Michael Perham, the Bishop of Gloucester, has questioned the Church’s equality law exemption in a statement issued yesterday. The full statement is available online and is copied below the fold. It is summarised in this press release from the diocese.
3 CommentsBishop questions Church’s equality law exemption
Friday 23 November 2012The Bishop of Gloucester is questioning the Church of England’s right to exemption from equality laws, following the recent voting against women bishops.
In a statement released today, the Rt Revd Michael Perham speaks of his huge disappointment and sadness at the outcome of this week’s voting. He said: “It has undermined the sense of value of our church’s more than 3,000 women priests. It has puzzled our society and brought ridicule upon the Church.
“There are questions that now have to be faced. Is the Church’s exemption from equality laws defensible? Does a system that requires 2/3rds majorities in three separate houses place the bar too high? Can it make sense for members of the Synod to be permitted to vote entirely contrary to the view of their diocesan synod?”
In the Diocese of Gloucester, more than 95 per cent of the diocesan synod voted in favour of the legislation. At General Synod 74 per cent voted for the legislation.
Bishop Michael continued: “It is really important to keep a welcome place in the Church for those who are unhappy with the idea of women bishops, but they must not hold the Church back, undermine its mission or make it a laughing stock in the mind of the nation.
“There will be women bishops in the Church of England. I have no doubt about that. Our response to the Holy Spirit and the effectiveness of our mission require it.”
Here are some more opinions on General Synod’s decision not to approve the legislation on women bishops, and transcripts of some of the speeches made in the debate.
Paul Vallely How a recalcitrant minority stopped the Church from entering the 20th let alone the 21st century
Jane Tillier Ekklesia Rejecting women bishops harms the church’s mission
Fulcrum Statement on the Decision of General Synod not to approve the legislation on Women Bishops
Sarah Coakley at ABC Religion and Ethics Has the Church of England finally lost its reason? Women bishops and the collapse of Anglican theology
John Gladwin Some reflections on the November 20th Vote
Nick Baines Get real
Jeremy Fletcher Women Bishops – After Tuesday
Kevin Lewis man boobs
Benny Hazlehurst Two feet in the grave…
Lesley Crawley I would like General Synod to pass a policy denouncing sexism
Justin Brett What now, then?
Sam Wells Response to Women Bishops Vote
Tom Wright Women Bishops: It’s about the Bible, not fake ideas of progress
Some of the speeches made to General Synod
18 CommentsElaine Storkey
Philip Giddings
Tom Sutcliffe
Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham
James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool
Here is the second of our articles republished from The Tablet with permission of the editor.
Enter the peacemaker
Jonathan Wynne Jones
Both conservative and liberal Anglicans have welcomed the appointment of Justin Welby. Can he really hold the two sides together when he starts to address the problems besetting the Communion?
Before Justin Welby had even been officially confirmed as Rowan Williams’ successor, African bishops were making it clear that he should not expect any honeymoon period in office. They sent messages of consternation rather than congratulation, warning that the Anglican Communion is “fractured”, in spiritual and institutional crisis, and suggesting that the Archbishop of Canterbury should be replaced as leader of the Anglican Communion by an elected chairman.
Given the scale of the task that awaits Welby when he arrives at Lambeth Palace, it was fitting that he was introduced to the world’s media with his sleeves rolled up. He inherits an Anglican Communion that has fallen apart over the issue of homosexuality and a Church of England similarly divided, not to mention struggling with dwindling congregations and a huge shortfall in pensions for its clergy. On the face of it, turning to someone who has been a bishop for little more than a year might seem like an act of desperation.
Yet the Crown Nominations Commission took a bold decision to look past his episcopal inexperience because they realised that if there is any bishop in the Church of England who has a chance of steering it away from the rocks, it is Justin Welby. His time at Coventry Cathedral’s Centre for Reconciliation will have given him excellent preparation for trying to resolve the seemingly intractable differences between the Church’s warring factions, and his comparatively late ordination could well work in his favour.
3 CommentsWith the kind permission of the editor we are republishing two articles from the current issue of The Tablet.
Here is the first.
Archbishop who means business
Christopher Lamb
Justin Welby’s appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury puts a man at the helm of the Church of England and wider Anglican Communion formed by deep faith, personal tragedy, Establishment Britain and the business world. It makes for a combination of strong pastoral and managerial skills
Despite his meteoric rise to be named last week as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Durham, Justin Welby, is not a man who takes himself too seriously. At his diocesan synod this month, he and his suffragan, Mark Bryant, opened their joint presidential address in the style of the British comedy duo, the Two Ronnies: Corbett and Barker. “So it’s a hello from me,” said Bishop Welby. “And it’s a hello from him,” Bishop Bryant replied amid much laughter.
Given the scale of the task facing the incoming archbishop, a self-deprecating sense of humour might be useful. But who is Justin Welby, the one hundred and fifth man to sit on the throne of St Augustine?
1 CommentMajor Update on Wednesday evening
Updated Thursday morning
Guardian Patrick Wintour Female bishops controversy: government says it will not step in
Andrew Brown Why the church’s house of laity is vulnerable to capture by interest groups
Alan Wilson What next for the Church of England?
Telegraph PMQs: David Cameron said the Church needs a ‘sharp prod’ over women bishops
Independent Jerome Taylor Church of England in crisis: Archbishop of Canterbury attacks members for voting against women bishops
Channel 4 News Archbishop: Church less credible after women bishop vote
Huffington Post Female Bishops Deal Will Happen, Says Justin Welby, Archbishop Of Canterbury
Mail Online Steve Doughty and Matt Chorley ‘Very grim day’: Next Archbishop of Canterbury tweets his verdict after Church of England Synod rejected women bishops
BBC Women bishops: PM ‘very sad’ at Church of England rejection
Update
Church Times Women-bishops legislation falls
Guardian Lizzy Davies Female bishops and the Church of England: what happens next?
Lizzy Davies Church of England bishops plot response to vote to exclude women
Patrick Wintour and Lizzy Davies and agencies David Cameron: Church of England should ‘get on with it’ on female bishops
Patrick Wintour and Lizzy Davies Cameron warns priests of turbulence after church votes no to female bishops
Lizzy Davies Female bishops supporter: ‘Although I’m gutted, it’s not the end of the road’
Giles Fraser After the bishops vote, I’m ashamed to be a part of the Church of England
Simon Hoggart Prime minister issues prod for God after vote against women bishops
Suzanne Moore The Church of England can no longer continue as an arm of the state
BBC Women bishops: A century-long struggle for recognition
Mail Online George Pitcher It’s not really about women bishops, it’s a fight for the Church of England’s soul
Steve Doughty The troubles that brought the Synod vote have been building up for decades
Telegraph Allison Pearson Swaziland has a woman bishop – why not Suffolk?
Rowena Mason and Tim Ross David Cameron: Church needs to ‘get with the programme’ after rejecting women bishops
Martyn Percy Women bishops: a failure of leadership
Tim Stanley In its search for ‘relevance’, the Anglican Church is losing relevance
Independent Susie Leafe Why I voted no to women bishops
Jerome Taylor Strong-arm tactics vs misplaced niceties: how the legislation was sunk
Huffington Post Susan Russell A Seriously Sad Day for the Church of England
Ekklesia Symon Hill “Too good for a girlie”? Sexism and women bishops
Fran Porter The Church of England and women: a rare moment of clarity?
Changing Attitude Colin Coward Reform and Forward in Faith achieve unexpected success
Miranda Threlfall-Holmes My reaction? Incredulity, hurt – and anger
Archbishop of Canterbury Archbishop tells women “this is still your Church”
Thursday update
Rachel Weir Time to reform General Synod
19 CommentsFollowing the defeat by General Synod of the women bishops legislation this afternoon the Church of England issued this press release.
General Synod Rejects Draft Legislation on Women Bishops
20 November 2012The General Synod of the Church of England has voted to reject the draft legislation to allow women to become bishops.
Under the requirements of the Synod the legislation required a two-thirds majority in each of the three voting houses for final draft approval. Whilst more than two thirds voted for the legislation in both the House of Bishops (44-03) and the House of Clergy (148-45), the vote in favour of the legislation in the House of Laity was less than two-thirds (132-74). The vote in the House of Laity fell short of approval by six votes.
In total 324 members of the General Synod voted to approve the legislation and 122 voted to reject it.
The consequence of the “no” vote of terminating any further consideration of the draft legislation means that it will not be possible to introduce draft legislation in the same terms until a new General Synod comes into being in 2015, unless the ‘Group of Six’ (the Archbishops, the Prolocutors and the Chair and Vice Chair of the House of Laity) give permission and report to the Synod why they have done so.
Speaking after the vote the Rt Revd Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, said: “A clear majority of the General Synod today voted in favour of the legislation to consecrate women as Bishops. But the bar of approval is set very high in this Synod. Two-thirds of each house has to approve the legislation for it to pass. This ensures the majority is overwhelming. The majority in the house of laity was not quite enough. This leaves us with a problem. 42 out of 44 dioceses approved the legislation and more than three quarters of members of diocesan synods voted in favour. There will be many who wonder why the General Synod expressed its mind so differently.
“The House of Bishops recognises that the Church of England has expressed its mind that women should be consecrated as bishops. There is now an urgent task to find a fresh way forward to which so many of those who were opposed have pledged themselves.”
The House of Bishops of the Church of England will meet at 08.30am on Wednesday morning in emergency session to consider the consequences of the vote.
Exact voting figures will be found here.
To clarify the statement “The vote in the House of Laity fell short of approval by six votes.”, if six members of the House of Laity had voted in favour instead of against, the vote would in that house would have reached the necessary two-thirds majority.
30 CommentsFinal approval of the legislation to allow women to become bishops in the Church of England was defeated by the General Synod today, because the vote in the House of Laity was less than the necessary two-thirds majority.
The main motion before Synod was
That the Measure entitled “Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure” be finally approved.
and this required a two-thirds majority of those present and voting in each of the three houses. [Abstentions are counted but not included in the calculation.] The votes were:
| For | Against | Abstention | |
| Bishops |
44
|
3
|
2
|
| Clergy |
148
|
45
|
0
|
| Laity |
132
|
74
|
0
|
James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool
summary of speeches by Bishop of Manchester and Canon Simon Killwick
summary of speech by the Bishop of Durham
summary of speech by the Archbishop of Canterbury
If I find any more I will add them.
1 CommentUpdated Tuesday morning
Guardian Lizzy Davies Church of England prepares for vote on female bishops
Telegraph John Bingham General Synod: arcane procedures mask passions running high
and Church warned over women bishops
Emma Barnett Women bishops: refuseniks have run out of excuses
Peter Stanford Women bishops: judgment day, at last
Mail Online Church of England to hold final vote tomorrow on whether to approve a law to allow women bishops
Update
BBC Women bishops: Church of England synod to vote
Guardian Editorial Let bulwarks be bishops: women in the Church of England
Guardian Natalie Hanman Should women be bishops?
1 CommentHere’s a brief, official summary of today’s opening day of Synod: General Synod: Summary of business on Monday 19 November 2012.
Audio files of the session are available here.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has published a speech he made today: Archbishop heralds “another model of Church life coming to birth”.
0 CommentsOver a thousand clergy of the Church of England have signed an open letter to The Independent urging the General Synod to vote in favour of women bishops in Tuesday’s ballot. The letter, with a complete list of signatories, is here: Open Letter: The Biblical case for women bishops.
Daniel Goddard, Gerard Brand, Jonathan Brown and Kunal Dutta write about the letter in the Independent: Clergy demand women bishops ahead of General Synod.
The Telegraph also reports on the letter: Church of England General Synod: women bishop vote in balance as row looms.
There are other news items previewing the debate.
Telegraph John Bingham Top female cleric urges backing for ‘imperfect’ women bishops deal
BBC Michael Buchanan Church of England to vote on women bishops
5 CommentsMail Online Adrian Hilton Archbishop Justin Welby will try to be all things to all men
Daniel Deng, the Archbishop of Sudan, was interviewed about Bishop Welby’s appointment to Canterbury on the BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme this morning. The three minute interview starts 15 min 42 sec in from the start.
This article by Lucy Bannerman was originally published behind the paywall at The Times on 9 November and is now available for all to read at the Ottawa Citizen: New Archbishop of Canterbury is no bumbling academic
2 CommentsUpdated Sunday night
There are several items this weekend about Tuesday’s debate and vote on women bishops.
Independent Emily Dugan Church of England poised to vote for women bishops
Telegraph John Bingham All eyes on ‘game-changer’ Welby as Church faces final showdown on women bishops
Telegraph Cole Moreton Ladies in waiting at the Church of England
Ruth Gledhill was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme this morning. The five minute interview starts 20 min 15 sec in from the start.
Update
Guardian Lizzy Davies Female bishops: history awaits at CofE General Synod vote
0 CommentsAndrew Brown in The Guardian The dictionary is wrong – science can be a religion too
Susan Russell in the Huffington Post And Here’s to You, Bishop Robinson
Matthew Groves for ResPublica The New Archbishop: A counter-cultural first among equals
2 CommentsThe Church of England has issued the following advice about visiting General Synod. It will be particularly relevant for the debate on the women bishops legislation which is timetabled for both the morning and afternoon sessions next Tuesday.
Visiting General Synod
Arrangements have been announced for those wishing to visit general synod and observe its proceedings.
112 tickets will be available each day for the public gallery.
Tickets will be valid for either the morning session (9am-1pm) or afternoon session (2pm-7pm).
Those wishing to view for the whole day will need to obtain tickets for both sessions.
Tickets for the morning session will be available from 8.45 from the Deans Yard entrance to Church House.
Tickets for the afternoon session will be available from 1.45 from the same place.
Tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis. Those leaving the premises will be asked to return their tickets to allow others to enter.
In addition to tickets for the public gallery there will be a further 40 tickets available for the Abbey Room where a live feed of proceedings will be broadcast.
There will also be an opportunity to follow synod proceedings via twitter where the CofE comms account – amongst others – will be live tweeting proceedings. The hashtag being used for the whole session will be “#synod”
The proceedings will also be broadcast on a live audio feed available from the Church of England website.
The agenda for the synod is available here: http://bit.ly/WaeYTV
2 CommentsToday’s Church Times has several articles about the appointment of Justin Welby as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Some are only available to subscribers, but these two can be read by all
as can this editorial.
4 Comments
Updated latest Friday afternoon
As next Tuesday’s debate and vote at General Synod approaches here are a few recent press articles.
Church Times Madeleine Davies As Synod vote nears, both sides slug it out online
Guardian Vicky Beeching How social media could swing the vote for women bishops
Ekklesia Simon Barrow Saying ‘yes’ to women bishops
Telegraph Riazat Butt Women bishops will have to accept discrimination to exist
Update The Church Mouse reports that Evangelical Women’s Group AWESOME back Women Bishops.
Church of England Newspaper Jody Stowell Yes2WomenBishops?
2 CommentsThe press is still interested in the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
Telegraph John Bingham Blessed are the Rock Badgers as Justin Welby heads for Canterbury
John Bingham Pope welcomes new Archbishop of Canterbury
Katy Brand Justin Welby’s ‘real world’ outlook bodes well for women bishops
Rachel Cooper New Archbishop of Canterbury takes RBS chief Stephen Hester to task
Damian Reece What the banker should have said to the bishop
John Bingham and Daniel Johnson Christians ‘should not be afraid’ to refer to their faith, says new ArchbishopTime Megan Gibson As The Next Archbishop of Canterbury, Can Justin Welby Save The Anglican Communion?
Mail Online Anna Edwards Hats off to you! New Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is already a hit as he swaps headgear with a policeman
Economist Alpha male
There are also more reactions to the appointment.
Colin Coward of Changing Attitude Archbishop-elect Justin Welby has the potential to be very good news
Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk congratulates newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Finally, the Guardian has this article by Andy Beckett about Bishop Welby’s old school: Eton: why the old boys’ network still flourishes
1 CommentUpdated again on Friday
A retired bishop and a 67 year old retired priest were arrested by Sussex Police today in relation to allegations of sexual abuse. The Church of England issued this statement this morning.
Statement from the Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, Chair of the Churches National Safeguarding Committee
13 November 2012The Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, Chair of the Churches National Safeguarding Committee said:
“We can confirm that police today arrested a retired Bishop and a 67 year old retired priest in relation to allegations of sexual abuse. The church has been working closely with Sussex police throughout this investigation and the full statement can be read here.
The Church of England takes any allegations of abuse very seriously and is committed to being a safe place for all. To this end we have robust procedures and policies in place. But we can never be complacent. We would like to urge any victims or those with information to feel free to come forward knowing that they will be listened to in confidence.
We have also put support systems in place for all those involved with today’s arrests. Should anyone have further information or need to discuss the personal impact of this news the Church has worked with the NSPCC to set up a confidential helpline no. 0800 389 5344. Although we cannot comment on this case any further at the moment, lessons must be learnt and it is our mission that all our churches are places of safety and joy, of righteousness and justice.”
Although neither the Church nor the police gave the names of those arrested, the media have not been so reticent.
Guardian Robert Booth Retired bishop Peter Ball arrested on suspicion of child sex offences
Independent Tom Pugh Retired bishop Peter Ball held in child sex abuse investigation
Telegraph John Bingham Former Church of England bishop held over sex abuse claims
BBC Former bishop and retired priest arrested over abuse claims
Mail Online Steve Nolan Retired Church of England bishop, 80, arrested by police over historic child sex abuse allegations at scandal-hit Diocese
Update Sussex Police have issued this update.
Guardian Robert Booth Bishop’s arrest part of broad inquiry into Chichester diocese child abuse
Friday update Guardian Robert Booth Police receive further abuse complaints against retired bishop
Comments are closed for this article.
0 CommentsWATCH (Women and the Church) has today issued this Synod Briefing Statement.
18 CommentsTIME TO MOVE ON!
Where we are now – Anglican women in ordained ministry
The Church of England depends on its women priests. Twenty years ago (11.11.92) General Synod voted to ordain women as priests. Today we have over three thousand women ministering in parishes and others in chaplaincies in hospitals, prisons, schools and universities. One in three priests is female and almost 50% of new ordinands. Four of our cathedrals have female Deans and there are 26 female archdeacons active in the leadership teams of dioceses.
There have been women bishops in the Anglican Communion since Barbara Harris was ordained in 1989. Since then 34 women have been consecrated in New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Cuba, South Africa and the USA. In all these provinces of the Anglican Communion, no legal provision was made for those who oppose women in ordained ministry. Other provinces as varied as Scotland and the Sudan have opened the way for women bishops but not yet made a first appointment.
The discussion so far…
GS voted on a motion to ordain women as deacon, priest and bishop in 1978 – it lost. We have been discussing this issue ever since – for a whole generation.
The present legislative process began in 2000. Since then there have been 3 major church reports, regular debates in Synod and fifteen months of detailed drafting work. All the dioceses in the country have been consulted and at every step of the way support for this legislation to enable women to be bishops has been overwhelming: 42 of 44 dioceses voted ‘yes’ – with more than 75% of all votes cast in favour.
The provision for those opposed in the draft legislation
One reason for the overwhelming support for this legislation is the generous support offered to those who are opposed.
Under the draft Measure any parish can request a male priest or bishop on the grounds of their theological conviction and these convictions must be respected. This will be backed up by a Statutory Code of Practice with legal force. Some people say that this is not enough, but it is as much as can be given without seriously damaging the Church – and 29 dioceses voted against further provision being made.
This is a compromise for everyone
The draft ‘Measure’ is a considerable compromise for those in favour of women bishops. There will be parishes where women will be barred from serving as priests, and women bishops will have to delegate to a male bishop where the parish requests it. Nowhere else in the Anglican Communion has provision been spelled out in law at all – things have been worked out through building relationships ‘on the ground’. Most of WATCH’s supporters would much prefer to have seen this sort of arrangement in the Church of England too. But we have compromised so as to make space for those who are finding this change difficult.
Voting ‘yes’ for this would also be a compromise for those opposed because the legislation does not give them as much reassurance as they would like.
The 20th November
On Tuesday 20th November, General Synod will have to consider “The Measure” as it stands. Nothing can be done to amend it now without starting all over again.
Some, from both sides, want to wait in the hope of getting something better, but to do so would be incredibly destructive. Another 10 years going over and over the same arguments would cripple the Church’s credibility and mission. It would also deprive the Church of the skills and wisdom of women bishops. To waste our time and talents in this way would be quite wrong.
Despite our concerns that this Measure does not do enough to eradicate discrimination from the Church, WATCH is praying that Synod will vote ‘yes’ on 20th November. This is far from the perfect Measure for women, but it is what has been negotiated after years of consultation amongst those of all perspectives. A ‘yes’ will enable women bishops to be appointed whilst allowing that those who disagree to have a respected place within the Church of England.
Time to Decide!
‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven’ Ecclesiastes 3:1
There is a time for discussion and a time for decision. Twenty years after the vote for women’s ordination to the priesthood, and twelve years after we started exploring this issue in detail, it’s time to decide – time to move on.
The Reverend Rachel Weir Chair of WATCH said “This week we have been celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the vote for women priests. We pray that next week, Synod will complete the work that was started in November 1992 and vote for women bishops.”