Half of all vicars will be women 'by 2025'

When Dawn French was appointed Vicar of Dibley in the BBC comedy 13 years ago, women priests in real life were a rarity.

Today, almost half of newly-ordained priests are female and by the year 2025 they will form half of all Church of England clergy according to a study.

While traditionalists still struggle to accept the role of women, some parishes would not have survived without them, says Christian Research.

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The group, which analyses church statistics, says that between 1990 and 2015 the number of women priests will have doubled to 2,200 while the number of male clergy will have almost halved to just over 4,500.

This year, 47 per cent of new priests have been female.

In the Bath and Wells diocese, 13 out of the 16 priests ordained have been women.

In Wakefield, it is 10 out of 14.

The Reverend Charlie Allen, 27, the first female vicar in the village of Portchester, Hampshire, said although regarded as 'slightly unusual', being a woman vicar was becoming easier.

"It is not the obvious job that parents expect their daughters to do,' she said.

"The traditional stereotype of the middle-aged male priest is part of the Church's historical legacy, so when I started five years ago people would be surprised to see a young female priest.

"That is no longer the case. It has ceased to be a great unknown."

But the top jobs are still filled by men.

Since women were allowed to become priests in 1992, just two of the 43 cathedrals appointed a female dean.

The Church is also struggling to find a way of appointing women bishops without upsetting traditionalists.