This Report, (GS1999B) available on the Church of England website, is the subject of a debate at the forthcoming General Synod and is very welcome. I would like to draw together a particularly timely strand in the report.
Paragraph 43 tells us bishops will
“be teachers, whose task it is to ”˜uphold sound and wholesome doctrine, and to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange opinions’ (C 18) so as to ”˜hand on entire’ the Christian faith (Ordinal) ”“ to ensure, including by example, the vitality of proclamation and the richness of teaching and formation; “
……….
What this paper helpfully exposes is the error of the theologically entrepreneurial and innovative bishop and the erroneous suggestion that their opinions over against the tradition of Jesus and the settled teaching of the church might be prophetic.
Read it all – the report is being debated on Saturday July 11th by General Synod