Church of England

=== Women's ministry ===
Women were appointed as deaconesses from 1861, but they could not function fully as deacons and were not considered ordained clergy. Women have historically been able to serve as [[lay reader]]s. During the First World War, some women were appointed as lay readers, known as "[[bishop's messenger]]s", who also led missions and ran churches in the absence of men. After the war, no women were appointed as lay readers until 1969.<ref>{{Cite news|last=tojsiab|title=Church of England इतिहास देखें अर्थ और सामग्री – hmoob.in|url=https://www.hmoob.in/wiki/CofE|access-date=5 July 2021|website=www.hmoob.in|language=en}}</ref>

Legislation authorising the ordination of women as deacons was passed in 1986 and they were first ordained in 1987. The [[ordination of women]] as priests was approved by the [[General Synod of the Church of England|General Synod]] in 1992 and [[List of the first 32 women ordained as Church of England priests|began in 1994]]. In 2010, for the first time in the history of the Church of England, more women than men were ordained as priests (290 women and 273 men),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9060296/More-new-women-priests-than-men-for-first-time.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9060296/More-new-women-priests-than-men-for-first-time.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=More new women priests than men for first time|work=The Daily Telegraph |date=4 February 2012 |access-date=11 July 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> but in the next two years, ordinations of men again exceeded those of women.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/feb/11/how-much-church-of-england-clergy-female|title=How much of the Church of England clergy is female?|first=George|last=Arnett|date=11 February 2014|website=The Guardian}}</ref>

In July 2005, the synod voted to "set in train" the process of allowing the consecration of women as bishops. In February 2006, the synod voted overwhelmingly for the "further exploration" of possible arrangements for parishes that did not want to be directly under the authority of a bishop who is a woman.<ref>[http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_060210women.shtml Church votes overwhelmingly for compromise on women bishops]. ''Ekklesia''.</ref> On 7 July 2008, the synod voted to approve the ordination of women as bishops and rejected moves for alternative episcopal oversight for those who do not accept the ministry of bishops who are women.<ref>{{cite news|title=Church will ordain women bishops|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7494517.stm|work=BBC News|date=7 July 2008|access-date=7 July 2008}}</ref> Actual ordinations of women to the episcopate required further legislation, which was narrowly rejected in a General Synod vote in November 2012.<ref>Pigott, Robert. (14 February 2009) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7889946.stm Synod struggles on women bishops]. BBC News.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20415689 "Church of England general synod votes against women bishops"], BBC News, 20 November 2012.</ref> On 20 November 2013, the General Synod voted overwhelmingly in support of a plan to allow the ordination of women as bishops, with 378 in favour, 8 against and 25 abstentions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://descrier.co.uk/uk/2013/11/church-england-synod-votes-overwhelmingly-support-women-bishops/|title=Church of England Synod votes overwhelmingly in support of women bishops|work=The Descrier |date=20 November 2013 |access-date=20 November 2013}}</ref>

On 14 July 2014, the General Synod approved the ordination of women as bishops. The House of Bishops recorded 37 votes in favour, two against with one abstention. The House of Clergy had 162 in favour, 25 against and four abstentions. The House of Laity voted 152 for, 45 against with five abstentions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28298250|title=LIVE: Vote backs women bishops|work=BBC |date=14 July 2014 |access-date=14 July 2014}}</ref> This legislation had to be approved by the Ecclesiastical Committee of the Parliament before it could be finally implemented at the November 2014 synod. In December 2014, [[Libby Lane]] was announced as the first woman to become a bishop in the Church of England. She was consecrated as a bishop in January 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-religion-anglican-women-idUSKBN0KZ0Z820150126|title=After turmoil, Church of England consecrates first woman bishop|work=Reuters|access-date=30 June 2017|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924212841/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/26/us-religion-anglican-women-idUSKBN0KZ0Z820150126|url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2015, [[Rachel Treweek]] was the first woman to become a diocesan bishop in the Church of England when she became the [[Bishop of Gloucester]].<ref name="anglicannews1">[http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2015/07/first-female-diocesan-bishop-in-c-of-e-consecrated.aspx First female diocesan bishop in C of E consecrated]. Anglicannews.org. Retrieved 23 July 2015.</ref> She and [[Sarah Mullally]], Bishop of Crediton, were the first women to be ordained as bishops at [[Canterbury Cathedral]].<ref name="anglicannews1"/> Treweek later made headlines by calling for gender-inclusive language, saying that "God is not to be seen as male. God is God."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/24/bishop-rachel-treweek-gods-not-a-he-or-a-she|title='God is not a he or a she', says first female bishop to sit in House of Lords|last=Sherwood|first=Harriet|date=24 October 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref>

In May 2018, the Diocese of London consecrated [[Dame Sarah Mullally]] as the first woman to serve as the [[Bishop of London]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2018/18-may/news/uk/first-woman-bishop-of-sarah-mullally-london-installed |title=First woman Bishop of London installed |website= www.churchtimes.co.uk|access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref> Bishop Sarah Mullally occupies the third most senior position in the Church of England.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44095112|title=First female Bishop of London installed|date=12 May 2018|work=BBC News|access-date= 20 May 2018 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Mullally has described herself as a feminist and will ordain both men and women to the priesthood.<ref>{{Cite news |url= https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-woman-bishop-goes-to-war-for-female-vicars-7q28wqkdf |title=New woman bishop goes to war for female vicars|first=Nicholas|last=Hellen|date=13 May 2018|work=The Sunday Times|access-date=20 May 2018|language=en|issn=0956-1382}}</ref> She is also considered by some to be a theological liberal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/d2042694-e3f1-11e7-8b99-0191e45377ec |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/d2042694-e3f1-11e7-8b99-0191e45377ec |archive-date=10 December 2022|title=Sarah Mullally to be first female bishop of London|website=Financial Times|date=18 December 2017|language=en-GB|access-date=|url-access = subscription|last1=Wright|first1=Robert}}</ref> On women's [[reproductive rights]], Mullally describes herself as [[Abortion-rights movements|pro-choice]] while also being personally [[Anti-abortion movements|pro-life]].<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://sarahmullally.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/choice/ |title=Choice|date=9 March 2012|work=Contemplation in the shadow of a carpark|access-date=20 May 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> On marriage, she supports the current stance of the Church of England that marriage is between a man and a woman, but also said that: "It is a time for us to reflect on our tradition and scripture, and together say how we can offer a response that is about it being inclusive love."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/22-december/news/uk/sarah-mullally-to-be-the-next-bishop-of-london|title=Former Chief Nursing Officer to be first woman Bishop of London|website=www.churchtimes.co.uk|access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref>