Updated Saturday evening
Here is the motion passed today by the Diocese of Bristol:
In the light of the recent failure of the General Synod to pass the Draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) measure at its sessions of November 2012, despite overwhelming support for this legislation by this and other diocesan synods of the Church of England, Bristol Diocesan Synod:
1. Reaffirms our strong conviction that it is God’s will that women be ordained as bishops in the Church of England.
2. Has no confidence in the General Synod’s ability to transact the clear will of the majority of the Church with the urgency required to further the mission and witness of the Church.
3. Calls on the House of Bishops to explore, as a matter of great urgency, every possible avenue to effect the will of the Church on this issue.
Read more about the synod meeting: Diocesan Synod tells Bishops to effect the will of the Church, and read Bishop Mike Hill’s address to the synod over here (PDF).
Update
This motion is by no means the strongest one that might have been passed. Paul Roberts has written about this in two blog articles:
…However, if other diocesan synods pass similar motions, where does that leave us? Essentially, the message given to Synod is, ‘we don’t think you lot are capable of passing satisfactory legislation and we’re upset about this.’ But, it doesn’t take any further action which would amend this situation. Essentially, this will not do anything other than register a protest.
The stronger, original version of the motion goes further – by expressing a total lack of confidence in the Synod to act as the present General Synod of the Church of England, it’s essentially saying it needs to go, and go as soon as possible. So why is this necessary? I think it’s so, for the following reasons…
And earlier in the week he had written: A possible way out of the Women Bishops bind.
Following the Bristol vote of No Confidence in the General Synod – let’s start a campaign to abolish this overgrown cuckoo in the nest of the Established Church – away with this talking shop which seems to exist simply to water down the faith once given by Christ to the apostles of old .
How refreshing!
Wonderful as this news is, let’s be very careful about anything that gives more power to the episcopacy. Anglican Covenant .
Good for Bristol. to be a former member of the diocese, ordained in Bristol cathedral.
Let other dioceses now take action.
I note that the Bishop of Bristol is shortly to go to Uganda; naturally, today’s address was about the ordination of women bishops, but one hopes he will be able to at least have conversation about the oppression of gay people in that country in the light of present proposed legislation; it will be interesting to hear what happens on this visit in this regard.
” let’s start a campaign to abolish this overgrown cuckoo in the nest of the Established Church – away with this talking shop which seems to exist simply to water down the faith once given by Christ to the apostles of old.” Agreed Father David, lets get rid of it and just appoint one single senior priest to tell us all what to do, because after all that priest must be inspired by God and therefore infallible. Such a system must surely work. “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that… Read more »
Bravo, and TBTG!
“The role of the Diocesan as Ordinary must not be undermined in any way.”
Thus saith the Bishop of Bristol – so, it would seem, Simon, that we have 44 little popes within the Church of England already.
I am a determined supporter of the ordination of women to the episcopate. Indeed, I am on the WATCH committee. The outcome of the women bishops vote was disastrous, and has done nothing for the CofE’s credibility. I am extremely disappointed that the House of Laity chose to disregard the overwhelming support in diocesan synods, and in the church and society more widely, for the legislation. However, were I a member of Bristol diocesan synod, I would have spoken and voted against this today. We cannot decide a system doesn’t work because it does not yield the response we wanted.… Read more »
I would also add, by way of postscript to my comments above, that had the House of Bishops followed the mandate of the diocesan synods and not tried to override the synodical systems, we might not be where we are. I am not at all confident that we need the bishops to swoop in and fix it because Synod didn’t do it ‘properly’.
I agree Hannah. I’m very ambivalent about trying to override Synodical processes on one particular issue. However frustrating it is to feel that the House of Laity elections resulted in a HoL that was, to an extent, unrepresentative of the views of the majority of the laity on this particular issue, FiF and Reform couldn’t have flagged up their intentions much more clearly. I think it’s because the numbers were potentially so tight that the House of Bishops decided (ironically, I gather, by a fine majority) to insert a clause which they hoped would placate enough members of the HoL… Read more »
Bristol is the first to give the thumbs down to the General Synod – does that mean we can now expect another 41 dioceses to pass a similar motion of “No Confidence” in the governing body of the Church of England? For I have lost count of the number of times I have heard the M.P. for Banbury spout his mantra that 42 out of the 44 dioceses voted for this (then unamended amended amendment) Measure.
Bravo/a to the Bristol Diocese – in stepping out on this important issue. This does call into question the ungainly process that requires such a high threshold in General Synod – to simply confirm the ‘mind of The Church’ in the diocesan Synods. Let’s hope the other assenting dioceses get on board, but with stronger urging for meaningful reform in the voting threshold for important legislation.
Bishop Mike Hill’s message to the Bristol diocesan Synod affirms the reality of the situation for most in the Church who want both Women and men to share in the Episcopate – without prejudice. In his message, the Bishop says this: “My own position is very clear. I don’t want anyone to feel pushed out of the Church of England. I certainly do want women bishops, but I don’t want women bishops whose ministry and jurisdiction is undermined from day one by provision that I judge to be overly robust. The role of the Diocesan as Ordinary must not be… Read more »
Yes, the Church of England continues to make a complete ass of itself, thanks to Bristol diocese. Bishop Hill should know better.
Let’s blame someone else (anyone) and that will absolve us of the responsibility of sorting this out!
This is nothing more than a vote against the democratic process itself.
Presumably all the other decisions taken by this synod, regarding the Living Wage and help for the young unemployed, are also worthless.
To coin a word recently made popular by the Prime Minister, no less – Does this “Bonkers” vote by the Bristol Diocesan Synod mean that it has no confidence in its own Diocesan Bishop – who is himself a member of that self important and overblown body – the General Synod?
I think we should be told!
With the lighting of the Advent wreath in honour of the Patriarchs today, the new yearly cycle may herald the beginning of the end of the patriarchal system of Church governance. The checks and balances built into the synodical system have actually gone two to one in favour of those seeking equality in ministry this year, so we should perhaps put things into perspective. On no fewer than three occasions, the synodical structures have thrown out what the House of Bishops have proposed: the Anglican Covenant in diocesan synods back in the spring; the amended women bishops Measure last July… Read more »
Oh dear Bristol: those of us who do not agree that the provision for Catholics is adequate, but know that GS will, of course, eventually admit women to the Episcopate, and also think “Better Together” will sigh deeply at this move. How does this help us to live together in love as we are called?
But was Glynn Harrison present at this meeting? Did they demand his resignation?
On an earlier thread I gave him as an example of those who had said they would vote FOR while doing the opposite.
Surely Bristol Diocese must first put its own self in order and be more careful whom they elect to General Synod.
There is an online petition designed to promote the outcome apparently favoured by Bristol Diocesan Synod: new elections for General Synod next year rather than waiting for 2015:
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-archbishop-of-canterbury-and-the-archbishop-of-york-advise-the-queen-to-dissolve-the-convocations-of-canterbury-and-york
Please consider signing – and pass it on if you wish.
Frank Nichols – do you understand how destructive the General Synod vote was to the kind of unity you espouse? How does that vote help us to live “better together”? There is no interim provision of any kind for those of us who would have women as bishops – perhaps you have some constructive suggestion as to how our position can be accommodated in the meantime? Deep sighs are inadequate to the case.
‘the faith once given by Christ to the apostles of
old.’
What on earth are you talking about ? Did you not study Church History and the Development of Christian Doctrine during your theological education ?
The quaint use of the phrase ‘of old’ gives it away – or should that be ‘of olde’ ? !
Well done Bristol for registering a protest, but I agree with someone who posted on another thread last week that passing a vote of no confidence against GS as a whole was rather illogical, given that all 3 houses had very substantial majorities in favour. (I couldn’t find the post in question when I looked back – there are now so many parallel threads on this one general subject that life’s too short to keep up with them all!) The suggestion was that it would be more logical for those dioceses, where the DS had a large majority in favour… Read more »
“[P]assing a vote of no confidence against GS as a whole was rather illogical.”
There is a logic; you are simply missing it.
The House of Laity cannot be dissolved by itself. Hence the motion directed at Synod as a whole.
Go Bristol!!! Though I am a Yank, we live in Bristol in the summers and worship at the Cathedral. Wonderful people, clergy, and bishops. It is inspiring to see the laity take a stand. I keep Bristol and the CoE in my prayers.
From the experience of TEC, I can say that liberation will breath new life into the church. Don’t believe the people who denigrate TEC, we are robust and growing again, most especially in the places that have amazing women clergy and are affirming of LGBT persons.
+Mike Hill and Bristol “affirming of LGBT persons” including SS marriage?
I am grateful to Bristol for passingthis resolution which as a retired woman priest I felt very affirming.
Unfortunately not everything in the Bristol garden is rosy, though I doubt whether many of those who passed this are actually members of the CofE.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/04/bristol-university-christian-union-ban-women-speaking-meetings_n_2236586.html
Didn’t the Bishop of Bristol used to practice pugilism? If so – it would seem that Wycliffe Hall has just appointed another “holy thug” as its Chairman!
I have only just discovered this thread but thought it worth pointing out that several dioceses, including my own, do seem to have had lay members standing who shamefully disguised their true intentions. This seems to have been the problem in Bristol as well. The problem is that lay people do not now know the each other as clergy do and only have the written electoral address to go on. Do any diocese still have hustings? In York diocese we abandoned ours several years as they were so poorly attended. There is now a Private Members’ Motion proposing that we… Read more »