Today’s Leader of Faith
DAME CHRISTIAN HOWARD
Home Call : 22 April 1999
Theologian, Scholar, Church Leader, Advocate for Women Ordination
Dame Christian Howard (1916 – 1999) was a pioneering British Anglican theologian and advocate for the ordination of women. Born into the aristocratic Howard family of Castle Howard, she devoted her life to theological scholarship, ecumenical engagement, and progressive reform within the Church of England. She was especially known for her role in championing the inclusion of women in ordained ministry, both nationally and globally. She was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1986 New Year Honours for services to the Church of England and the British Council of Churches. She left an indelible mark on the Anglican Church and ecumenical dialogue. As a founding member of the Movement for the Ordination of Women and an influential voice in the General Synod, her reports and advocacy laid vital groundwork for the Church of England’s historic decision to ordain women priests in 1994. Internationally, she was the first woman to serve as vice-moderator of the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission, advancing unity among Christian traditions.
Christian Howard was born on 5 September 1916 at her family home, Castle Howard, in England. Her father, Geoffrey Howard, was a politician, and her mother, Ethel Christian, came from a noble family. She faced many personal tragedies in her early life. Her mother died when she was 15, and her father passed away just before her formal introduction to society as a young woman. During World War II, two of her brothers died in battle. Her other brother, George, later became a member of the House of Lords. In 1943, Christian studied theology and earned a special church diploma. One of her teachers was Michael Ramsey, who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Church of England.
Christian Howard worked hard to help women become priests in the Church of England. She was also involved in efforts to bring different Christian churches closer together, called the ecumenical movement. Even one of her main opponents, George Austin, called her “a great character, a great Christian woman, and a formidable person.” Her grandmother, Rosalind Howard, had fought for women’s right to vote using peaceful and legal methods. Christian followed her example by pushing for women to be allowed to become priests. In 1972, she wrote an important report for the Church’s General Synod (its governing body) supporting women’s ordination. She earned a church diploma in theology, was given an honorary role at York Minster, served in the Church’s General Synod from 1970 to 1985, attended major church meetings around the world, and became the first woman vice-moderator of the World Council of Churches’ Faith and Order Commission.
Christian Howard passed away in York, England, at the age of 82. She had been ill for some time before her death. During her final weeks in the hospital, friends from around the world visited her. Her hospital room featured a purple tea towel with the slogan “A Woman’s Place is in the House of Bishops,” reflecting her lifelong advocacy for women’s ordination in the Church of England.
— John Michael, Rajahmundry