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Archbishop of Canterbury Archbishop writes to ecumenical partners about women bishops
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The Baptist Times Baptist welcome for General Synod vote
Statement from the Russian Orthodox Church
Ephraim Radner What Women Bishops Mean For Christian Unity
Sir Tony Baldry, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, was asked a question about women bishops in the House of Commons on Thursday. The answer is copied below the fold. He indicated that the Measure was likely to complete its passage through Parliament by early October, so that General Synod could promulge the Canon in November.
A letter from Rod Thomas to Reform members: Rod writes in response to the York General Synod
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
The right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—
Women Bishops
Helen Goodman (Bishop Auckland) (Lab): What the next steps are on the women bishops measure following the General Synod.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Sir Tony Baldry): The next step is for the Ecclesiastical Committee to meet on Tuesday, when I hope it will pass the measure that was agreed by General Synod on Monday. That will at last enable women to become bishops in the Church of England.
Helen Goodman: I am very grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for that answer. It is the answer that we have been waiting for the past 20 years to hear. It is very good news for the country and for the Church. I congratulate everybody who secured the result in Synod. When does he think women bishops might be installed, and when does he think they might be introduced into the other place?
Sir Tony Baldry: The answer I feel like giving to the hon. Lady is, “Hallelujah, sister! At last!” After so many years of waiting, the Church of England is going to have women bishops, which will enable it to fulfil its mission as a Church for the whole nation and allow every part of the Church to flourish.
If the Ecclesiastical Committee approves the measure on Tuesday, subject to the agreement of the Leader of the House I hope to bring the measure to this House in September. I think that the other House hopes to deal with the measure early in October. That would enable General Synod to meet formally in November to do the final approval and promulging of the canon. That would enable the Church of England to appoint the first women bishops this year or early next year.
Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con): I join my right hon. Friend in welcoming the move towards women bishops. However, for the moment, it is a male preserve. Will he join me in congratulating the Rev. David Court, the new Bishop of Grimsby, who will be consecrated at St Paul’s next week, and wish him well in his work in the Lincoln diocese?
Sir Tony Baldry: Of course. Every bishop in the Church of England is a focus of unity in their own diocese and all bishops undertake incredibly important work. One of the great things about General Synod was that we were able to get agreement for there to be women bishops with no one in the Church feeling hurt or aggrieved. We were therefore able, under the leadership of Archbishop Justin and Archbishop John, to move forward as a united Church.
It is wrong to say that this will have a negative effect on ecumenism. Ever since women deacons were ordained in the Church of Engalnd in 1987, there has been no real chance of corporate reunion. Anglicanism can now act as a unifying force amongst Protestant denominations.Union with Methodism is now a distinct possibility. Each time the Church of Engalnd moved on women, the Roman Catholic and Orthodox moaned and threatened, but nothing happened…dialogue continued and still continues. Of interest is that the Old Catholics were disturbed by Anglican moves in the 1980s and then moved to ordination of women… Read more »
No surprises in the statements by the Roman Catholic Church, and now the Russian Orthodox, both denominations see themselves as the gold standard for orthodoxy. Waiting for positive signs from either would be like waiting for Godot. Ecumenism is a not unimportant paradigm in this issue, and this decision will not hinder relationships with most churches of the reformation. However, the more important aspect of the decision to ordain women to the episcopate is what it says about the equality of women, even in churches that still feel the politcal requirement to cater to the male headship constituency.
Despite R.I. Williams’ claim that women bishops will now bring further distance between his Church and the Church of England; he needs to understand that his protest is founded on the myth that the roman Magisterium even considers our MALE bishops to be ‘kosher’. Therefore the biggest gap in the lack of a mutual recognition of our ordained ministry.
Has The Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement on the morality of what is happening with Mr. Putin’s “administration” ? That might be more germane than their views of what Anglicans are up to ordaining women!
Pardon me for pointing out that there is some question-begging going on here.
Why is “corporate reunion” with the Roman church at all desirable?
Indeed, why is ecumenism good, or even normative? The New Testament featured many different churches.
Indeed, why is ecumenism good, or even normative? The New Testament featured many different churches.
Well Jeremy. Wasn’t there something about ‘ may they all be one ‘
Ron, the principle behind ARCIC was corporate reunion. In 1966, no Anglican province had ordained women..there was a possibility once the Anglican Communion had acepted Catholic doctrine that the ordained ministries could have been reconciled.
All that died when the first women deacons were ordained, and now with 8,000 women priests world wide and over two dozen women bishops, that is sadly buried forever. However surely we can still be friends and cooperate on things like human traficking and play cricket together?
Reform are organising and soon will be a de facto third province. They will be able to hold up the gay agenda in the Church and will remain as a conservative Protestant witness within the Church. I call them Cranmer’s conscience.