Episode Details

🎙️18. Rev. Helen (Church of England) – From St. Phoebe to Today: Women as Leaders, Science & a Kinder Christianity

Alexis Rice welcomes Rev. Helen —a Church of England priest serving at St. Margaret’s, Ipswich—and our first guest from outside the United States. With warmth, candor, and a fierce pastoral heart, Rev. Helen shares how her late-in-life call to ministry grew from community, story, and wonder—and why an inclusive, justice-rooted Anglican faith speaks powerfully in today’s world. Stay til the end if you would like prayer.

Together, Alexis and Rev. Helen dive into:

• How the Church of England works (parishes, bishops, General Synod) and  the monarch’s role
• Women in church leadership—from St. Phoebe (Romans 16) to women priests and bishops
• Science & faith in the UK (Big Bang, evolution) vs. often evangelical creationism—and teaching kids the Bible with genre and context
• Practicing an inclusive church for LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent people, and why visibility matters
• Public perception of Christianity in Britain: “quiet revival,” everyday parish life, and service to the whole community
• A UK view of U.S. Christian nationalism—and the hope of ordinary Christians choosing love over power
• A pastoral prayer for listeners who need comfort, courage, and blessing

💡 Key Takeaways

• There have always been women in leadership in the church—see Romans 16 and the early deacons and apostles.
• Context isn’t compromise. Reading Scripture with history, culture, and genre in mind deepens faith.
• Science and Christian faith aren’t enemies. Many UK Christians embrace both without tension.
• Parish means everyone. The Church of England exists to serve the spiritual care of the whole neighbourhood.
• Inclusion is pastoral, not political. An affirming, accessible church reflects the wide welcome of Jesus.
• Hope looks like small, faithful acts—prayer, presence, and practical love multiplied in community.

⛪ About Our Guest
 Rev. Helen Prior Townsend is an Anglican priest (Church of England) and Assistant Curate at St. Margaret’s Church, Ipswich. A liberal Anglo-Catholic, she weaves Godly Play, story, and sacrament into family ministry and champions women’s leadership, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and neurodiversity-affirming worship. Ordained in 2024 after serving as a Licensed Evangelist, she brings a grounded parish lens to life, liturgy, and public faith in the UK.

📚 Resources Mentioned

• James Talarico @jamestalarico (Running for US Senate- Texas) https://jamestalarico.com/
• St. Phoebe — woman serving and leading in the early church
• Godly Play — nurturing children’s spiritual imagination through story and wonder
• General Synod (Church of England) — how doctrine and practice are discerned and decided
• Women’s Ordination in the C of E — priests since 1994; bishops since 2014
• Inclusive Church Practices — welcoming LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent people as full participants in worship and leadership

Go in peace, friends

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