London, England - More women than men were ordained as Church of England priests last year for the first time since a ban was lifted on female clergy, the church said Tuesday.
A total of 478 clergy were ordained in 2006; of those 244 were women and 234 men. Most of the women were ordained to unpaid or non-stipendiary posts, such as the role of assistant priest.
Of those ordained to full-time stipendiary or paid posts, 128 were men and 95 were women.
The Church of England, whose highest-ranking cleric the archbishop of Canterbury is head of the worldwide Anglican communion, saw its first female clergy ordained in 1994.
Its General Synod, or "church parliament" of senior members, has backed the concept of women bishops as "theologically justified", although the principle has caused an outcry among conservatives.