Stephen Bates in The Guardian New split in Church of England over women bishops
Martin Beckford in the Telegraph General Synod: Church of England exodus feared unless women bishops plans changed
Andrew Hough in the Telegraph General Synod: Church of England suffering from ‘testosterone deficit’
George Pitcher in the Telegraph The Church is full of women – so obviously what we don’t need is women bishops
Jonathan Wynne-Jones in the Telegraph Church of England is ‘living in the past’, says BBC’s head of religion
Ruth Gledhill in the Times Dr Rowan Williams to challenge infighting over gays and women bishops
Steve Doughty in the Mail Where have all the men gone? asks the Church of England
Jerome Taylor in the Independent Evangelicals in warning over women bishops
Many of these articles refer to this press release from Reform Reform highlights ‘huge practical problems’ with women bishops and an attached letter sent to Synod members.
How true is the idea that the Church’s testosterone imbalance is something new and crisis-generating? Christianity in general has long been seen as “women’s work” – go into a parish in an RC or EO country and you stand a good chance of seeing a mostly female congregation. Has it really been that different in the CofE? When was the last time that men represented a majority of congregants (as opposed to having a death grip on the priesthood and episcopate)?
All of this would be quite funny, if it weren’t so sad.
“The synod heard anecdotal evidence suggesting that women are playing an increasingly important role in the Church” Oh my God! We can’t have that. Who do these uppity women think they are? I mean, seriously, they make up half of all people on the planet, what more do they want? Isn’t polishing the silver and cleaning altar cloths good enough? “The conservative evangelicals oppose women’s ordination to the clergy, let alone the episcopacy, […] because they believe the Bible does not allow women to be in “headship” of any organisation, including businesses or the family.” Hmmm, I don’t recall any… Read more »
REFORM statement signed by a mere ’50 vicars’. Well there we are then. Oh and one suffragan — hardly a national movement is it ?
Evven if they pay to train their ministers unoffically outside C of E structures how shall they be ordained ? All by + Lewen then ?
And how housed and remunerated ?
Thanks for that really great spinball throw from Reform, all about how powerless women – just as dear God made ’em, bless their hearts – (who had better get male permission to talk in public, let alone show leadership?)- are categorically being valued, not devalued. What in the world? Does Reform think we audiences are all nursery school children, confused by the bullying denials? I guess it just might be this sort of off-key tone deafness that helps us keep asking for women bishops; with preaching like that, a few women bishops couldn’t make it any worse. Alas. Lord have… Read more »
Hang on — if Reform is going to send its ordination candidates to its own colleges, then why should they be ordained in the Church of England?
If the money is being pulled out, diocesan assessments not being paid, and so on, why should those 50 vicars retain their licenses?
To me, this sounds like an admission that the time for moving on to create their own little ecclesial community is at hand.