Is the church a feminist institution?

...I'm actually actually doing it. I'm an ordinand- there, I said it! My word it's...exhausting! With our first two residential weekends done and our week night teaching coming towards the end of the first team it all feels official- and I have clever books, and nice files, and highlighters. But more than that I'm reading, learning, engaging my brain. I'm knackered!
This Sunday I preach my first sermon- Advent Sunday. But by way of preparation and practice each member of my group prepared and presented a 2-3 minute "thought of the day". Here's mine:

I’ve taken a lot of interest in the last few months of the “Everyday Sexism” campaign. This catalogues instances of sexism experienced by women all over the world on a day-to-day basis. People can use social media sites, especially Twitter, to share their experiences of sexism, harassment and assault. It highlights a problem which is still sadly widespread. The matter-of-factness of some of the occurrences, there acceptance and normalisation in everyday life and the responses of some men when challenged about their behaviour is truly shocking.

With the recent vote on female bishops at General Synod, the role of women in the priesthood is under the spotlight once more. There are many accusations, especially from the media, thrown at the Anglican church of being an archaic and sexist institution. The communion I call myself part of has been accused of institutionalised sexism, dressed up as "legitimate theological difference".

I don’t shy away from calling myself a feminist, and I don’t feel that is at odds with my Christian faith. Theologian and feminist Vicky Beeching argues the view point that Jesus himself was very much a feminist. Her points include

·       His refusal to bow to cultural stigmas in an era when women were uneducated, had no legally valid voice and were essentially property.

·       He talked freely with women and encouraged theological study.

·       He chose Mary to deliver the message of his resurrection.

Feminism is a much misunderstood word, and seems to conjure up many negative images. Many strong and pioneering women have felt the need to say “but I’m not a feminist”, as if it were something damaging to our gender. But Feminism is quite simply the belief in total equality, dignity and value for women. By that definition I’d like to think that most of us could call ourselves feminists, and that hopefully the church could too.