In honour of International Women’s Day 2025, let us come together with fervour and determination under the powerful theme: ‘Accelerate Action’.
“Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality within our own communities. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the obstacles that women face in all aspects of their lives.”
As a Church and as a vibrant community, we stand united in our urgent call to “accelerate action” in confronting and dismantling the deep-rooted barriers that women have endured, both in the shadows of history and in the present day, especially in their pursuit of ordination into the Priesthood and wider participation in their faith communities.
Contrary to historical and all too frequently current practice and doctrine, the AJC has always boldly affirmed that the divine vocation to the Priesthood and ministry is a beautiful journey that should be accessible to every individual, regardless of sex or gender.
In our foundational principles:
“We affirm that every Being contains the ‘Sacred Flame,’ a Spark of the Divine and that Awareness of the Sacred Flame within constitutes the highest level of Self-Knowledge and the Experience of God simultaneously.”
“We recognize the Sacred Flame to be present in all Beings and therefore our Offices are open to all humanity without discrimination on the basis of gender, race, social status or sexual orientation.”
On this International Women’s Day, we joyously honour the incredible women within our global communities. These extraordinary individuals share their ardour, knowledge, and experience to the benefit of all they encounter, passionately nurturing not only their local communities but also the expansive AJC family. They, and so many other women in the AJC, offer up their spiritual power and unwavering care in order to uplift us all, creating a vibrant tapestry of strength, resilience, and love that inspires our tradition, calling us to wholeness, compassion, and understanding.
Reverend Mother Angie Wisk-Nowell– Parochial Vicar- Parish of St. Joseph of Arimathea
Calgary, Canada
Rev. Subdeacon Cherry Russell– Co-Leader, Parish of St Sarah the Egyptian, Boston, USA
Rev. Subdeacon Joanne Leone– Co-Leader, Holy Sophia Narthex, Melbourne, Australia
The Rev. Ms. Olivia Riley– Narthex Leader, St. John the Baptist Parish, Atlanta, USA
We also celebrate our seminarians and women within our communities who are not listed, but whose efforts and contributions do not go unrecognized and unappreciated.
In eternal memory, we also honour the dearly departed women in our community whose warm and generous spirits were deeply cherished by both their local communities and our broader global family.
Rev. Subdeacon Juliana Eimer, PhD– Subdeacon and Assistant to the Primate of the United States and St. Michael’s Parish, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Rev. Ms. Constance Crain– Assistant and Acolyte, Rose Cross Community, Portland, Oregon
+ IOHANNES IV
Sovereign Pontiff and Patriarch