From as early as the 1940s, the push to ordain women has become a major issue among Anglicans, and has led to many schisms (i.e. formal separations between Christian communions). Supporters, mostly from the modern or progressive side, say it’s unfair and outdated to stop women from becoming clergy. They often argue this while appealing to equality, justice, and the belief that the Holy Spirit is revealing new truths over time. But from the perspective of traditional Christian teaching, this isn’t really about fairness or change—it’s about staying true to what the apostles handed down and keeping the Church’s theology consistent with its foundations.

Modernist Anglicans who support the ordination of women often present several key arguments to counter traditional views.

Note: when I use the word, “we”, I am referring to traditional Anglicans who live by the words of Saint Vincent of Lerins, whom, in his treatise against heresies, states that “all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all.” In other words, even when we might find Modernist views emotionally appealing, “we” do not conjure up our own justifications for views which have already been defined by the source of our Faith – namely: Christ, the Apostles, and the Church Fathers.

Equality and Justice Demands Women be Ordained

Modernist Anglicans argue that the principle of equality and justice, rooted in the teachings of Christ, supports the inclusion of women in all levels of ministry. They emphasize that the Church should reflect the inclusive nature of the Gospel and recognize the gifts and calling of women.

We reply that to affirm that women and men have distinct roles in the Church is not to denigrate women. Our Lord’s own mother, the Blessed Virgin, was never a priest, yet she is the most exalted of all the Saints. Women have been theologians, martyrs, mystics, and teachers—but they have not been in Holy Orders.

Equality in Christ (Galatians 3:28) pertains to salvation, dignity, and worth—not to ministerial function. The Body of Christ is not a democracy, but a divinely ordered organism with different members performing different functions (1 Corinthians 12). Our Lord Himself engaged in discrimination (albeit, of course, not in a hateful sense), which is clear throughout the Gospels

The Holy Spirit is Leading us to Women’s Ordination

Modernist Anglicans often argue that the Holy Spirit is leading the Church into “greater truth” (cf. John 16:13), implying that women’s ordination is a new insight granted by divine guidance. Where the Traditionalist objects and states that “the Holy Spirit does not contradict Himself”, Modernists say there is no objection but that it is the Church’s understanding of God’s Will which is evolving.

We thus reply: why would the Church’s stance on such an issue ‘evolve’ and reverse course after nearly two millennia, and why only when it has become relatively easy to do so? The early Church was ruthlessly persecuted for declaring the Divinity of Christ, and it resisted the passions and ways of the world – why wasn’t women’s ordination taught when it was unpopular, before the rise of feminism? Should we not be skeptical of this, as it may likely be a case of following our will rather than God’s Will?

The Bible Teaches that Women Play a Major Role in the Church

Modernist Anglicans often point to the broader biblical themes of equality and the prominent roles that women played in the early Christian communities. They highlight examples like Phoebe, Junia, and Priscilla, who held significant roles in the early Church, to argue for the inclusion of women in all levels of ministry.

Traditionalists agree, and in fact it is Traditionalists like St Thomas Aquinas who were keen to give St Mary Magdalene the title of “The Apostle to the Apostles”, but Aquinas bestowed this as an honour to St Mary Magdalene, rather than a declaration that she held Holy Orders and held the same role of Apostle as the Twelve Apostles. Aquinas clearly rejects women’s ordination, stating that “even though a woman were made the object of all that is done in conferring Orders, she would not receive Orders”

The study of Deaconesses shows how clear it was to the early Church that women could not enter Holy Orders.

The differences between Deacons and Deaconesses

• Roles and Duties: Deacons were ordained clergy who assisted bishops and priests, participated in liturgical functions, administered sacraments like baptism, and distributed the Eucharist. Deaconesses were primarily involved in roles such as assisting with the baptism of women, visiting and caring for women in the community, and other charitable activities.
• Ordination Status: Deacons were considered ordained clergy. In the early Church, deaconesses were not viewed as ordained in the sacramental sense. Their roles were more restricted, and they did not participate in the same liturgical functions as male deacons.
• Liturgical Functions: Deaconesses were not involved in leading public worship or administering the Eucharist. Their liturgical roles were more limited and often focused on serving women in the congregation, especially in contexts where modesty and propriety were important.
• Sacramental Authority: Deacons could perform certain sacraments and had a recognized place within the clerical hierarchy. Deaconesses, however, did not have the same sacramental authority and were not part of the ordained clergy in the same capacity as male deacons.

My sources? See The Apostolic Constitutions, First Ecumenical Council, and various writings of the early Church Fathers (Tertullian, Hippolytus, John Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, and others).

Of course, there is also 1 Timothy, in which St Paul makes it abundantly clear that the Church ought to be led by men.

Read it all in Christian Episcopal Perspectives