History at the Altar: A New Chapter for the Anglican Church

Saturday, 6 December 2025

History in the Making

Anglican Diocese of Southern Queensland

A moment of connection: Allana Wales and I, photographed recently at St Francis Theological College.

Today, the bells of St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane ring out for a celebration that is as historic as it is holy. As the Diocese gathers to ordain a new cohort of Deacons and Priests, we are witnessing a quiet revolution in the Anglican Church.

Among those being ordained Deacon today is Allana Wales. Many know her as a virtuoso violinist with Camerata, Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, or as a faithful servant at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. But today, her ordination carries a weight that extends far beyond Brisbane.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time in the Anglican Church of Australia—or the Church of England—that a person in a same-sex marriage has been ordained Deacon.

Allana is in a same-sex marriage. Her ordination marks a definitive shift from theoretical debates about "inclusion" to the lived reality of ministry. It proves that the Church is moving toward a recognition that faithfulness is not defined by exclusion, but by the integrity of one’s life and relationships.

This moment is the result of theological evolution. As I explored in my recent academic paper, "Faithfulness in Service: Anglican Canon Law and Civil Rights in Clerical Marriage," Dioceses like Brisbane have courageously updated their codes of conduct. They have moved from rigid definitions of chastity toward a broader, more Christ-like expectation of faithfulness and integrity. Today, we see the beautiful fruit of that decision.

Watch the Ordination Live

The sacred moment: Archbishop Jeremy Greaves lays hands on Allana Wales, ordaining her as Deacon.

Praying for the 2025 Ordinands

Holding these good people in our hearts today:

Deacons

• Allana Wales (Assistant Curate, Ipswich)
• Eleanor Whereat (Assistant Curate, Hervey Bay)
• Harry McGuire (Chaplain, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School)
• David Adams (Chaplain, Hillbrook Anglican School)

Priests

• Richard Butler (Warwick)
• Lydia Fairhall (Nambour)
• Kate Littmann-Kelly (East Redland)
• Matt Siggins (Bundaberg)
• Ted Starr (Everton Park)

Congratulations to the Reverend Allana Wales and to all who are answering the call today. May your ministry be blessed, and may you continue to walk in faithfulness.

Interested in the legal and theological history behind this moment?

Read my Paper Buy the Book

Photos of ordination courtesy of St John's Cathedral Live Stream.

Main Photo (L-R) Shane St Reynolds & Allana Wales at St Francis Theological College, Nov 2025.