Town once home to Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French reverses ban on female vicars

A Cornish parish which was once home to Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French has reversed its decision to ban women from applying to be vicar after a backlash.

St Fimbarrus parish church in Fowey, Cornwall caused controversy in May after it passed a resolution to only have a male vicar.

A newly elected council at the 800-year-old church has announced a reversal of the decision and in a statement, the parochial church council (PCC) said the previous decision was "misguided and unrepresentative".

Marisa MacInnes, a member of the new PCC, told The Guardian: “We are encouraged that numbers in the congregation have doubled in recent weeks and we are confident that the right person to be vicar will come forward in the coming months.”

The decision on the ban had been taken without consultation which angered many residents.

"There was disappointment that this had happened without consultation and many expressed a strong desire for change," the PCC added.

"Following recent widespread consultation with the congregation and the wider Fowey community, the PCC has voted unanimously to rescind the previous PCC's resolution requiring male leadership."

The PCC also said they wanted the church to be accessible to all and that it wanted the best candidate for the church "regardless of gender".

Despite the Church of England allowing female vicars, the former PCC insisted the move to ban them from the parish was "not sexist", claiming there was a "debate over the roles women play within a church".

Speaking in March, the PCC said: "As an evangelical church we look to the Bible for all matters of faith. The Bible is very clear on equality – all are equal.

"There is, however, debate over the roles women play within the church.

"We appreciate this can be difficult to understand looking from the outside into the church, but would robustly defend that this position is not sexist, is widely established in the worldwide church, and accommodates all views in the membership of our church without exclusion."

In May, Andy Virr, Conservative councillor for Fowey, Par, Tywardreath and Golant, and Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for adult social care and health, quit as warden and chairman of the PCC in protest at the ban.

Reverand Martin Oborne who campaigns for equality within the church and is also a vicar in London described the U-turn as "very good news".

The parish church will advertise for the new part-time vicar with no specification about sex.