Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi,
李添嬡牧師,
1907-1992
February 26 marks the commemoration day of Florence Li Tim-Oi in the calendar of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi, sister of our late parishioner Rita Lee Chui, was the first woman ordained as a priest in the Anglican Communion. In her later years, she faithfully served as a honorary assistant in this parish for ten years, until she was called home to the Lord.
李添嬡牧師（Florence Li Tim-Oi，1907–1992）， 是普世聖公宗首位女牧師，是本堂已故教友崔李 季瓊女士的姐姐 ，晚年更在本堂義務牧養教友 10 年，直至安息主懷。
Born in Hong Kong, Li Tim-Oi studied at Belilios Public School (庇理羅士女子中學). When she was baptised as a student, she chose the name ‘Florence” after Florence Nightingale, the famous 19th century English nurse. In 1934, she began theological training at Union Theological College, Guangzhou (廣東協和神學院). After graduation, she served at All Saints’ Church in Hong Kong and later at St. Mark’s Church in Macao, ministering especially to refugees. She was ordained a deaconess in 1941.
During World War II, when male priests were unable to travel to Japanese-occupied regions to celebrate the Eucharist, her faithful ministry in Macao led the Bishop of Victoria, Hong Kong, Ronald Hall, to ordain her priest on January 25, 1944—the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.
After the war, controversy arose over her ordination. In humility and obedience, she refrained from publicly exercising her priestly ministry for a time, yet continued faithfully serving the Church. She later became rector of St. Barnabas Church in Hepu (合浦), southern China near Vietnam. Following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, she pursued further theological study and served in Guangzhou, Union Theological College and Church of Our Saviour. During the Cultural Revolution, all churches were closed. She endured forced labour, working on farms and in factories, and underwent political re-education. Due to poor health and malnutrition, she retired from labour in 1974.
When churches reopened in 1979, she resumed ministry. In 1981 she moved to Canada and was licensed as a priest in the Dioceses of Montreal and Toronto. From 1982, she served our parish faithfully as a honorary assistant priest for ten years. Even into her eighties, she continued preaching, celebrating the Eucharist, evangelizing door-to-door in winter snow, and offering pastoral care by telephone.
She formally retired in 1990 but remained active in telephone ministry. The day before her death, she was still calling parishioners to encourage them in their faith. She died peacefully in her sleep on February 26, 1992, at age 85.
She was awarded Doctorates of Divinity by General Theological Seminary, New York, in 1987 and Trinity College University of Toronto in 1991.
Different church communities celebrate her life through pictures, stained glass windows and bursary. In 1994, her sister Rita Lee Chui established the “Florence Li Tim-Oi Foundation,” supporting the training of women clergy in Asia and Africa. Dozens of dioceses and many ordained women have benefited from this fund. In 2004, the Anglican Church of Canada designated February 26 as her commemoration day; The Episcopal Church in the States observes her on January 24, her ordination anniversary.
Florence Li Tim-Oi’s life bore witness to deep devotion to God, steadfast love for people, faith and courage in suffering, humility and perseverance in controversy, and faithfulness in service. We give thanks to God for her life, her ministry among us, and her enduring example. To God, be all glory and praise!
The Collect
Loving God, giver of all good gifts, fill us with your grace, that we, like your servant Li Tim-Oi, first woman to be ordained an Anglican priest, may entrust you with our destiny. May we, with her same forbearance in the face of adversity, witness to you in all things; through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
李添嬡牧師於1907年在香港出生，就讀庇理羅士女子中學，她在中學時期受洗加入教會，並取英文名 “Florence”，此名取自英國十九世紀著名護士Florence Nightingale(南丁格爾)，以表達對其服事精神的敬仰。她於1934年到廣州協和神學院（Union Theological College）接受神學訓練，畢業後任香港聖公會諸聖堂助理，後到澳門聖馬可堂，負責救濟難民的工作，於1941年被按立為會吏。第二次世界大戰期間，由於男牧師不能進入日本淪陷區提供牧養和主禮聖餐，故無法前往澳門，當時她在當地忠心的事奉，促使港粵教區主教何明華（Bishop Ronald Hall）於1944年1月25日——聖保羅受感化日——按立她為牧師 (今年為其82周年牧職紀念日)。
戰後，李添嬡牧師的牧職按立在教會內引起不少爭議。她甘願退回會吏之職，但仍負起牧養工作。她曾出任合浦聖巴拿巴堂（合浦，位於中國南部，近越南）堂主任。1949年中國政權更替後，她進一步修讀神學，並於1953年在廣州協和神學院任教英文和三自運動，並協助救主堂堂務。文化大革命期間，所有教堂關閉，她被迫先後在農場養雞及在工廠當工人，更受多次抨擊批判，接受政治再教育；李牧師後因健康欠佳，營養不良及患上眼疾，至1974年才從這勞動工作中退休。
1979年教堂重開後，李添嬡牧師重新投入教會工作。1981年，她移居加拿大，1982年更在本堂以義務助理聖品協助聖工，82歲的她仍然講道、主禮聖餐，在大雪寒風下逐戶派福音單張，傳道探訪。她於1990年5月雖退休牧職，但仍熱心參與本堂之電話事奉，臨終前一天，還在家中用電話逐家地問候教友，鼓勵他們參與聖工。李牧師晚年在多倫多定居，先後獲美國紐約聖公會總神學院和加拿大多倫多三一神學院，於1987年和1991年頒授榮譽神學博士學位，於1992年2月26日在睡夢中安息主懷，享年85歲。
不同群體為紀念李牧師，設聖畫、聖窗、奬學金等。其妹崔李季瓊女士於1994年捐贈種子基金，創立「李添嬡基金會」為亞非國家訓練女牧者及傳道同工，至今有67個教區受惠，超過50人已被按立牧職。加拿大聖公會於2004年訂定教會年曆中2月26日李牧師忌辰為紀念日，美國聖公會則於2003年訂定1月24日紀念李牧封職為聖日。
她的一生，見證了對神的敬虔，對人的愛，在患難中的信心、勇氣、謙卑、毅力與忠心。我們為她的一生獻上感謝，為有她在我們當中的事奉、教導和榜樣，我們感謝神！榮耀頌讚歸於祂！
祝文
恩慈的上帝，萬恩的賜予者，求你的恩典充滿我們，使我們能像你的僕人李添嬡一樣，將生命託付予你，又學效她在面對困難中能忍耐，畢生為主作見證。藉賴我主耶穌基督而求，主耶穌與聖父、聖靈，一同永生，一同掌權，唯一上帝，從現在直到永遠，阿們。