Show UIFE AHUSM© "Tears streamed down the bishop’s face as he asked ‘My sister and brother do you believe you are truly called by God to this priesthood? Ann and Michael answered together ‘I believe I am so called” Ann Cobum performs a baptism Mike By Edward Wakin A Bible study group tn Danbury Conn was recently discussing Paul's Letter to the Ephesians with two Episcopal priests who share the same assignment as assistants to the rector: They also Bve together as husband and wife Equal sharing is their way of life Theirs is a total partnership sharing power pay and priestly assignment not to mention household chores Each is on a par at St James Episcopal Church Together they made church history as the first married couple to be ordained at the same ceremony “In going to this church" Ann explains “we didn't want people to say ‘Here is Mike Cobum priest and his wife Ann who also is a priest and tags along as his assistant' Because we were ordained together and we came together in the same package people have looked at us as equals” For their Joint ordination in December 1977 the couple knelt at the altar of St James where Michael's grandfather had been rector The church is in the same city where Ann stuand Michael had met as dents while attending a church conference Michael's father Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts ordained them When as part of the ceremony: Bishop John B Cobum asked whether anyone had an objection the rector of another church came forward to say: “I am reluctant to speak for three reasons I have come to feel respect and affection for Ann Cobum It is not my nature to seek out controversy: and I do not expect to alter the course of today's events” Yet he felt bound to put his objection on public record: ”1 am convinced that Ann Cobum's womanhood is in fact an im- high-scho- ol Edward Wakin is profettor of commumcaSora aiFordham University FAMtUr WEEKty JuM 4 1S7t A unique priestly team they each celebrate the Holy Eucharist pediment to priesthood” After thanking the priest for his “dignified" objection Bishop Cobum proceeded to the crucial question Tears streamed down his face as he asked “My sister and brother do you believe you an truly called by God and His Church to this priesthood?" Ann and Michael answered together “I believe I am so called” As soon as the Cobums took their vows the congregation broke into spontaneous applause That's what Ann remembers most of all: “This big overwhelming yes came booming forth” Judging from comments by St James parishioners the Cobums have been well received because of their dedication and the warmth of their togetherness Sitting in the Dving room of the ranch house provided by the church Ann and Michael talk of working hard at their marriage as well as at their job and of being on display “It's not easy" Ann points out “We work at our marriage an the time It looks easy to a lot of people who say They have a perfect marriage If only I could get my husband to go into something with me or if I only could get ' We don't recommend this my wife to of arrangement for everyone Peotype can have more equal marriages but ple whether they can handle the idea of teamwork Is another question” 24-ho- Michael stresses that they try not to let their Job consume their marriage “We try to schedule days when only one of us goes to work and the other has rime to be alone and we try to have one day off a week when we get away with just each other It’s a tricky balantjpg act to work out the relationship between marriage and job" Children are seen as part of this sharing: Since Ann and Michael each handle half of their job they visualize juggling their duties so that Ann can do more work at home when children come along Looking back Ann can't pinpoint when her consciousness was raised as a woman She always took it for granted that women have a full part to play in home career and church The Coburns were married four years before entering the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley Calif Ann had attended Georgian Court College in Lakewood NJ Michael attended Princeton They were married during their last two years of college and then each worked for two years Ann as a schoolteacher Michael as a prison social worker Going to school working attending the seminary it was always share and share alike And their sharing comes across as natural and genuine They don't echo each other they supplement each other Dr F Graham LuckenbiD rector of St James Church chuckles as he describes his own adjustment from one dealing e with an assistant to dealing Senior church warden Michael Baldasare calls it “getting two for the price of one” (Actually the price was raised to after their ordination In the prior six months they had served as deacons) St James parishioners are particularly amused by the opposition to women priests enunciated in the pulpit by Dr LuckenbiD That was before the September 1976 Episcopal general convention voted to ordain women When Ann's turn came she was the 90th woman ordained Dr LuckenbiD attributes his change of heart to meeting the Cobums one-to-on- one-to-tw- o and Ann greet parishioners In the spring of 1977 he had practically decided on a choice for a new assistant when Bishop Cobum asked him to talk who to his son and daughter-in-lawanted to share one assignment Dr LuckenbiD and his screening committee w were quickly won over In accepting Ann “the most poignant reason was that we picked a person not a sex" he explains Both impressed him with their sense of vocation As priests and as partners' the Cobums work at not being competitive while acknowledging differences between them Ann regards Michael as a better preacher Michael regards Ann as a better listener in counseDng "Lots of women call me for counseDng” Ann reports “because they never had a woman priest They say they fed reluctant coming to a male” They take their priestly work personally “The most thrilling thing” Michael says “is to wake up every morning and discover that you redly want to do the things that you have been trained to do The priesthood is a fascinating way by which you are allowed to enter into people’s lives on an intimate and deep level” Nothing represents change in the Church like this sight of a woman priest celebrating the Eucharistic rite In fact after the ordination Ann was the first to perform the rite and Michael was “thrilled to see her up there” During Lent they alternated celebrating the Eucharist On Ann’s evenings she walked up the aisle in the chapel of St James wear ing purple vestments a slight feminine figure in dark hair followed by her taO bearded husband in white-wdle- d short-croppe- d white robes Ann administered the wafer then the wine to Michael and to the smaD congregation Following the cere- mony there was not the slightest echo of the controversy over women PM priests' lid |