Church of England General Synod Backs Women Bishops

BBC: The Church of England has voted to allow women to become bishops for first time in its history.

The General Synod gave final approval to legislation introducing the change by the required two-thirds majority.

The previous vote in 2012 was backed by the Houses of Bishops and Clergy but blocked by traditionalist lay members.

The Archbishop of York asked for the result to be met "with restraint and sensitivity" but there was a flurry of cheers when it was announced. » | Monday, July 14, 2014

Church of England Votes Overwhelmingly for Women Bishops

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A year to the day since the Church of England was thrown into crisis by the rejection of women bishops, its General Synod backs the measure

The Church of England’s General Synod has voted overwhelmingly in favour of women bishops exactly a year after previous legislation was brought down by traditionalists.

Members of all three strands of the Synod – bishops, clergy and laity – gave strong support to a new measure in its first formal consideration by the Church’s governing body.

In an initial test of opinion, only eight members voted against with 378 in favour and 25 abstentions. A further, more formal vote, was due to take place later.

It marks a dramatic turnaround in just a year described by one bishop as “nothing short of miraculous”.

During the debate at Church House in London one leading women cleric warned that the failure to agree the issue in the past made them simply look “weird”. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Wednesday, November 20, 2013

General Synod Backs Ban on Clergy Joining the BNP
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Church of England has backed draft legislation paving the way for a ban on clergy membership of the BNP - in spite of warnings about creating ''martyrs'' to free speech.

Members of the General Synod voted to press ahead with an amendment to discipline procedures making it ''unbecoming'' or ''inappropriate'' conduct for clergy to be members of a political party with policies and activities declared ''incompatible'' with Church teaching on race equality.

Under the proposals, Church of England bishops would make a declaration on parties or organisations deemed incompatible with Christian teaching.

Vasantha Gnanadoss, a Metropolitan Police civilian worker, and General Synod member who first won backing for the ban two years ago, welcomed the amendment and a new statement on race equality from the bishops.

This put the Church's mission to ''resist racism'' on a firm footing, she told the Synod.

''It is very important when the English Defence League and others are posing a fresh threat to the well-being of our diverse society. I hope that this statement will be used widely,'' she said. >>> | Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Anglican Church Faces 'Piece by Piece Dissolution', Warns Archbishop
THE GUARDIAN: Rowan Williams tells warring factions to pull together for crucial General Synod vote on church's future

Rowan Williams speaking at the General Synod. Photograph: The Guardian
Dr Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury, warned of the risk of "piece-by-piece dissolution" of worldwide Anglicanism in a heartfelt personal plea today to warring factions in the Church of England.

At the opening of the church's general synod in London, he called for all parties to put aside their disputes and agree on a fresh framework for settling differences across the 70 million-strong international communion.

The synod votes tomorrow on the Anglican covenant, which has been seven years in the making, and sets the Church of England at a crucial crossroads. The church is already facing probable defections to Roman Catholicism by some priests opposed to the ordination of women bishops.

The covenant was devised in response to divisions caused by the US Episcopal Church's decision to endorse the election of the openly-gay bishop of New Hampshire, Gene Robinson, and it has to be endorsed by all 38 previously autonomous provinces of the communion across the world. The vote will be crucial as not only is the Church of England the mother church of the communion, but Williams is its spiritual head. A senior church official told the Guardian: "There is no Plan B. If this falls, the communion is in ruins."

In advance of the vote – which is technically to refer the covenant to dioceses for consultation – supporters and opponents have indulged in heated rhetoric; liberal Anglicans claimed it would spell the end of individual churches' autonomy and subject decisions of the Church of England to the prior approval of reactionary churches such as the homophobic conservatives of equatorial Africa. Gregory Cameron, the Bishop of St Asaph in Wales, the canon lawyer mainly responsible for drawing up the covenant, likened opponents to the BNP. Read on and comment >>> Stephen Bates and Riazat Butt | Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Queen Opens Church General Synod Amid Signs of Change
BBC: After a special service at Westminster Abbey later, the Queen is to open the Church of England's General Synod.

The synod gets the honour of a royal inauguration because this is the established, state church and the Queen is its supreme governor.

The synod - the Church's legislative body - is the only institution outside parliament that can make laws, even if it does have to get its decisions approved by a special parliamentary committee.

One of the most important laws likely to emerge in the synod's five-year term starting on Tuesday is the introduction of women bishops.

It has already been a debate that has deeply divided traditionalists from progressives, and led some on the Catholic wing of the Church to say they will take up the Pope's offer of a place in the Roman Catholic Church.

To many outside the Church - and to some Anglicans as well - so much anguish and dispute over what they regard as a logical progression from the ordination of women priests 16 years ago is unaccountable.

But for traditionalists - from both Anglo-Catholic and Protestant backgrounds - there is something fundamental at stake.

Some see it as part of a struggle for the soul of the Church, suggesting that the future starting with this new synod will bring in a more liberal Anglicanism which has less time for traditionalist values.

They point to the growing "feminisation" of the Church as a cause for concern. >>> Robert Pigott, Religious affairs correspondent, BBC News | Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Hundreds of Traditionalist Clergy Poised to Leave Church of England
THE TELEGRAPH: Hundreds of traditionalist clergy are set to leave the Church of England over plans to introduce women bishops.

Leading Anglo-Catholic clergy warned that the failure to provide concessions to opponents of the historic reform would force many of them to defect to Rome.

In a highly-charged debate at the General Synod, the Church’s parliament, members rejected a compromise deal put forward by the archbishops of Canterbury and York which would have averted a schism.

The archbishops’ plans would have seen the creation of a new class of male-only bishops to look after conservative evangelical and Anglo-Catholic parishes opposed to female leadership in the Church.

Canon David Houlding, a prebendary at St Paul’s cathedral, estimated that as many as 200 traditionalist clergy could leave the Church, taking thousands of worshippers with them.

“People’s patience is running out and many will now be asking whether they should try and practice their Catholic faith in the Church of England,” he said.

“The vote was a severe blow to the archbishop [of Canterbury] and it has pushed us closer to the door.” >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Monday, July 12, 2010

A Divided Church Faces Its Darkest Hour
THE TELEGRAPH: By rejecting a compromise over women bishops, the General Synod has plunged the Anglican Church into crisis. Jonathan Wynne-Jones reports.

Humiliated: the authority of Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has been wounded by his defeat in the Synod Photo: The Telegraph
On Saturday night, the Archbishop of Canterbury suffered the most humiliating defeat of his time in office when the Church rejected his compromise deal over women bishops. It followed a week in which Rowan Williams had found himself at the centre of a storm over the blocked appointment of Jeffrey John, the homosexual Dean of St Albans, to be Bishop of Southwark.

Castigated by liberals who accused him of betraying his old friend by not securing his promotion, the Archbishop arrived at the General Synod in York also facing a mutiny over his plans to avert an exodus of traditionalists opposed to women's ordination.

On the eve of one of the most pivotal debates in the Church's recent history, liberal bishops had met to discuss how they would derail proposals put forward by Dr Williams and Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York.

They were well aware of the impact that their rebellion would have on Dr Williams's authority. But they were still prepared to take drastic action because of their despair at his suggestion that a new tier of male-only bishops should be created to minister to traditionalists. This would undermine the role of women bishops, they believed. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones | Monday, July 12, 2010

Church Concern Over Religious Broadcast Hours
THE INDEPENDENT: The Church of England today voted to express "deep concern" about a reduction in religious broadcasting across British television - but drew back from singling out the BBC for criticism.

Members of the Church of England's national assembly, the General Synod, overwhelmingly backed a motion criticising a decline in religious programming.

But they rejected an attempt to narrow the focus of criticism to the BBC after a series of speakers urged the Church to do more to communicate its message.

One member of the General Synod said putting the BBC "on the naughty step" would not help encourage better coverage of religious affairs.

Nigel Holmes, a former BBC radio producer from Great Corby, near Carlisle, told the meeting in London that over the past 20 years the total output of general programme channels on BBC television had doubled.

But the hours of religious broadcasting on television were fewer and generally scheduled at less accessible times, he told the Synod.

"A fortnight ago the BBC announced that it was commissioning research with a view to improving the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people," he said.

"Perhaps it could do the same for those who proclaim a faith and particularly for younger people for whom nothing spiritual is to be found either on television or on the radio." >>> Martha Linden, Press Association | Wednesday, February 10, 2010

General Synod: Church of England Exodus Feared Unless Women Bishops Plans Changed
THE TELEGRAPH: Conservative clergy have warned of a mass exodus from the Church of England and a sharp drop in its income unless divisive plans for the introduction of women bishops are changed.

On the first day of the gathering of the Church’s governing body, the General Synod, Anglo-Catholics claimed that “large numbers” would leave for Rome if their demands for concessions are not met.

Meanwhile 50 serving priests belonging to Reform, the evangelical group, signed an open letter saying that the situation could force them to cut off funding for dioceses and spend their money on training new vicars outside the Church instead.

The established church, which introduced women to the priesthood in 1994, is committed to ordaining female bishops as well but the process has been held up by the entrenched positions of both supporters and opponents of the historic move.

Liberals argue that women should be introduced to the episcopate on the same basis and with the same powers as men, otherwise an unfair two-tier system will develop.

However conservatives claim they were assured back when women priests were introduced that provisions would be made for them, similar to the “flying bishops” that currently cater for parishes that cannot accept the oversight of female vicars, when the next step was taken.

They want either an entirely new “men-only” province that could cover the whole of England, or extra junior bishops in dioceses who had not ordained women bishops and who would be answerable only to an Archbishop. >>> Martin Beckford | Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Rowan Williams Issues 'Profound Apology' to Gay Christians
TIMES ONLINE: The Archbishop of Canterbury issued a “profound apology” to the lesbian and gay Christian community today.
In a powerful address to the General Synod, Dr Rowan Williams warned that any schism within the Church would represent a betrayal of God’s mission.

But he made clear that he regretted recent rhetoric in which he has sought to mollify the fears of the traditionalist wing of the church.

The Archbishop is from the Church’s liberal wing and a man who once espoused equal rights for gays within the Church. More recently he has adopted a conservative line for the sake of Church unity.

Today he said: “There are ways of speaking about the question that seem to ignore these human realities or to undervalue them.

“I have been criticised for doing just this and I am profoundly sorry for the carelessness that could give such an impression.”
Addressing the even more contentious debate over gay ordinations — something which threatens to split the Church farther [sic] with the expected consecration in May of Canon Mary Glasspool, a lesbian, as a bishop in Los Angeles — Dr Williams said it had not been helped by those who ignored the fact that many worshippers were gay, as well as many “sacrificial and exemplary priests”.

He made it clear that there was blame on all sides of the argument that has brought the Church to the brink of splitting. He pleaded for Anglicans angry over gays and women bishops to cease fighting, admitting that he and other bishops might have to settle for a two-tier communion. >>> Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent | Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Prize Comment of the Day:

Why is 'God' so concerned with what men do with their willies? There must be hundreds of issues more deserving of attention in the world today than this. Too many men in dresses getting hot under the collar.

Surely a religion where you are encouraged to worship a naked man (and his dad) should be a haven for the gay community. I can't believe the church doesn't need the bodies on a Sunday either.

I think I might get burnt at the stake now. – Gaberdine Dog, [Source: TimesOnline/Page 3 of comments]

BBC's Appointment of Muslim as Head of Religion Is 'Worrying', Anglicans Warn
THE TELEGRAPH: The appointment of a Muslim as the BBC's head of religious broadcasting is a "worrying" development that could further undermine the corporation's coverage of Christianity, Anglicans have warned.

Members of the General Synod, the parliament of the Church of England, are to vote on a motion condemning the decline of religious programming on BBC television, amid complaints that Christians are now only depicted as "freak shows".

In a new report to accompany the motion, the corporation's decision to recruit Aaqil Ahmed from Channel 4 to head its religious and ethical output is singled out for particular criticism.

Hundreds of people have complained to the BBC about the appointment of Mr Ahmed, who will be the first Muslim and only the second non-Christian in the role.

"Many of the Channel 4 programmes concerned with Christianity, in contrast to those featuring other faiths, seem to be of a sensationalist or unduly critical nature," wrote Nigel Holmes, a Synod member and former BBC producer who has tabled the motion.

"From this point of view it is worrying that the Channel 4 religion and multicultural commissioning editor, Aaqil Ahmed, who is a Muslim, is soon to be responsible for all the religious output from the BBC."

The motion is expected to attract the support of senior bishops when it is debated by the Synod next month.

The paper accuses the corporation of ignoring its Christian audience by failing to broadcast a Good Friday service on any of its national television and radio stations this year. >>> By Matthew Moore | Sunday, June 21, 2009

The Left-wing Operatives in Ecclesiastical Drag Are Meddling Again!
More than 300,000 asylum seekers should be allowed to stay in Britain indefinitely, the Church of England General Synod has said.

The Synod, the governing body of the state religion, voted overwhelmingly in favour of an amnesty for those whose cases are still being decided on, and said all those who want to live here should be allowed to work.

It also said that a solution must be found to the "intolerable" situation of people who are refused leave to remain but cannot return to their home countries, and that children and families must no longer be detained in Immigration Removal Centres.

The Rev Ruth Worsley, a priest in the diocese of Southwell & Nottingham who tabled the motion on the subject, said: "The financial cost to our country, as well as the human cost which leaves people in limbo for years, not knowing what their future might hold, seems unconscionable.

"With the arrival of the credit crunch, the subsequent loss of jobs, the recent call for British jobs for British people, there is a danger that we become inward-looking and even xenophobic.

"But the Gospel tells us that we are not a tribal nation but a global family." Church of England General Synod Calls Asylum Seeker Amnesty >>> By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Friday, February 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Address to the Opening of General Synod
Photo of Dr Rowan Williams courtesy of The Guardian
THE GUARDIAN: 'The prevailing attitude … was one of heavy disagreement with a number of things which the [speaker] had not said.' Ronald Knox's description of discussion at a student society in the 1930s has a certain familiarity after the last few days; but given that public comment and criticism has been cast in such highly coloured terms, I've thought it right to say a few words to Synod this afternoon about what was and wasn't said last week and what the questions were which I had hoped might benefit from some airing.

Some of what has been heard is a very long way indeed from what was actually said in the Royal Courts of Justice last Thursday. But I must of course take responsibility for any unclarity in either that text or in the radio interview, and for any misleading choice of words that has helped to cause distress or misunderstanding among the public at large and especially among my fellow Christians.

It's Lent, and one of the great penitential phrases of the Psalms will be in all our minds – 'Who can tell how oft he offendeth? Cleanse thou me from my secret faults.' I'm deeply grateful to many of you for the support as well as the challenges I've received this weekend, and for your willingness to treat all this as a serious issue that deserves attention. But I believe quite strongly that it is not inappropriate for a pastor of the Church of England to address issues around the perceived concerns of other religious communities and to try and bring them into better public focus.

I hope anyway that you'll bear with me now if I pick up a couple of points that I think have been distorted in the discussion. The lecture was written as an opening contribution to a series on Islam and English Law… >>>

THE GUARDIAN:
Archbishop Defends His Sharia Remarks By Louise Radnofsky

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