Anglican Diocese of Armidale

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]

Diocese of Armidale
Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Location
CountryAustralia
Ecclesiastical provinceNew South Wales
MetropolitanArchbishop of Sydney
Coordinates30°S 150°E
Statistics
Churches34
Information
RiteAnglicanism
CathedralSt Peter's Cathedral Armidale
Current leadership
BishopRod Chiswell
Website
armidaleanglicandiocese.com
Logo of the Diocese
Logo of the Diocese

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 pre-cursor 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][24][28] Rebecca Eastment, NEGS chaplain 2003-05 and 2014-15, was ordained deacon in 2002 then as priest in 2003.[29][24]

List of bishops
This section is an excerpt from Anglican Bishop of Armidale.[edit]
Bishops of Grafton and Armidale
No From Until Incumbent Notes
1 1867 1868 Collinson Sawyer [30] Drowned in the River Clarence before his enthronement.
2 1869 1893 James Turner [31]
3 1894 1901 Arthur Green [32] Translated to Ballarat.
4 1901 1914 Henry Cooper [33] Remained in post as Bishop of Armidale.[34]
Bishops of Armidale
1 1914 1916 Henry Cooper Previously Bishop of Grafton and Armidale.
2 1916 1929 Wentworth Wentworth-Sheilds
3 1929 1964 John Moyes
4 1965 1976 Clive Kerle Previously bishop coadjutor in Sydney since 1956.
5 1976 1999 Peter Chiswell
6 2000 2012 Peter Brain
7 2012 2021 Rick Lewers Consecrated and installed May 2012.
8 2021 Rod Chiswell Consecrated and installed 27 February 2021.[35]

See also
Wikiquote has quotations related to Ordination of women.

References
  1. 1877 legislation
  2. "An Ordinance of the Diocese of Grafton" (PDF). 10 December 1913. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  3. "Holiness, Sexuality and Love, Anglican Diocese of Armidale Website, 5 January 2016". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  4. Newsroom (16 December 2020). "Rev Rod Chiswell is elected as the new Bishop of the Armidale Diocese". Moree Champion. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  5. "New Bishop's Consecration and Installation". Anglican Diocese of Armidale. Anglican Diocese of Armidale. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  6. "Our Australian Cathedrals" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  7. "Link Diocese – North Kigezi". Diocesan Profile. Diocese of Armidale. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  8. "Mainly about people" (PDF). The Australian Church Record (1553): 8. 10 January 1974.
  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. "50 years of faithful service- Celebrating Rev. Jacinth Myles". Anglican Deaconess Ministries. ADM Ministries. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  12. Cameron, Marcia. Phenomenal Sydney: Anglicans in a Time of Change, 1945–2013. United Kingdom: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2016. p206-208
  13. Myles, Jacinth (1987). "Almost the rector". In Franklin, Margaret Ann; Sturmey Jones, Ruth (eds.). Opening the cage: Stories of church and gender. Sydney: Allen and Unwin. pp. 34–42.
  14. The Australian Anglican Clergy Directory. Melbourne: Anglican Media. 1994.
  15. Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology. "Franklin, Margaret - Person - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation". www.eoas.info. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  16. Franklin, Margaret Ann (17 November 1992). "The case of Armidale's disappearing red roses". Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter: 9 – via JSTOR University of Divinity Digital Collections.
  17. Franklin, Margaret Ann (17 December 2020). The Force of the Feminine: Women, Men and the Church. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-22813-7.
  18. Franklin, Margaret Ann; Jones, Ruth Sturmey (1987). Opening the Cage: Stories of Church and Gender. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-0-04-200046-6.
  19. "God's workers bear fruit". Sydney Anglicans. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  20. Brennan, Patricia; Mason, Keith (10 February 1990). "A denizen in a den of feminists". Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter 10 February 1990 / Balaam's Ass: 7 – via 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. Giles, Kevin (1977). Women & Their Ministry: a case for equal ministries in the church today. East Malvern, Victoria: Dove Communications. ISBN 978-0-859-24057-4. OCLC 5172623
  23. "Women clergy in the Anglican Church of Australia: Prayer diary (MOW National)". Movement for the Ordination of Women Newsletter 15 April 1992. April 1992 – via University of Divinity Digital Collections.
  24. The Anglican Church of Australia Directory 2020/21. Broughton Publishing.
  25. Sherlock, Peter (October 1997). "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. April 1997 – via University of Divinity Gigital Collections.
  29. Lee, Dorothy A; Porter, Muriel (2020). "No longer male and female". In Barker, Paul A; Billings, Bradly S (eds.). Making the word of God fully known: Essays on church culture and mission in honor of Archbishop Philip Freier. Oregon: Wipf & Stock. pp. 183 note 4.
  30. Appointed First Bishop
  31. Aubrey, Keith H. (1976). "Turner, James Francis (1829–1893)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  32. “Who was Who” 1897-1990 London, A & C Black, 1991 ISBN 0-7136-3457-X
  33. Lays foundation stone for the Armidale School Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  34. "An Ordinance of the Diocese of Grafton" (PDF). 10 December 1913. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  35. "New Bishop's Consecration and Installation". Anglican Diocese of Armidale. Anglican Diocese of Armidale. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
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