ABU DHABI // The first Anglican priest to be ordained in the country made history on two fronts yesterday - she was also among the first women to be ordained in the Arabian Gulf.
Jo Henderson, 49, was welcomed at St Andrew's Church by dozens of Christians from around the UAE.
The Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf only began to ordain and appoint female priests last year after it received permission from the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
After the hour-long ceremony yesterday Mrs Henderson, from Surrey, England told of a journey she embarked on at the age of 16.
She has lived abroad for nearly 20 years with her husband, a civil engineer. They first relocated to Greece, where Mrs Henderson was very active in the church.
After moving to Qatar and then to the UAE in 2005, she felt that it was time to become a priest.
"This was something that was growing in me for years but at that time, no women could be ordained in this area of the world," she said.
After the announcement was made at the annual Synod of the Diocese in Cyprus that the bishop, the Right Rev Michael Lewis, was given permission to ordain and appoint women, Mrs Henderson was able to reconsider the course of her life.
"I was going to wait until we go back to England," she said. "But then we had a change of direction.
"What was meant to be one year abroad, turned to us staying away from many years. Then it was [possible] here."
She went through a rigorous three-day selection process in England, she said, to see if her calling was genuine and if she could handle the training at the theological Ripon College Cuddesdon outside of Oxford, England.
After her selection, she had to travel back and forth between the UAE and the UK every six weeks.
Her 20-year-old son, James, said it was tough.
"It was hard for her to leave her family every month or so," he said. "We were supportive of her. And very proud of her today."
She completed her training in July. After yesterday's ordainment, she is technically still a deacon, and will officially become a priest after a year of training.
"It was such a long journey, since 16," she said. "I am very excited that part had ended and now I am on a whole new journey."
Gill Nisbet, a priest at the church, said priesthood could be challenging at times for a women in a society that is not accustomed to seeing female priests.
"Some are not used to seeing women [priests]," she said. "Some struggle with it."
She said walking around in the community with her priest collar usually led to "second looks" - but only meant that women like her were "breaking new grounds".
"It encourages anyone to think if God is calling them, particularly for women."
Many from the community made sure to come as they learnt more about Mrs Henderson through their children.
"She gets involved with the children," said Ruth Amin, also from the UK.
She added that Mrs Henderson also organised activities twice a year for children who come to the church, as well as others who do not, just to help get them involved.
Julia Morton, a close friend, flew to the UAE from England to be with Mrs Henderson for the ceremony yesterday.
"I have known Jo for 30 years," she said. "We met at the junior choir and we kept in contact all these years."
She said if Mrs Henderson had stayed in England, the process would have been much quicker. But because of the time it took, she and other friends were especially proud of her, she said.
Mrs Henderson will give her first church service next Friday, alongside Reverend Andrew Thompson.
osalem@thenational.ae
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Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
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Sector: Entertainment
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TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
The%20specs
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Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
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Three stars
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Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
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Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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