Alison Cheek — Episcopal priest and early advocate for women's ordination

Ordination and milestone

Cheek was one of a small group of women irregularly ordained in 1974, an event that challenged longstanding church practice and helped accelerate formal change. That group is often referred to in histories of the Episcopal Church as pioneers whose actions prompted debate and eventual policy reform. Cheek is also recognized as the first woman in the denomination to publicly celebrate the Eucharist, a highly visible act that underscored the question of women’s sacramental roles in Anglicanism. For context, the church's official approval of women’s ordination followed in the mid-1970s, reshaping clergy demographics and practice.

Ministry and public life

Throughout her ministry Cheek combined pastoral work with public advocacy. She served in parish settings and spoke frequently on topics of equality, faith, and the place of women in church leadership. Her public liturgical role and the controversy around the early ordinations made her a focal point for supporters and opponents alike, and she persisted in ministry despite institutional resistance.

Impact and legacy

Cheek’s life is often cited in discussions about gender and ministry in the Anglican tradition. Her ordination helped push the Episcopal Church toward formal recognition of women priests and bishops, and it influenced similar conversations in other provinces of the Anglican Communion. Histories of the era note how those early actions contributed to broader reforms in church polity and pastoral practice.

Later life and death

In later years Cheek continued to be respected as a pioneer figure. She died at her home in Brevard, North Carolina, on September 1, 2019, at the age of 92. Her life is documented in church histories and remembered by advocates for women’s leadership. For more about the denomination she helped change, see the Episcopal Church, and for her widely noted liturgical firsts see resources describing her public celebration of the Eucharist.

• Born: April 11, 1927, Adelaide, South Australia.
• Known for: early ordination among women in the Episcopal Church and first public Eucharistic celebration by a woman in that denomination.
• Died: September 1, 2019, Brevard, North Carolina.