Leading Barley church figure awarded CBE at Queen’s Birthday Honours for equal opportunities work

A leading figure in the Church of England who played a major part in the campaign to introduce female priests has been honoured with a CBE.

Christina Rees, who lives in Barley with her family, was recognised for her role as spokeswoman for the Movement for the Ordination of Women in the 1990s and her work combatting institutional racism in the church.

Christina, who was born in New York but has lived in the village since 1980, said: “I’m so delighted, it was completely unexpected. I don’t take it for granted.

“The fact that, when I started working in the church, women weren’t allowed to be priests or bishops was shocking. It suggested men were somehow more God-like.

“It’s a great thing that women are treated with more respect. It was excited to be a part of that. Women make wonderful bishops.”

Christina has been a member of the General Synod for 25 years, and was a founding member of the Archbishops’ Council.

She was chair of Women and The Church for more than 13 years and has represented the church at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.