Saturday marked an important milestone for the Anglican Church and possibly for other religions as well. Katherine Jefferts Schori was named the first female leader of The Episcopalian Church and also became the first female priest to lead an Anglican province.

Though Schori faces much opposition, this decision indicates a step toward full inclusion of all people into the church and should set an example for other religions as well. Many oppose Schori’s nomination because she supports ordaining gays and blessing same-sex unions.

Schori also supported the 2003 ordination of Gene Robinson, the church’s first openly-gay bishop. Her election will more than likely cause a rift in the Anglican church between more traditional, conservative members and those who are more progressive. Seven of the more conservative dioceses in the United States have already rejected Schori as their leader and requested the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, to appoint a new national leader. Of these dioceses, three of them outright reject the ordination of women into the clergy.

Although Schori has said that the church should be able to reach a compromise in order to stay together and that she won’t force her beliefs on others, her views on gay relationships and her willingness to include gays and lesbians in the church certainly has fueled much of her opposition.

Although many of Schori’s opponents argue the scripture does not authorize women to be priests, it is this kind of regressive thinking that may prove damaging to church membership. It is no secret that many churches today suffer dwindling memberships and church attendance. The Catholic Church is only one example of this, with the number of priests and nuns rapidly declining and the large number of “cafeteria Catholics” in the United States increasing. By aggressively opposing the ordination of women and gays into the ranks of clergy, many churches are simply turning off new and present members.

Most Americans today don’t see any problem with women in the business world, the Army or the government. We as a nation have come a long way in recognizing that sex does not influence an individual’s ability to do his or her job properly. We are making progress on viewing gays and lesbians with a more open-minded eye, but there is much progress yet to be made.

Naturally, these views do not confine themselves only to the aforementioned categories. If a woman can serve in Congress or the military, she should also be able to better serve her religious community through strong and faithful leadership.

If various religious denominations are to last and thrive throughout the 21st century, they should come to the understanding that ordaining women as priests can be beneficial and is not contrary to any basic moral beliefs. The Episcopal Church has set an example for other churches, not only in America but throughout the world, that people should not be excluded from the clergy solely on the basis of sex, and those that stubbornly refuse to accept this may find themselves on the edge of extinction.