1931 “Despite traditional rhetoric extolling women as guardians of of the family and upholders of the 1970 General Convention votes that sanctity of the home, and in the face women can be ordained , in of repeated requests for inclusion Holy Orders, as men are. from the Triennial Meeting and Women’s Auxillary officers, the General Conventions of 1931 1934, 1973 General Convention votes against and 1937 deliberately and repeatedly the of women to the priesthood. excluded women from (the Joint Commission on Holy Matrimony and) At this point, supporters of women’s the study process and policy-making 1958 The Women’s Auxillary ordination feared they might face the same decisions regarding marriage (and renames itself Episcopal Church lengthy battle (1946-1970) as the fight for divorce).” (2) Women. women deputies. So they took matters 19th-Early 20th into their own hands…. 1930s CENTURY 1950s 1980s

Women’s roles started changing in 1940s 1970s society, which led to pressure on 1960s the church. “By the mid-nineteenth century, women’s place in the 1974 Eleven women are “irregularly” 1988 Barbara Harris is elected as 1946 A laywoman, Elizabeth Dyer, 1964 Despite the plea of the (Episcopal) church was increasingly is seated as a delegate at General ordained to the priesthood on July 29 in the first woman in the Presiding Bishop (and the , and is ambiguous.” (1) Convention – which promptly votes by 3 retired or resigned presentation of a $5 million United . (A laywoman named Barbara ordained before a crowd of 8,000 to exclude women in the Thank Offering) women are once Harris served as a crucifer… ) They are on February 11, 1989 in . 1871 The Women’s Auxillary of the future. This exclusion will last until again excluded from General 1970. known as the Philadephia Eleven, and the Episcopal Church was formed and a Convention. action is still considered controversial – but Triennial Meeting began, taking it certainly moved things along. Look what place at the same time as the 1965 Phyllis Edwards is ordained as a 1949 Exclusion from General happened in the next 14 years! General Convention. – not a deaconess – by Bishop Convention is reaffirmed on the James Pike. There is enormous same day a $2 million United Thank resistance. But the conversation is 1889 The Auxillary’s Thank Offering is presented by now front and center: can women be 1975 Four more women are Offering begins, providing funding Triennial. Only the president of the deacons? Priests? Bishops? “irregularly” ordained in Washington, DC. for mission work across the Triennial is allowed to set foot on country. the floor of the House of Deputies, and only for this presentation. 1976 General Convention votes to open 1967/70 Women are finally 1919 Despite the objections of the the priesthood and the episcopacy approved as able to serve as lay Women’s Auxillary, which had (bishops) to women, beginning Jan. 1, deputies to General Convention, 1977. voted 8 representatives to the and the first woman is seated in newly formed National Church 1970. Council, women are barred (again) from official church governance.