Last week saw a landmark event occur –  the Church of England brought centuries of inequality to an end when they finally decided to approve the consecration of women bishops.

After being vetoed by just six votes in 2012, the General Synod is expected to give the green light to the milestone by the end of this year. 

Considering it has always been an issue rife with debate and a tradition that goes back thousands of years, the fact there might be a female bishop appointed in the next few months is really quite something.

It’s hard to believe that it was only 20 years ago that the Church of England decided that women could be priests at all.

But the thought of them being bishops remains one of those controversial topics,  with scores of traditionalists standing firmly against the concept.

Many believe a woman cannot be a valid bishop because the teachings of the Bible say scripture requires male leadership in the Church.

But the motion is now set to go before Parliament's ecclesiastical committee, who will meet in November to formally declare that women can be bishops – news that was met with cheers when it was announced at the York Synod last week.

One person happy about this development is Canon Jane Brooke, who I worked with at Chester Cathedral five years ago alongside a mainly male-dominated clergy.

Jane was one of the first women ever to be ordained back in 1994, and now holds the position of Canon Chancellor for the cathedral.

Canon Jane Brooke, Canon Chancellor of Chester Cathedral

She was an RE teacher and mother of three when she experienced a calling to join the Church, and despite initially feeling God had ‘made a mistake’,  Jane was ordained shortly afterwards and these days regularly leads services and preaches sermons.

“I’ve been fortunate to work in environments that accept me for who and what I am,”  she told me. “In the early days some people were negative when they saw that I was taking a wedding, but I am glad to say they were always positive afterwards.”

“I’m very pleased that women can now be bishops in the Church of England because it indicates strong support of women's ministry and recognises the commitment and service that they, along with men, have given for many years.”

Did you know that one of the women we could be seeing as one of the first female bishops is actually a former pupil of Chester’s Queen’s School?

The Very Rev Vivienne Faull,  59, is the current Dean of York Minster and was one of the first 1,000 women ever to be ordained.

Currently the most senior female in the Church of  England,  she was the first woman to run an English cathedral as provost of Leicester Cathedral in 2000 but has said in the past that when she first started as a priest,  it was not unknown for a woman to be forbidden to take funerals because ‘the local population took the view that if a woman led the funeral  service, how would you know that you were properly dead?’

It’s hard to imagine such inequality prevalent in this day and age, but I hope this development will help the Church become more relevant  to more people.

By representing just one half of the population, and treating women as less important than men, it is little surprise that the Church is still seen as old-fashioned.

There are female leaders in all walks of life nowadays –  from politicians, doctors, financiers and academics – so it does seem a little strange it has taken until 2014 for them to become bishops too.

Perhaps the new legislation will bring the Church  of England into modern times and have more resonance in the  lives of everyday people.

THE ROAD TO SYNOD

November 1992 -  After more  than 25 years of debate and five years after the first ordination of  women deacons – the Church of England’s governing  body, the General Synod, votes for women to  be ordained as priests, with the  necessary two-thirds majority  in the House of Bishops, clergy  and laity. Dr  George Carey, the  then archbishop of Canterbury,   says before the vote that women  must be ordained to  the priesthood if the Church of England  is to keep its  credibility.

July 1993 - Church of England paves the way  for the establishment of a corps  of ‘flying bishops’ to minister to  Anglican traditionalists opposed to women priests. A  compromise allows those opposed  to women priests  to remain under the jurisdiction of the diocesan  bishop but also to receive  episcopal care from one of the flying bishops.

November 1993  - Royal assent is given to necessary parliamentary legislation.

March 1994  - First women priests are ordained at Bristol Cathedral.

July 2000 -  Synod requests theological study from House of Bishops on question of women bishops.

November 2004 -  Publication of the Rochester report by the bishops’ working  party, chaired by Michael  Nazir-Ali, the then bishop of  Rochester. It does not come out for or against but lists fundamental  issues that need to be addressed including 'what  provisions should be made for those conscientiously unable to accept their ministry?'  The then Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and Archbishop of York, David Hope,  'commend it for prayerful  study within the dioceses'.

January 2006 -  Further report from a group chaired by Christopher Hill, bishop of Guildford, suggests different episcopal arrangements for parishes opposed to women priests and women bishops.

July 2008  - The synod votes for legislation on women bishops to be drawn up and special arrangements for those opposing women's ministry.

September 2010  - Draft legislation is referred to dioceses for debate.

February 2012  - Report to the synod shows that only London  and Chichester of the 44 dioceses are opposed to women  bishops.

May 2012 - House of Bishops refers draft legislation to synod for final approval.

November 2012 -  General Synod crunch vote on women bishops is declined by just six votes

July 2014  - After revised legislation, the synod prepare for a vote on whether to create female bishops.