In 1974, eleven women defied the leadership of the Episcopal Church to become priests. Their call to serve became a public battle over who speaks the word of God.

In an act of civil disobedience, the women and their supporters organized their own ordination. But changing an institution based on 2,000 years of history is no small task. The eleven faced death threats and harassment. Some lost friends, others were banned from setting foot on church property.

In a civil rights story most people have never heard, we meet these trailblazers who challenged the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom and succeeded in creating a blueprint for lasting institutional change.

The newly-released documentary, The Philadelphia Eleven, commemorates the courage of these eleven women and those who stood with them, and invites us to ask how we may continue toward a more inclusive church and world.