Leading Women 2016

May 31 – June 2

Mercy Center, Burlingame CA

In 2013, Canon Stefani Schatz from the Diocese of California attended a Clergy CREDO event.  That CREDO clarified her call to support ordained women’s leadership in The Episcopal Church.  She spoke with Jane Shaw, then Dean of Religious Life at Stanford about the idea of creating a Leading Women’s program for The Episcopal Church.  Jane had been involved with Leading Women in the Church of England, and the two began translating this work for the needs of women in The Episcopal Church.

They quickly added to their team Mary Gray-Reeeves, then Bishop of El Camino Real, and Helen Svoboda-Barber, then Rector of Harcourt Parish, Gambier OH.  With administrative support from David Wantland, then candidate for Holy Orders, they designed the first Leading Women for The Episcopal Church.

This conference included women from three Anglican Provinces.  Leaders and Participants were from The Episcopal Church.  Our Chaplain was from the Anglican Church in New Zealand, and a Guest Speaker attended from the Church of England.   Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori offered the Lay of the Land Keynote Address.  We hosted about 60 participants at this first event.