Gresham College’s Sixth Provost and the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury

Professor Jane Shaw, sixth Provost of Gresham College, had more reason than most to join in the celebrations to mark the recent installation of Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.

She was not just applauding the first woman to lead the Church of England but also the work to ensure women were able to climb the ecclesiastical ladder.

A recent article in Christian Century revealed that Professor Shaw was part of a small but highly influential group called Leading Women whose number include June Osborne, then dean of Salisbury; Lucy Winkett, precentor at St. Paul’s Cathedral; and Keith Lamdin, principal of Sarum College, Salisbury.

The group's aim was to support women ordained as priests into leadership roles through a year-long mentoring programme launched in 2010.

Women who had the potential to be bishops were offered support to develop skills from pastoral relationships with the laity and the clergy to managing historic buildings to coping with budgets. The programme covered issues like ambition conflict, as well as advice from women already serving as bishops in the United States and elsewhere in the Anglican Communion.

Professor Shaw told the website: “We wanted to help women develop skills, so we had sessions on leadership, including the theology of leadership, but also dealing with money and managing change. We also wanted women to understand what their gifts were, and what transferable skills they might have from previous work experience.”

Sarah Mullally was part of the second cohort of Leading Women ֪ a remarkable testimony for the power of shared learning.