Episcopal Women’s Caucus announces its decision to disband:
After 47 years of facilitating transformation in The Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Women’s Caucus is taking the bold step of sunsetting the Caucus so that justice for women — lay and ordained — can continue to be pursued in the Church in new ways with new goals.
Founded in 1971, the Episcopal Women’s Caucus was formed to be a change agent in The Episcopal Church. Through political means, the Caucus had a singular strategic goal: to gain for women the right and privilege to be ordained to the priesthood and consecrated to the episcopate. The Episcopal Women’s Caucus has accomplished this.
Obviously, the work of gaining equity and justice for women is far from complete. The Church needs more women clergy serving in positions of leadership, including large congregations, cathedrals and the episcopate. The #Metoo Movement has made it clear the Church is as involved in sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse as any other institution in our society. Women of color are at particular risk living as they do at the intersection of race and gender. Gender non-conforming people are extremely vulnerable to violence and discrimination. Now more than ever the Church needs to continue to be a change agent within our congregations and out into our communities to “strive for justice and peace and [respect for] the dignity of every human being.”
Biretta tip: Jon White, Episcopal Café
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
