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25 CommentsYesterday I published details of the forthcoming Appointment of a bishop who takes a conservative evangelical view on headship. There are already many comments on that article.
Tim Wyatt has written this for the Church Times Ground is laid for a conservative Evangelical bishop.
Kelvin Holdsworth has posed 10 questions arising from the misogyny of a “headship” bishop.
WATCH have issued this response:
WATCH Response to ‘Headship’ Bishop
WATCH is disappointed to read that the Church of England is set to appoint a Bishop based predominantly on a narrow theology of ‘Headship’ (ie. a Conservative Evangelical who believes only men should be in positions of overall leadership).
Evangelicalism has long been a much broader tradition than one defined by its position on the ordination and consecration of women. We believe that to choose a bishop based on one specific view, held by only a small group, can only serve to be divisive. It is likely to lead to the separation of parishes from one another within a local area and diocese, when the whole thrust of the legislative package for women to be bishops was that we would remain together in our work and mission.
In a separate development, we are keen to know whether the Archbishop of York will consecrate the newly appointed Bishop of Burnley, Rev Philip North, who opposes the ordination of women. It would seem to us bizarre if a suffragan bishop declined to be consecrated by his own archbishop and even his own diocesan bishop, because he did not recognise them as bishops.
Hilary Cotton, Chair of WATCH says: ‘We have never accepted the appointment of any bishop on the grounds of a particular minority belief: this is distinctly un-Anglican and unorthodox. This goes far beyond disagreement about the ordination of women: it is about bishops recognising each other as bishops. If we lose that, what kind of unity are we demonstrating as a national church?’
Church Society have sent us this:
53 CommentsChurch Society statement on the announcement regarding the appointment of a headship evangelical bishop of Maidstone
Church Society welcomes the news that a man who upholds the complementarian view of headship will soon be appointed to the vacant See of Maidstone.
The measure – recently ratified by Synod – allowing women to be appointed to the episcopate, was passed partly on the basis of five guiding principles. These principles enshrine within the legislation a commitment to the flourishing within the Church of those who hold to what we believe is the biblical view of men and women having complementary roles in church leadership, a view held by many throughout the Anglican Communion and by many other churches also.
The imminent appointment of a bishop with this conviction is an important step in realising that commitment and rebuilding trust in the family of the Church. We are particularly encouraged by the recognition that the evangelical complementarian perspective should be represented in the College of Bishops after several years without a spokesman.
We wish to stress that this is but a first step: for flourishing, rather than mere toleration and tokenism, more surely needs to be done. For example, if soon a complementarian suffragan were to be appointed in the province of York also, that would be a further positive expression of the Church’s intent that complementarians can flourish within the structures and life of the Church. There are many excellent and able conservative evangelical ministers who are willing and able to serve in Diocesan and suffragan roles for the health of the whole church. We pray that they will not be discriminated against in any future appointments process if some may be tempted to say “we will soon have one complementarian evangelical and should not have any others.” The large number of lay people in the Church with complementarian convictions evidences the appropriateness of having several more bishops to pastor, lead, and represent them in the House of Bishops.
Despite this and other remaining concerns, we wish sincerely to thank the Archbishop of Canterbury and his colleagues for keeping his promise, and for seeking to serve us in accordance with our conscience in this matter. We would welcome any opportunity to discuss with him how the arrangements regarding the Bishop of Maidstone could work, and how he can further help complementarian evangelicals to flourish within the Church of England.
Rev Dr Lee Gatiss
Director of Church Society
Revd Paul Darlington
Chairman of Church Society Council
The arrangements to allow the appointment of a Church of England bishop who takes a conservative evangelical view on headship have just been announced in this press release:
Suffragan See of Maidstone
At its meeting on 4 December the Dioceses Commission unanimously agreed with a proposal received from the Archbishop of Canterbury to fill the vacant see of Maidstone. The see, which had been vacant since 2009, had been identified by the Archbishop as one that should be filled by a bishop who takes a conservative evangelical view on headship.
This flows from the public commitment given by the Archbishops and the House of Bishops, in the run up to the final approval by the General Synod of the legislation to allow women to be admitted to the episcopate in July 2014 (see paragraph 30 of House of Bishops Declaration and the Archbishops’ note of June 2013 — GS Misc 1079).
In agreeing with the proposal to fill the see the Commission was conscious of the needs of the national church for a member of the College of Bishops to be able to act as an advocate for those who hold a conservative position on headship.
It made its decision on the understanding that the bishop would foster vocations from those taking this position; that he would undertake episcopal ministry (with the agreement of the relevant diocesan bishop) in dioceses in both Provinces where PCCs have passed the requisite resolution under the House of Bishops’ declaration; and that he would be available to act (again by invitation) as an assistant bishop in a number of dioceses.
While available to take his place in the Foundation of Canterbury Cathedral, the Commission understood that — given his potentially wide geographical remit — the bishop would not otherwise be expected to participate in the life of the Diocese of Canterbury.
The necessary steps to make the appointment will now begin.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Part of the normal statutory process for filling suffragan sees is for the Dioceses Commission to consider, on behalf of the national church, whether to agree to a proposal from a diocesan bishop to fill such a see.
Suffragan sees are normally filled within a short time frame but the See of Maidstone was left vacant following a diocesan decision to appoint an additional archdeacon.
This conservative evangelical view on headship is summarised on pp 149-151 of Women Bishops in the Church of England? The Report of the House of Bishops’ Working Party on Women In the Episcopate 2004: [GS 1557].
The House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests of 19 May 2014 [GS Misc 1076], which includes the five guiding principles can be read in full at GS Misc 1076.
62 CommentsPress release from the Prime Minister’s Office
Suffragan Bishop of Plymouth: Nicholas McKinnel
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
First published: 2 December 2014
Part of: Community and societyThe Queen has approved the nomination of the Right Reverend Nicholas Howard Paul McKinnel to the Suffragan See of Plymouth.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Right Reverend Nicholas Howard Paul McKinnel, MA, Suffragan Bishop of Crediton, in the Diocese of Exeter, to the Suffragan See of Plymouth, in the Diocese of Exeter, in succession to the Right Reverend John Frank Ford, MA, on his resignation on 18 November 2013.
Notes for editors
The Right Reverend Nicholas McKinnel (aged 60), was educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge and trained for the ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his curacy at Fulham Saint Mary North End in London Diocese from 1980 to 1983.
From 1983 to 1987 he was Chaplain at Liverpool University. From 1987 to 1988 he was Priest-in-Charge at Hatherleigh in Exeter Diocese. From 1988 to 1994 he was Rector at Hatherleigh, Meeth, Exbourne and Jacobstowe. From 1994 to 1995 he was Priest-in-Charge at Plymouth Saint Andrew with Saint Paul and Saint George. From 1995 to 2012 he was Team Rector of Plymouth Saint Andrew and St Paul, Stonehouse in the Diocese of Exeter, and from 2002 to 2012 he was Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral. Since 2012 he has been Suffragan Bishop of Crediton.
Prebendary Nicholas McKinnel is married and has 4 children. His interests include sport, the arts and the countryside.
From the Exeter diocesan website: New Bishop of Plymouth to be Rt Revd Nick McKinnell
8 Comments