Frances Ward (priest)

Frances Elizabeth Fearn Ward (born 16 September 1959) is an Anglican priest and theologian. She served as Dean of St Edmundsbury from 2010 to 2017.[1]

The Reverend

Frances Ward
Dean of St Edmundsbury
ChurchChurch of England
DioceseSt Edmundsbury and Ipswich
In office2010–2017
PredecessorNeil Collings
SuccessorJoe Hawes
Orders
Ordination
  • 1989 (deacon)
  • 1994 (priest)
Personal details
Born (1959-09-16) 16 September 1959
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
DenominationAnglicanism
EducationThe King's School, Ely
Alma mater

Early life and education

Ward was born on 16 September 1959 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. She educated at The King's School, Ely. She studied at the University of St Andrews and the University of Manchester.[2] From 1987 to 1989, she trained for Holy Orders at Westcott House, Cambridge, an Anglican theological college in the Liberal Catholic tradition.[3]

Ordained ministry

She was ordained deacon in 1989 and priest in 1994.[4] She was then a tutor at Northern College[5] until 1998 and then Vicar of St Peter's Bury[6] until 2005. She was a residentiary canon[7] at Bradford Cathedral from 2006 until her appointment as Dean in 2010.[8]

On 30 May 2010, it was announced that Ward would be the next Dean of St Edmundsbury in succession to Neil Collings.[9] In October 2010, she was installed as Dean at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.[2][10] In July 2017, it was announced that she would be stepping down as Dean later in the year and would be returning to academia to complete a second doctorate; her final service at the cathedral was on 15 October 2017.[11]

Since 2018, Ward has held a Licence to Officiate in the Diocese of Carlisle.[3] On 2 February 2020 she was licensed as Priest-in-Charge of St John's Church, Workington and St Michael's Church, Workington.[12]

Views

Ward belongs to the Catholic Anglican tradition of the Church of England.[10] She is a supporter of the ordination of women as priests and bishops.[13]

Selected works

Among other books she has written:[14][15]

  • Lifelong Learning (2005)
  • Studying Local Churches (2005)
  • Theological Reflection Methods (2005)
  • Theological Reflection Sources (2007)
  • Why Rousseau Was Wrong: Christianity and the Secular Soul (2013)
  • Holy Attention: Preaching in Today’s Church (2019)
  • Full of Character: A Christian Approach to Education for the Digital Age (2019)
  • Like There’s No Tomorrow: Climate Crisis, Eco-Anxiety and God (2020)

References
  1. UK Directors
  2. 'WARD, Very Rev. Frances Elizabeth Fearn', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 4 July 2017
  3. "Frances Elizabeth Fearn Ward". Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  4. Crockfords (London, Church House, 1995) ISBN 0-7151-8088-6
  5. "Northern College website". Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  6. Saint Peter's Church, Bury Website Archived 21 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Association of English Cathedrals
  8. St Edmundsbury Cathedral website
  9. "A New Dean of St Edmundsbury". St Edmundsbury Cathedral. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  10. "The first female dean at St Edmundsbury Cathedral". BBC News. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  11. "New Role for Dean Frances". St Edmundsbury Cathedral. 2 July 2017. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  12. "Town Centre Churches get new priest".
  13. "Manchester Group's conclusions on women bishops: further responses". Church Times. 21 May 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  14. British Library website. Retrieved 7 January 2021.; also Archived 14 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Sacristy Press website. Retrieved 7 January 2021.; also Preaching for the Planet Like There’s No Tomorrow (Frances Ward and Jenny Wilson)
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