

The Anglican Diocese of Armidale is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia located in the state of New South Wales. As the Diocese of Grafton and Armidale, it was created (from the Diocese of Newcastle) by letters patent in 1863.[1] When the Anglican Diocese of Grafton was split off in 1914, the remaining portion was renamed Armidale, retaining its legal continuity and its incumbent bishop.[2]

Once relatively Anglo-Catholic in its liturgical and theological leanings, since the mid-20th century the diocese has leant more towards the Diocese of Sydney and its particular form of Evangelical teaching and liturgy. The diocese is theologically conservative and holds to the traditional Anglican beliefs on human sexuality, disapproving same-sex unions.[3]

The diocese includes the regional cities of Tamworth and Armidale and the towns of Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Inverell, Moree, Gunnedah and Narrabri.

On 12 December 2020, the synod of the diocese elected Rod Chiswell, vicar of South Tamworth, as the 8th Bishop of Armidale.[4] Chiswell was installed on 27 February 2021.[5]

Cathedral

The cathedral church of the diocese is St Peter's Cathedral in Armidale. It was consecrated for worship in 1875. The cathedral was designed by the Canadian architect John Horbury Hunt who also designed the University of New England. The foundation stone was laid by James F. Turner, Bishop of Grafton and Armidale.[6]

Schools

The Diocese of Armidale has three affiliated independent Anglican schools:

Linked diocese

Following a 2004 synod visit by Edward Muhima, Bishop of North Kigezi in Uganda, there has been a forging of a support link between the two dioceses. The Diocese of North Kigezi is in the South West of Uganda, with its office in Rukunjiri.[7]

Ordination of women

The Diocese of Armidale has licensed deaconesses to lead parishes and teach congregations, ordained women as deacons since 1989 and ordained two women as priests. Some leading advocates for women's ordination have been associated with the diocese.

Early in their ministries in the 1970s two women deaconesses from the Sydney diocese served the Armidale diocese through leading parishes and teaching congregations; Maureen Cripps and Jacinth Myles. Maureen Cripps was made a deaconess in the 1960s in Sydney and was placed as Deaconess-in-Charge of the parish of Tingha[8] in Armidale from 1971 to 1973.[9] She was ordained as deacon in Sydney in 1989 and appointed to a position in the diocese of Sydney that was seen as a precursor to the Archdeacon for Women's Ministries.[10] From 1974 to 1980 Jacinth Myles was recruited by Clive Kerle to Parish Assistant at St Peter's Cathedral, Armidale. Myles led services, preached to the cathedral congregation, led adult and children's Bible study groups and took baptisms and funerals. She was supported by the bishop, dean and archdeacon to attend the Sydney Diocesan College of Preachers.[11] [12] In 1989 she was ordained as deacon in Sydney and later became Assistant Minister for Sydney parishes where she led services, preached and acted as rector.[13] [14]

The Movement for the Ordination of Women (MOW) and advocates for women's ordination were active in Armidale. Two Armidale convenors of MOW were Margaret Ann Franklin, sociologist at the University of New England[15] and later Ruth Sturmey Jones. Franklin wrote about her efforts to honour the 11 women deacons who were prevented from being ordained priests in St Saviour's Cathedral Goulburn in February 1992, by praying for them and placing eleven red roses in St Paul's cathedral and St Mary's church, with the help of Barbara Field, another MOW member.[16] Franklin also edited two books about women and their experience in the church.[17] [18] Other advocates for women's ordination have been the long-serving Chancellor of the diocese, Keith Mason,[19] former member and legal advisor for MOW and president of the Appellate Tribunal [20] and Kevin Giles, chaplain at St Mark's chapel, University of New England, Armidale 1975-1980[21] who wrote books and articles from that time advocating for the ordination of women.[22]

The first woman ordained as a deacon in the Armidale diocese was Jennifer (Jenni) Thompson (later Weekes)[23] in 1989. After serving as a deacon in Armidale and other dioceses, she was ordained priest in the Northern Territory in 2010 and became Priest-in-Charge of a parish.[24]

In order to ordain the chaplains of New England Girls School (NEGS) as priests for the girls at the school,[25] Armidale twice temporarily adopted the General Synod's Law of the Church of England Clarification Canon 1992 [26] which repeals any inherited law of the Church of England preventing the ordination of women as priests. Julie Mackay (Cook) was ordained deacon then priest in 1996 and was chaplain of NEGS from 1996-2002.[27] [28] Rebecca Eastment, NEGS chaplain 2003-05 and 2014–15, was ordained deacon in 2002 then as priest in 2003.[29] These priests were restricted to serving at the school.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/sessionalview/sessional/act/1877-bga.pdf 1877 legislation
  2. Web site: An Ordinance of the Diocese of Grafton . 10 December 1913 . 3 August 2023.
  3. Web site: Holiness, Sexuality and Love, Anglican Diocese of Armidale Website, 5 January 2016 . 28 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305052616/http://www.armidaleanglicandiocese.com/announcements/holiness-sexuality-and-love . 5 March 2016 . dead .
  4. News: Newsroom . Rev Rod Chiswell is elected as the new Bishop of the Armidale Diocese . 20 December 2020 . Moree Champion . Australian Community Media . 16 December 2020.
  5. Web site: New Bishop's Consecration and Installation . Anglican Diocese of Armidale . 21 February 2021 . 12 January 2021 . 22 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210122145535/http://www.armidaleanglicandiocese.com/announcements/new-bishops-consecration-and-installation . dead .
  6. Web site: Our Australian Cathedrals . 24 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130427115549/http://anglican.org.au/docs/archive/129.pdf . 27 April 2013 . dead .
  7. Web site: Link Diocese – North Kigezi . 28 January 2008. Diocesan Profile. Diocese of Armidale.
  8. January 10, 1974 . Mainly about people . The Australian Church Record . 1553 . 8.
  9. Young T, Jarrett N (1993) "9.29 The Rev Maureen Cripps", First Ordinary Session of the 43rd Synod of the Diocese of Sydney: October 1993: Summary of Proceedings
  10. First Ordinary Session of the 43rd Synod of the Diocese of Sydney: October 1993, Summary of Proceedings, p14
  11. Web site: 2023-06-13 . 50 years of faithful service- Celebrating Rev. Jacinth Myles . 2023-09-06 . Anglican Deaconess Ministries . ADM Ministries . en-US.
  12. Cameron, Marcia. Phenomenal Sydney: Anglicans in a Time of Change, 1945–2013. United Kingdom: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016. p206-208
  13. Book: Myles, Jacinth . Opening the cage: Stories of church and gender . Allen and Unwin . Franklin . Margaret Ann . Sydney . 1987 . 34–42 . Almost the rector . Sturmey Jones . Ruth.
  14. Book: The Australian Anglican Clergy Directory . Anglican Media . 1994 . Melbourne.
  15. Web site: Centre for Transformative Innovation . Swinburne University of Technology . Franklin, Margaret - Person - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation . 2023-09-19 . www.eoas.info . en-gb.
  16. Franklin . Margaret Ann . 17 November 1992 . The case of Armidale's disappearing red roses . Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter . 9 . JSTOR University of Divinity Digital Collections.
  17. Book: Franklin, Margaret Ann . The Force of the Feminine: Women, Men and the Church . 2020-12-17 . Routledge . 978-1-000-22813-7 . en.
  18. Book: Franklin . Margaret Ann . Opening the Cage: Stories of Church and Gender . Jones . Ruth Sturmey . 1987 . Allen & Unwin . 978-0-04-200046-6 . en.
  19. Web site: God's workers bear fruit . 2023-08-21 . Sydney Anglicans . en.
  20. Brennan . Patricia . Mason . Keith . 10 February 1990 . A denizen in a den of feminists . Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter . 7 . University of Divinity Digital Collections.
  21. Dawson, S., et. al., eds., On Tablelands Slopes and Plains, Armidale, NSW: Anglican Diocese of Armidale, 2014, pp.130-133
  22. Book: Giles, Kevin . Women & their ministry : a case for equal ministries in the church today . Dove Communications . East Malvern, Vic. . 1977 . 978-0-85924-057-4 . 5172623 .
  23. Women clergy in the Anglican Church of Australia: Prayer diary (MOW National) . Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter . 15 April 1992 . University of Divinity Digital Collections.
  24. Book: The Anglican Church of Australia Directory 2020/21 . Broughton Publishing.
  25. Sherlock . Peter . From Hong Kong to Armidale . Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter . October 1997.
  26. Anglican Church of Australia, Law of the Church of England Clarification Canon 1992
  27. Hayward . Patricia . From the President . Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter . 24 April 1997 . 3–4.
  28. One and only woman priest? . Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter . 24 April 1997 . 7 . University of Divinity Gigital Collections.
  29. Book: Lee . Dorothy A . Making the word of God fully known: Essays on church culture and mission in honor of Archbishop Philip Freier . Porter . Muriel . Wipf & Stock . 2020 . Barker . Paul A . Oregon . 183 note 4 . No longer male and female . 9781725259089 . Billings . Bradly S.