Deacons (Ordination of Women) Measure 1986

1986 No. 4

A MEASURE passed by the General Synod of the Church of England to make provision for the ordination of women as deacons, and for connected purposes.

[7th November 1986]

1 Provision for ordination of women as deacons. U.K.

(1) It shall be lawful for the General Synod to make provision by Canon for enabling a woman to be ordained to the office of deacon if she otherwise satisfies the requirements of Canon Law as to the persons who may be ordained as deacons.

(2) In the case of a deaconess who is licensed or holds a bishop’s permission to officiate, a Canon made in pursuance of subsection (1) above may make provision for enabling the deaconess to be ordained to the office of deacon notwithstanding—

(a) that she has not after applying to be so ordained been further examined concerning her knowledge of holy scripture or of the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Church of England, or

(b) that she has not exhibited to the bishop of the diocese any certificate or other document which is required to be so exhibited by every person who is to be made a deacon.

(3) In section 1(1) of the M1 Clergy (Ordination and Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 1964 there shall be inserted at the beginning the words “Subject to the provisions of section 1(2) of the Deacons (Ordination of Women) Measure 1986”.

(4) Nothing in this Measure shall make it lawful for a woman to be ordained to the office of priest.

Marginal Citations

M1 1964 No. 6.

2 Provisions as to the order of deaconesses. U.K.

(1) It shall be lawful for the General Synod to provide by Canon that no woman shall be admitted to the order of deaconesses unless before the date on which this Measure comes into force she has been accepted for training for admission to that order.

(2) Nothing in this Measure shall affect the rights of a deaconess who does not become a deacon.

F1 3 Provisions as to pensions etc. U.K.

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Textual Amendments

F1 S. 3 repealed (1.3.2019) by Church of England Pensions Measure 2018 (No. 9), s. 61(2), Sch. 5 (with Sch. 4); S.I. 2019/98, art. 2

4 Interpretation. U.K.

In any Canon, order, rule or regulation relating to deacons, words importing the masculine gender include the feminine, unless the contrary intention appears.

5 Short title, commencement and extent. U.K.

(1) This Measure may be cited as the Deacons (Ordination of Women) Measure 1986.

(2) This Measure shall come into force on such day as the Archbishops of Canterbury and York may jointly appoint.

(3) This Measure shall extend to the provinces of Canterbury and York except that it shall only extend to the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands in accordance with the following provisions of this section.

(4) Sections 1, 2, 4 and 5 shall extend to the Isle of Man and section 3 may by or under Act of Tynwald be extended to the Isle of Man with such exceptions, adaptations and modifications as may be specified in such Act or instrument thereunder.

(5) This Measure may be applied to the Channel Islands as defined in the Channel Islands (Church Legislation) Measures 1931 and 1957, or either of them, in accordance with those Measures.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Power of appointment conferred by s. 5(2) fully exercised: 16.2.1987 appointed by Instrument dated 3.2.1987

F2 SCHEDULE U.K. Amendments of Clergy Pensions Measure 1961

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Textual Amendments

F2 Sch. repealed (1.3.2019) by Church of England Pensions Measure 2018 (No. 9), s. 61(2), Sch. 5 (with Sch. 4); S.I. 2019/98, art. 2