Wycliffe Statement of Support for Women in Ministry

Wycliffe College unequivocally supports and celebrates women being ordained into all three orders of Anglican ministry—as deacons, priests, and bishops—and affirms the vocations and service of women as both ordained and lay leaders in other Christian traditions, as well.

Wycliffe's conviction in this matter rests on strong Biblical foundations and is in accordance with the teachings and practice of the majority of Anglican churches throughout the world.

Wycliffe College is proud to have a long history of training women for leadership in the Church and the academy. In 1931, Mabel Jones was the College's first female graduate. Then, after a motion to approve the ordination of women to the Anglican priesthood was passed in Canada's General Synod of 1975, the first woman to earn an MDiv from Wycliffe, the Rev. Canon Dr. Thora Wade Rowe, graduated in 1977. By the mid-1990s, half of those training for ordained ministry at Wycliffe were women.

While Wycliffe College celebrates diversity and welcomes students who hold different views on the nature and qualifications of leadership in the Church, the Board and Faculty definitely affirm the vital role of women in every sphere and level of Church leadership, and we aim to support men and women, equally, in their vocations to ordained ministry.

Should there be different perspectives on any of these matters within our community, Wycliffe emphasizes the critical importance of charity and mutual respect in accordance with our policy of Freedom of Speech and the imperatives of Christian unity.

Wycliffe College is fully committed to fostering an environment where all women and men can be effectively mentored and discipled, and their gifts and vocations sharpened.