July 29, 1974 - The Philadelphia Eleven Ordained

Historical photographs of the Philadelphia Eleven ordination at the Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 29, 1974. Images courtesy of the Episcopal News Service Archives and the Archives of the Episcopal Church (used where permitted).

On July 29, 1974, eleven women were ordained to the priesthood at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, despite the Episcopal Church's official canons not yet permitting women to serve as priests. The service, conducted by three retired bishops, became one of the most controversial moments in modern American church history. Although the ordinations were initially declared irregular, they sparked a national debate that fundamentally changed the direction of the denomination.

Known thereafter as the "Philadelphia Eleven," these women believed that Scripture, Christian tradition, and the gifts God had given them justified their call to ordained ministry. Church leaders who opposed the ordinations argued that the bishops had acted outside the authority of the General Convention and that such a significant change required approval by the wider church.

The controversy lasted for two years. In 1976, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church officially voted to authorize the ordination of women to both the priesthood and the episcopate, making the Philadelphia Eleven's once-irregular ordinations recognized within the denomination. Their actions opened the door for thousands of women to enter ordained ministry across the Episcopal Church and influenced similar discussions in other Anglican churches around the world.

Why It Matters

The ordination of the Philadelphia Eleven represents one of the defining moments in the modern history of American Christianity. It illustrates how churches wrestle with questions of biblical interpretation, church authority, and changing cultural expectations. More than fifty years later, the issues raised by the Philadelphia Eleven continue to shape discussions about leadership, tradition, and the role of women in ministry across many Christian denominations.