Updated again Sunday morning (scroll down)
Today’s Church Times carries another version of the news report linked previously: MPs join row over Llandaff election.
This includes a sidebar (scroll down) which reports that the Assistant Bishop of Llandaff, David Wilbourne, is under pressure to resign:
Pressure on Bishop.
IN THE midst of the row over Dr John, the Assistant Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt Revd David Wilbourne, has spoken of a campaign to force him to resign.Bishop Wilbourne (pictured, at a confirmation in Cardiff last weekend) was appointed eight years ago to help run the diocese in order to release the then Bishop of Llandaff, Dr Barry Morgan, to spend time on his duties as Archbishop of Wales. Archbishop Morgan retired at the end of January.
Speaking to the Church Times this week, Bishop Wilbourne said: “Over the past 18 months, I have been under considerable and increasing pressure to relinquish my post and leave Wales.” In one recent conversation, he had been strongly advised to resign before Easter.
He said: “Whilst I can fully see that the next Bishop of Llandaff deserves the space to be their own person, for the moment I remain upbeat about serving in this thriving diocese, and carrying out the role I was called here and consecrated to fulfil.”
Bishop Wilbourne’s open support for Dr John’s candidacy has not improved his prospects. He said this week: “Ever since I knew that Jeffrey was in the frame for Llandaff, I thought it would speak mountains about our policy of inclusion. Wales has led on that; so I can’t understand why the Bishops aren’t of the same mind.”
After the electoral college ended, Bishop Wilbourne organised a prayer vigil in Llandaff Cathedral. He described it as “the most remarkable of my ministry”.
There is a leader article, which can be read in full here. It concludes this way:
…Can the situation be rescued with any scrap of dignity? Only if the bench acknowledges the huge injustice perpetrated against a candidate who fulfils all the criteria for the post, and who convinced the diocesan representatives who interviewed him at length that he would bring wisdom, kindness, theological sensitivity, sound teaching, and good humour to the post. Among the “current challenges” listed on the diocesan profile is: “to increase the representation and inclusion of LGBTI, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Anglicans as an essential element of growth at all levels within the Church”. If Dr John is not reconsidered, this is a challenge that the Church in Wales has clearly failed.
Update
Here is the text of a resignation statement from Bishop David Wilbourne dated yesterday.
Statement by Bishop David Wilbourne
It has been the greatest privilege to be Assistant Bishop of Llandaff these past eight years, a diocese which serves the beating heart of South Wales, teaming with life and hope. It has also been the greatest privilege to have worked with Dr Barry Morgan, the former Archbishop of Wales, and share in his very personable ministry, whose hallmark has been a remarkable reaching out to the lost and forsaken and those on the margins of society, making them feel truly welcome in the name of Christ.
Though the weeks since Dr Morgan retired have been full and fulfilling, increasingly I realise it is time to hand over the baton to the newly appointed Bishop of Llandaff, so he or she can run free, enabling the Church which I have cherished these past years to flourish. I therefore intend to finish my time as Assistant Bishop on Easter Day 2017, just before the Sacred Synod approves our new bishop. I do so with the greatest gratitude for all the faithful parish priests and people here, whose marvellous ministry I am daily humbled by. I pray that you are given the bishop you so richly deserve, one who, in the words of Cardinal Basil Hume, simply comes to where people are and takes them to places they never dreamt of going.
One of my favourite novels is Trollope’s The Warden. Mr Harding finishes his time as Warden of Hiram’s hospital with these words, which I would like to make my own: ‘God bless you all! You have my heartfelt wishes for your welfare. I hope you may live contented, and die trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, thankful to Almighty God for all the good things he has given you.’23 March 2017
And here is the official announcement about Bishop Wilbourne.
Sunday morning update
The Bishop of Swansea and Brecon was interviewed in this morning’s episode of Sunday on BBC Radio 4. Listen here, starting at 22 minutes.
The Bishop Harries Review of the Church in Wales ensured the abolition of parishes to be replaced by what are called “Mission Areas” – what a pity he didn’t achieve a similar abolition or rather, reform of the Electoral College. Had he been successful in the implementation of this recommendation we might now be looking forward to the enthronement of Jeffrey John on the cathedra of Llandaff cathedral.
Deeply concerning revelations about Bishop David. Just another indication of the moral vacuum at the heart of the Church in Wales. In the light of this news, it makes the following letter, from last Thursday’s ‘Western Mail’ from the Revd Professor Thomas Watkin, all the more significant: While the controversy continues regarding how the process of choosing a new Bishop of Llandaff is being conducted, two things are certain: Llandaff remains without a diocesan bishop, and consequently the process of choosing a new Archbishop of Wales cannot progress. However, Llandaff is not entirely without episcopal ministry. The assistant bishop, the… Read more »
@Fr David may not be aware that the Richard Harries commission did indeed recommend reform of the electoral college system in Wales. I was one of several people who, after the abysmal sham in Bangor in 2008, submitted that the system was wide open to abuse and manipulation. As you say, it is notable that there was no trouble imposing ‘Mission Areas’ on the Church; but no comparable enthusiasm from the former Archbishop and his episcopal colleagues for changing the electoral system. I wonder why?
And you thought the Augean Stables was a Herculean task
We would like to fully endorse the proposal by The Revd Professor Thomas Watkin, that Bishop David should be considered as the next Bishop of Llandaff. Having heard his excellent Lenten Talks on Evangelism and having met him several times,we feel that Bishop David is the man of vision to take the Church in Wales forward. He is a man who speaks to the people from the heart and is able to inspire those to take up their cross and follow Christ,where ever that may lead them. We hope and pray that he will reconsider his resignation.
Earlier this year, I and ten other colleagues/friends with whom I once served in the Church in Wales, and who now (like me) have come to minister and flourish in the Church of England, wrote to the Welsh Bishops about the forthcoming election in Llandaff. We proposed no name, and made it clear we did not wish to influence matters in any way. We encouraged the Bench and, by implication, all electors, to trawl the net wider than Wales. We also expressed our deep concern for the Church in Wales, the speed of its recent decline, as well as the… Read more »
Bishop Wilbourne’s closing quote from Trollope says so many things (for those who know the novel). But, surely, compared to the Llandaff situation, Trollope had far too optimistic a view of the Church and its hierarchy…
Its all just so sad. Hounded out by ‘hectoring bullies,’ to borrow a phrase used in the Sheffield context. The church in these isles really can’t afford to lose people like Jeffrey John and David Wilbourne from the episcopacy; can we? Surely both in Wales and England we need an urgent review of how potential bishops are identified and appointed. The current processes are clearly not fit for purpose. We, in both Wales and England, need far greater levels of transparency.
After his condemnation of liberals, I could never personally vote for Jeffrey John, but he’s clearly the preferred candidate for the diocese, and discriminating against him on the basis of his sexuality is out-and-out homophobia, especially when he unquestionably lives within the church’s already-homophobic teaching. As he’s clearly being blocked for who he is, not for any legitimate reason, I hope a way can be found to enthrone him.
The situation here seems so astonishingly dire that, surely, the only solution now is an Anglican Communion visitation of some sort, to place the Province in special measures. The bishops, quite obviously, have created this mess and cannot seem to get themselves out of it. Every move they make takes the Church further and further into the black hole of disrepute. Never mind Trollope: this is worthy of Kafka!
David Willbourne: I realise it is time to hand over the baton to the newly appointed Bishop of Llandaff….finish my time as Assistant Bishop on Easter Day 2017, just before the Sacred Synod approves our new bishop.
He seems to know something the rest of us don’t – and the timeline about to be followed in the coming weeks.
The dissembling Bishop of Swansea and Brecon got a bit stuck when Edward Stourton asked him on the BBC Sunday programme this morning about the Dean of St Albans statement that homophobic remarks were made during his interview. The silence was palpable, akin to a power cut, and he pleaded confidentiality. This will simply not do. Nor has he responded to the Welsh MPs letter. The Church in Wales is already in meltdown and this only confirms the fact. The College of Bishops should hang its head in shame and resign en masse.
When someone as measured and moderate as Anthony writes in those terms, okay, I’m prepared to listen, we clearly have a very profound problem.
The irony, of course, is that Jeffrey John should already be a bishop in the Church of England. These issues are tearing apart the Churches. It is way past time to end these traumas. I’ve already written elsewhere how I think we should resolve things.
Meanwhile, the needs of the poor, the sick, the helpless, all over the world… are pitiable.
God have mercy.
I wish the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon had been asked two more questions: Why remove the unanimous choice of the Llandaff diocese from the second short list? Why on this occasion when compared to a similar occasion, Bangor in 2004 I believe, did the Bishops decide not to fill the post with the candidate who fell just short of the required two-thirds majority? Both these decisions must have been taken after the Electoral College but before the Dean of St Albans raised his concerns.
“I’ve already written elsewhere how I think we should resolve things. Meanwhile, the needs of the poor, the sick, the helpless, all over the world… are pitiable.” The problem in the Church is privilege – male privilege, class privilege, economic privilege (we still provide our archbishops with palaces), white privilege. Your suggestions for unity in diversity are all about admitting another group (guys and lesbians) into the privilege. That’s not a moral way forwards. If we believe in the sick, the helpless and the poor our clerics have to put aside ALL notions of privilege. The accommodation for the ordination… Read more »
Having had chance to listen again it seems to me that the bishop is prepared to say plenty. The only things that are confidential are those he doesn’t want to say out loud
It has been suggested to me that I should not have used the word ‘dissembling’ in the above post on this thread. Just to be clear of my own views on this, the Dean of St Albans has been unfairly (and possibly illegally) discriminated against and this amounts to a serious abuse of process by the College of Bishops. The breaches of confidentiality would of course normally be considered unfortunate but if confidentiality is being used to cloke this abuse then I for one have no problem with that. I used the word ‘dissembling’ to mean ‘to hide or disguise… Read more »
I thought Ed Stourton well and truly impaled the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon. His silence confirmed that Jeffrey John’s version of events is true and the bishop was not prepared to admit the extent of the dissembling. The failure to correct inappropriate and scurrilous allegations against candidates has been a feature of Welsh electoral colleges for far too long. The Bishop’s silence was significant in another sense, too. In 2004 when the electoral college failed to elect a candidate for Bangor, the bishops appointed Anthony Crockett, who had received the most votes but not the two-thirds majority. He turned… Read more »
Reading about this astonishing series of events, and reflecting on the harm done to Jeffrey John and other LGBT+ people in the fall-out (which begs questions of the bishops’ pastoral competence for starters), I was reminded of a Times leader just after the Brexit vote. It strikes me that what is said about government could equally apply to the Church in Wales’ bishops: “[This] can often mark the point at which the public’s understanding of reality definitively parts company with that of government…The really significant thing is when a government loses control of the narrative and can no longer tell… Read more »
“Pregnant pause”, “Pinteresque pause”, call it what you will, but the 8 second pause by the Bishop of Swansea & Brecon prior to his very hesitant response to a question by Edward Stourton seemed to speak volumes about the current situation.