Church Pension Group releases study on the last 3+ decades of female priests, deacons and bishops:
Called to Serve Study
From CPG Press Release
On September 16, 1976, the General Convention approved the ordination of women as priests and bishops. Thirty years later, there are nearly 4,500 female priests and deacons and 17 women bishops in the Episcopal Church. And the role of ordained women in the Church remains both complex and dynamic.
Several General Convention resolutions requested that the Church Pension Fund (CPF) cooperate with other bodies in the Church to look at the needs and the wellness of clergy women and families. In response, CPF fielded Called to Serve: A Study of Clergy Careers, Clergy Wellness, and Clergy Women, a collaborative effort of the Executive Council’s Committee on the Status of Women, the Church Pension Fund’s Office of Research, the Episcopal Church Center’s Office of Women’s Ministry, and CREDO Institute, Inc.
The recently completed study, based on research conducted during the 2006-2009 triennium, provides a new understanding of the challenges, career patterns, constraints, and overall welfare and wellness of clergy women.
Highlights of the study, as well as a report of the study’s preliminary findings, are available for download at www.cpg.org/calledtoserve as a service to the Church.