Time for a new letter, by Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi

2026-03-29 - 00:05

In honour of Dame Sarah Mullaley, Archbishop of Canterbury Dear St Paul It has been thousands of years since you wrote a series of letters To many churches and persons Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Phillipians and more You also wrote epistles to Timothy, Titus and Philemon The letters have helped shape Christian faith They have provided inspiration, hope, and direction. It is however time for you to send another letter There are many nations and churches you could write to at this point in our history Too many to list But I would like you to consider writing a letter to theChurch of England Remember there was this selfish, randy, stubborn King of England Henry V111 In 1534, he wanted to annul his marriage to his Catholic Queen Catherine of Aragon So that he could marry Anne Boleyn and get a male heir He was one of many men before and after him who try to play God, but I digress Pope Clement V11 said No So,King Henry simply set up his own church, with his own Archbishop and the rest You probably should have sent a letter then God Almighty does indeed work in mysterious ways Inspite of the origins of this new Church It has called millions of souls to the ways of the Lord Including mine The teachings of the new church are not totally different from the old one This means your copious letters have continued to be relevant There is however a problem In Timothy 2: 12, you wrote, ‘I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, rather, she is to remain quiet’ Then you wrote, in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: ‘Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission – if they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home’ Over millennia, men have taken it upon themselves to interpret your letters to suit their own agendas They have clung to these words and used them to justify the silencing and exclusion of women from leadership in the home, society and church Yet, you also wrote in Galatians 3:28, ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female’ Even though you sounded rather harsh in your thoughts on women You did not ignore the role women were playing in the emerging church during your time You acknowledged Phoebe, Priscilla, Junia, Euodia and Syntyche It is time for you to write another letter In these times, in the year of our Lord 2026 Women are no longer silent Women now teach the word of God Women now have authority Dame Sarah Mulalley Has just been installed as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of the Church of England Ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion Many men within the church and beyond are unhappy They keep pointing to your letters Many of us are happy We remind them of what Jesus Christ our saviour thought of women’s leadership He would have been thrilled to have Dame Sally with him They keep telling us women were never disciples Jesus only recognised men as leaders Yet, we know this is not true Women followed Jesus wherever he went They were drawn to his teachings about kindness, dignity,forgiveness and love Mary of Nazareth, mother of Jesus Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James and Joseph Salome, Martha, Mary of Bethany, Joanna, Susanna and more They travelled, cooked, hosted, nursed and mobilised Some of them used their own resources for the Ministry Their faith was strong and they were brave and loyal Their names and deeds have endured Even when attempts have been made to downplay their roles They were the first to see Jesus when he resurrected The disciples were nowhere to be found Dear St Paul It is time for another letter A message in solidarity with our first female Archbishop of Canterbury Pope Leo X1V has written to congratulate the new Archbishop Expressing a commitment to ‘Christian unity and Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue’ Even the Pope knows the world will not come to an end with a female Archbishop of Canterbury Women have always led Women will always lead In homes, farms, boardrooms, battlefields, workplaces of all callings Women have led and will keep leading The house of God is safe in the hands of women Those who know what suffering and oppression means understand the value of salvation, compassion and empathy It is time for a new letter One that speaks of hope, joy and renewed faith Long live, Dame Sarah Mulalley Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of the Church of England Ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion •Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Leadership Coach, Policy Advocate and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com