There is now no doubt that the Church of England will consecrate its first woman bishop within the next couple of years. This will happen without any statutory provision for those who in conscience cannot accept women’s episcopacy. The significant minority of clergy and laity who oppose this innovation will simply be told to like it ”“ or lump it and go elsewhere. Thus tens of thousands of traditional and faithful Anglicans will be unchurched.
This stinking fish has been a long time on the slab. Back in 1992, the church voted to admit women to the priesthood, but this was only agreed upon the intervention of the then Archbishop of York, Dr John Habgood, who insisted that there were “two integrities” within the church: the one that could accept women priests and the other that could not. Room must be made for both. If Dr Habgood’s agreeable compromise had not been accepted then there would not have been a majority in favour of the ordination of women.
The radical innovators, illiberal “liberals,” non-believing secularists and intolerant feminists who together govern the church are determined not to make the same mistake again. They are saying to the opponents of women bishops, “Well, get out then!” ”“ except this injunction is not generally put even as politely as that.
For anyone interested in following the debates, there is an audio feed here. Podcasts of the debates are being posted here.
The first of four sessions on women bishops is being held this afternoon and has started. The key amendment to make provision for those with a traditional understanding of episcopacy will be on Wednesday Afternoon [subtract 5 hours for Eastern Standard Time].
The agenda, timetable and other links have been posted by AM here
and on Fulcrum here
We would appreciate your prayers for our Synod and our church.
A courageous article by Rev. Peter Mullen.
A liberal himself, he understands that the victory which the extremist liberals in CofE are pushing for will rebound on them. I suspect ++Williams understands this also.
As Rev. Mullen points out, this current movement for women bishops in CofE adopts a ‘take no prisoners’ approach. The problem with doing that, is that you force your opponents to be resolute. If the liberals will not permit any compromise, then eventually neither will the orthodox.
Either the liberal activists will be entirely rooted out of the Church of England, or they will gain complete control, but with another Anglican polity alongside. Unfortunately no compromise that will allow both to co-exist in the same church is possible, and that is not our choice but theirs.