Jennifer Pittorino
Born in Scotland to a very conservative and religious family inspired Dorothy Lee to become ordained and prove women belong in religion, just as much as men.
On Australia Day, Reverend Canon Professor Dorothy became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), for her significant service to the Anglican Church of Australia.
“I wanted to be ordained years ago but the Anglican Church wasn’t ordaining women at that stage,” she said.
“So I joined the united church and I was there for a few years, and then I moved into the Anglican church where I became a priest.”
Yarraville local Dorothy began teaching at Trinity College, she taught scripture for many years and eventually became head of the theological school.
In addition to teaching, one of Dorothy’s many passions is promoting women in leadership.
“That has been a passion of mine, and so that’s why this award means so much to me,” she said.
“There’s been a glass ceiling in many places and there still is, including in the Anglican church, but women are emerging now as leaders, whether they are laywomen or whether they’re ordained and it’s really wonderful to see.”
Dorothy isn’t the only member of her family to be an ordained minister, with her father an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church.
She recalls having a loving childhood.
“It was loving but a very hard life, every word of the bible was infallible and women couldn’t do anything,” she said. “It was quite a journey to break away from that and not lose my faith in the process.”
Dorothy knows for some, the conservative upbringing can mean that they leave faith altogether and leave the church, something she considered when she was young.
“I decided to hang in there with it especially when I found a more humane version of Christianity,” she said.
“I really appreciated women and women’s contribution and courage, women’s ordination and women’s leadership, which made a huge difference to me.”
