Jane Alexander’s father was so anti-church that he forbade her from attending religious classes at school in England, where she was born and raised.
As a girl, she obeyed her father. But it was while singing hymns and oratorios in choirs and school assemblies that she says she heard “the first whisperings of God.”
“I remember rather nervously reaching out to Him at a time of great upheaval as a teenager and being overwhelmed with a sense of welcome.”
I wish her well, but I always find it odd to elect someone to be a bishop who only has 7 years experience as a priest.
I know Jane quite well. She was a member of St. Margaret’s in Edmonton when I was rector. I sponsored her for ordination. Yes she hasn’t been ordained very long; but she is absolutely brilliant, a fast study, has tons of emotional intelligence and humility, and is a believer. She is gently orthodox.
The feminization of North American Anglicanism continues apace. There will be few men (or women either) left in this branch of the church in 10 years.
I don’t think that women keep men away. I have long been of the opinion that it is the lack of mission/purpose in the liberal church that keeps men away. When there is no mission, you don’t need leaders but you do still need caregivers.
Women are excellent caregivers – much better than men. But the work of mission – winning men and their families to Christ – is, I believe, fundamentally given to men by Christ. At least that’s how I read the New Testament. A church led even by godly evangelical women will in time lose its edge as it turns to the natural business of nurturing.
so #4 and #5 it looks as if the church needs both leaders/missioners and caregivers to make a go of it. What do you all suggest to rectify the imbalance that you see?
Ed: Thanks for the info. I was hoping that somebody with inside knowledge could help us out with some background.
Jesus didn’t set up a church, nor did he ordain anyone. It does seem, at the end of Romans, that women had positions of authority in the church, given the structure of the letter.
John, whatever you’re drinking it must be expensive.
John, John, I am surprised and saddened by your comment. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16 – KJV).
Ordination, like all sacraments, comes from Jesus, not from the Bishop. The Bishop is the minister of the Sacrament. Jesus is the giver.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
However good and orthodox she might be, Jabe Alexander……and no other woman, for that matter……can legitimately be a bishop of Christ’s Church……or a priest, for that matter.
Her name is Jane not Jabe. I assume that is a typo the b & n being side by side on your keyboard.
Well here we go again into the argument over WO. Obviously, from earlier comments, I support Jane’s ordination to the diaconate, priesthood, and now episcopate. Lets not get into it. Its rather pointless here. I will point to the many places in the bible that argue for it and you will point to the ones that argue against it.
Better minds than mine, and perhaps yours, have agreed to live with this difference of opinion. Without this agreement there is no common cause.
DRLina, I agree with the Gordian that women make great caregivers, at least most do more so than most men. There are of course great male caregivers and women who are not capable of care, just as there are great women leaders and men who couldn’t lead they way out of a dead end street. I see this as more an issue of gifting and attitude than gender. The church needs both leaders and caregivers. A healthy church embraces both mission and ministry and holds them together. Liberal churches, like TEC, have so lost mission and idolized pastoral care that they no longer are able to tolerate leadership.
Ed, Thank you for your comment. I agree that the church needs both and that sometimes roles are reversed. ( I am reminded of the time during CPE that I went to visit an elderly lady and when I arrived and introduced myself her response was-” Oh no, I have a male nurse and a female chaplain!) I suppose what I was digging for was some sort of connection, reason, for the drop in the type of male leadership in the church of which you two spoke and what can be done to change this direction.