Ordination of Women
In 1976, she extended her support to the Rev. Betty Bone Schiess who had been ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church by a reformist bishop, but had been one of 11 women who were not granted a license by the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York. Cook took the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC/EEO) who issued a decision favoring Schiess.
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America passed a resolution in July 1976 that "no one shall be denied access" to ordination in the church based on gender. In November 1976, Ned Cole, the Bishop who had blocked Schiess' ordination, indicated that he would have her ordained in ceremonies to be held in January 1977.
Interviewed after Cook's death, Schiess was quoted by The New York Times as stating that the legal challenge played a major role in driving the Episcopal Church to change its stance, noting that "Nothing significant would have happened without the attention of Constance Cook".
Read more about this topic: Constance Cook
Famous quotes containing the words ordination and/or women:
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