Fowey woman priest: 'No animosity' over block on women

The Reverend Carol Edleston is Fowey's first female priest

A Cornwall parish at the centre of a row over blocking the recruitment of female priests, is getting its first woman in the role.

The Reverend Carol Edleston is taking up her post on 11 March as priest at St Finbarrus Church in Fowey.

It follows the overturning of a church council decision in 2023 to ban women from applying for the post,

Ms Edleston said: "There's no animosity at all."

St Finbarrus has been without a priest for four years

The Church of England has allowed women vicars since 1992, yet in March last year Fowey Parochial Church Council (PCC) said it would only accept a shortlist of male candidates.

Local residents criticised the move as sexist and "profoundly wrong".

The PCC insisted then move was "not sexist", adding there was "debate over the roles women play within a church".

It said it welcomed women priests to teach the Bible and lead communion, but wanted a male priest.

Church records going back to 1260 show Ms Edleston is Fowey's first female vicar

Then in May 2023, the chairman and two members of the PCC stood down, paving the way for a new administration in July which said it wanted the church to be "accessible to all".

It added it was "keen to recruit the best candidate to meet the needs of Fowey parish church, regardless of gender".

After a selection process, Ms Edleston was chosen by the new PCC to fill the vacancy which has been unfilled for the last four years.

Ms Edleston, told BBC News it was "not a surprise at all" when the former PCC said it wanted a male priest.

"I knew their views and I knew how sincere their views were," she said.

"It wasn't anything personal to do with me.

"It really was just a different way of looking at the Bible.

"There's no animosity at all."

'Right person'

She added: "I'm not sure it was even sexism, it was do with their real desire to follow what they believe in and that is an area where we agree to differ."

Merisa MacInnes and members of a new PCC reversed the ban

Merisa MacInnes, the new vice lay chair of the PCC, said: "A lot of people resigned and new people got elected to the church and these people said we just want the best person, whether it's a male or female, to be the priest in Fowey.

"So we quickly reversed that resolution, which we did unanimously.

"All we wanted was the right person for the role."

The Venerable Kelly Betteridge says it is an "historic moment"

Church records which began in 1260 show Ms Edleston is the first female Fowey parish priest.

Archdeacon of Bodmin, the Venerable Kelly Betteridge, said: "It is an historic moment and one in which the whole community is going to have a share and there's already a sense of rejoicing.

"People have been very supportive of the appointment".

She said the diocese wanted to employ "the best candidate for the role regardless of gender".

"Carol is someone who knows Fowey and is loved by Fowey so she is undoubtedly a good person for this next season."