Sermon preached by the Bishop of Shrewsbury marking 30 years of the ordination of female priests, 29 July 2025
“I Have Seen the Lord”
We begin today at the tomb: Mary Magdalene stands weeping, heartbroken, until she hears her name spoken by the risen Christ: “Mary” and everything changes.
She becomes the first apostle—the first witness of the resurrection. Not Peter, not John, not Thomas, Mary, a woman. And Jesus tells her: “Go and tell them.” And so she runs—heart bursting with wonder—and declares: “I have seen the Lord.”
Today we gather together around the Lord’s Table, as beloved children of God, we gather together, knowing that we are “one in Christ”, and that in Christ: “There is no Jew nor Greek, no male or female” for we “all belong to Christ”.
But today we also remember with thankfulness, the call of God on the lives of women through the ages.
We are just at the end of the 30th year after the Church of England ordained its first women priests and we stand alongside Mary today.
We honour 30 years of women—some of you here today—who have heard the risen Christ call your name.
Who have said, “Yes.”
Who have run to proclaim: “I have seen the Lord.”
Phoebe, Junia, Priscilla
The passage we heard read from Paul’s letter to the Romans that we heard read today, focusses on greeting and acknowledgement, relationships and love for one another—real people, beloved in Christ.
Paul commends Phoebe, “a deacon of the church at Cenchreae,” and calls her “a benefactor of many , including himself.”
He greets Priscilla, who risked her life for the gospel, and Junia, who is “outstanding among the apostles.”
These women were not footnotes, they were founders, leaders, preachers,pastors, benefactors.
And we must do what Paul did: say their names and honour their response to God’s call.
As Paula Gooder brings alive in her brilliant work Phoebe, this woman didn’t simply carry Paul’s letter, she most likely interpreted it.
Phoebe reminds us that God’s calling is not constrained by gender, but empowered by faithfulness.
Then and Now
Just over 30 years ago, 32 women walked through the door of Bristol Cathedral, past protestors, to be ordained as priests. In June of that same year, I was ordained priest in Manchester Diocese and + Jan in this diocese and so we have walked alongside our sisters.
For those first ordained, who have walked a long and slow road, we honour theirperseverance and their prayer. They have prayed, they have preached, they have buried the dead, baptised, married and broken the bread of life for God’s people.
Their priesthood has made the Church richer, deeper, and more faithful to the God who calls everyone by name.
I was recently given a copy of Bear Grylls new book: The Greatest Story Ever Told, and I read a sentence in there that really spoke to me:
“Faith isn’t about being perfect; it’s about trusting a perfect God with our imperfect lives.”
That’s what was done in Bristol and continues to be done.
We don’t wait for everything to be easy.
We trust God and follow where He leads.
We hear His voice call our name, and like Mary, we respond in faith.
The Resurrection Changes Everything
The resurrection of Jesus changed everything: not only death into life—but also silence into proclamation, exclusion into welcome.
Jesus’ choice of Mary Magdalene to carry the message wasn’t symbolic, it was divine strategy.
She was faithful, she stayed, she wept and she was ready.
And when Jesus said, “Go and tell,” he inaugurated a ministry not limited by gender, race, or class.
That’s the message of Easter.
That’s the message the Church is still learning to live.
In her book, Phoebe, Paula challenges us: “What if we saw the early Church not as a hierarchy of men, but a family of co-workers, sisters and brothers in Christ?” That’s what Paul saw and that’s what we see more clearly day by day..
Looking Ahead with Joy and Hope
So today we celebrate 30 years of women’s priesthood with joy—but not as an ending. This is a mile-marker, not a finishing line.
There are still gifts untapped, voices unheard, and callings unfulfilled. There are still Marys waiting to be named, and Phoebes waiting to be trusted with the message.
Let us keep building a Church that recognises and releases every gift God gives. Let us create space where all God’s beloved children can dream dreams, speak truth, and lead God’s people with grace.
To every woman here who has served faithfully over these three decades: thank you.
Thank you for being Marys and Phoebes and Priscillas.
Thank you for saying, “Yes.”
Thank you for showing us what it looks like to say: “I have seen the Lord.”
Closing Prayer:
God of Mary and Phoebe,
God of Paul and Peter,
God of all who say “Yes” to Your call:
Make us a Church that listens for your voice, celebrates every calling, and dares to live the truth of the Resurrection.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen
Bishop Sarah (and the entire service) can be watched delivering her sermon on the Lichfield Cathedral Daily Worship page on Facebook, and a few photos from the day inour Flickr album.