When it comes to employing women, the Diocese of Oxford officially beats all comers.

The Furlong Table, published last month, records the number of women clergy in every diocese in the Church of England.

Oxford has moved up 15 places since 2000 to top the table, with about 220 female clergy, out of a total of just over 700.

Senior appointments include the Ven Karen Gorham - recently appointed Archdeacon of Buckingham, and her predecessor, the Ven Sheila Watson, who recently left the diocese to become Archdeacon of Canterbury.

But what does it mean to be a woman in ministry in 2007?

"It is very encouraging that the diocese has such a large proportion of women," said the Rev Sue Booys, 51.

"But we also have to recognise there's still a higher proportion of women in self-supporting posts.

"A lot of women are giving more than 50 per cent of their time for free."

Mrs Booys was ordained in 1995.

She said: "As a teenager, I thought I would like to be a vicar's wife, because of the pastoral work it involved.

"I never had a female vicar as a role model, so it didn't occur to me to become one.

"Later, I floated the idea of taking orders, but it didn't happen, because it never seemed the right time. I was at university and when I left I got engaged.

"But when I'd had my three children, the calling got stronger and I talked to my husband Richard about it.

"He wasn't wildly enthusiastic - although now he's fabulous at being 'a vicar's husband'.

"We were quite settled in our lives.

"I was a teacher and a lay reader for the church and it was a large upheaval."

Instead of going away to train, she was allowed to do so part-time.

"When I did start my training with three children, it was certainly interesting," she added.

As leader for the Dorchester clergy team, she performs services as vicar of Dorchester and is the public face of Dorchester Abbey.

In addition, she is the area dean, overseeing 14 churches in an area from Abingdon to Stadhampton, and is also a member of the Church of England's Synod - the church equivalent to being an MP.

"My favourite part is definitely working with the community," she said, "whether with schools or old people's homes, or through hosting services, such as the joyous Festival of Voices in the Abbey."