Proposals to create a second tier of bishops especially for women in the Church of England have been rejected this week by campaigners. The Church was urged to proceed with a single measure to implement the consecration of women bishops alongside those of men.
The campaigners were made up of two groups: Watch (Women And The Church), and Affirming Catholicism. The group, claimed to represent nearly 50 percent of the Church of England Synod members, proposed some core values by which all women bishops should be appointed.A statement stated that pastoral provision for opponents of women priests “should not create structures which undermine the catholic order of the church or suggest ambivalence about the Church’s decision to admit women to the threefold ministry,” according to the Church of England newspaper.
However, they did ask for a single clause measure to be implemented, and if any pastoral provision be included, it should be in secondary legislation or an “enforceable, statutory code of practice”.
One concern that the group stated must not be permitted is for any pastoral provision to create a “parallel jurisdiction’ that would weaken the “integrity of the Diocese as the fundamental unit of the Church.”
Currently the House of Bishops are already divided on the TEA proposals, that seek to transfer Episcopal oversight of traditionalists to Provincial Regional Bishops directly under the authority of the Archbishop, thereby bypassing the diocesan bishop.
Watch representative, Christina Rees said, “There is very little enthusiasm for TEA. No one likes TEA, but it is as far as the House of Bishops is prepared to go. In trying to please everyone it pleases no one,” according to the Church of England newspaper.Director of Affirming Catholicism, Rev Richard Jenkins, explained that he had always sought to make room for differences of opinion, but that “the theology and law of the Church must give priority to the fact that we are a Church which has now joyfully accepted and overwhelmingly received the ordination of women. Our principles suggest ways in which those who are opposed can be given security and space, but still remain recognisably within one Church.”
It is believed that the two groups will now promote their core points to other groups within the General Synod, including the Evangelical Group and the Open Synod Group.
June will see the House of Bishops gather for their next meeting, and to discuss their consultations with the wider church body, and it will look to review and revise plans to bring to the General Synod in July 2006.
Currently almost 20 percent of Church of England clergy are women, and the amount of women training to be ordained now outnumbers men.
