UK Anglicans unclear on accommodation for traditionalists who oppose ordination of women.
Leaders in the worldwide Anglican Communion (numbering up to 70 million) were anxiously awaiting today's vote in York on the ordination of women bishops.
Read the BBC report here
A large number of traditionalists left the 26 million-member Church of England back in 1994 after the church's ruling synod approved the ordination of women to the priesthood. The other shoe has now dropped with the synod's approval of women bishops.
In recent days, there have been persistent reports than hundreds of Anglican/COE clergy were prepared to bolt from their parishes and presumably migrate to Roman Catholicism. That may still happen. It all depends on the level of accommodation that the synod offers.
Of course, these events are a precursor to the once per decade Lambeth Conference, which opens in Canterbury on the campus of the University of Kent next week.
Many Anglican women leaders may press for limited accommodation since they believe this kind of action is discriminatory against their ministry and creates a de facto two-tier system for clergy.
The UK Press Association reports:
The synod members voted to approve work on a national statutory code to accommodate those within the Church who object to women bishops.The synod rejected compromise proposals for new "super bishops" to cater for objectors - and also their preferred option of creating new dioceses.
The decision to go ahead with work on the code came after more than six hours of debate by the General Synod which saw extraordinary scenes, with one bishop in tears as he spoke of being "ashamed" of the Church of England.
The Rt Rev Stephen Venner, Bishop of Dover, who is in favour of women bishops said: "I have to say, Synod, for the first time in my life, I feel ashamed.
"We have talked for hours about wanting to give an honourable place to those who disagree.
"We have been given opportunities for both views to flourish. We have turned down every, almost every realistic opportunity for those who are opposed to flourish."
Since the format at the Lambeth event will be geared toward conversation, not debate, amendment, and passage of resolutions, it is also murky whether women's ordination will be subject to significant discussion at all. Conservatives are not in unity of women's ordination. But I can't find a single truly conservative woman bishop in the entire Communion. Can you?
Posted by Tim Morgan on July 7, 2008 5:27PM
Comments
I don't know the Anglican church well enough to speak for Bishops, I do happen to know a few conservative female priests in the Episcopal church and the Anglican church of Canada.
I think it is a mistake for evangelical Christians to conflate the issue of women's ordination with other issues such as homosexuality and other issues. For instance, many pentecostal churches have been ordaining women for nearly a century and they are in no danger of waffling on homosexuality. My own small evangelical denomination has been ordaining women for three decades, and we are nowhere close to changing policy on human sexuality.
Posted by: Matt K at July 7, 2008
The problem with female pastors is that allowing it is a clear renunciation of Scripture's clear command that eldership and pastoral responsibility in the church are for men only. I suppose there can be female pastors if their pastoral role is that of pastoring women, having no teaching or disciplinary authority over men in the church. But even that I get wary of as the biblical order, and the history of covenantal order in the Bible does assign a leadership role to men within family and covenant community, and this stems from before the Fall, when everything was good and sin had not marred human relationships.
Bottom line, compromise on a clear mandate of Scripture, the whole teaching and preaching authority of the local church will totter and eventually fall.
Posted by: Tertius [psalm8410.blogspot.com] at July 8, 2008
I'm so tired of men deciding what women can and cannot do.
Has anyone asked the women in the church what they think?
Posted by: anne at July 8, 2008
The issue of the ordination of women to the position of pastor (or priest or bishop) may seem trivial to some. However, it is a watershed issue within Christianity. It boils down to following doctrines clearly delineated in the Bible - "I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet." 1 Tim. 2:12 - or choosing to circumvent them for the sake of adapting to cultural pressures, in this case feminism.
The fact that some denominations have been ordaining women for nearly a century does not change or diminish or invalidate the teachings of the Bible. Even if these denominations are not "waffling on homosexuality" they are arguably giving implicit, if not explicit, legitimacy to those denominations that are.
Posted by: Terry L. Brown at July 8, 2008
I agree with Matt. Having been raised in the Church of the Nazarene, which has ordained women (and refused to ordain known homosexuals) since its founding in 1908, I find your (Tim's) question more than a bit leading. The fact that mainline denominations have tied women's ordination to human rights rather than to spiritual calling does not negate the calling. Any issue that is based on human rights rather than spiritual giftedness and calling is going to attract more liberals than conservatives at first. Having joined TEC four years ago, my concern is that women in ministry who uphold the Virgin Birth, the exclusiveness of Christ for salvation and the bodily Resurrection (and yes, there are many women who believe and preach all of these) will continue to be pilloried by the Left for their theological beliefs and by the Right for being "liberal" enough to actually pursue their calling. I have not yet heard anyone imply that since many male bishops are liberal, males therefore should not be bishops.
Posted by: Lane at July 8, 2008
My mother tells me that when I was a baby, I would sit in my high-chair and eat every part of my toast except for the crust, which I threw on the floor. When she would tell me not to throw my crust on the floor, I apparently would look at her, pick up my crust, and defiantly drop it on the floor anyway. In some ways, this isn't too far off from the current situation in the Anglican Church. The Anglican church in Africa has been told to stop ordaining bishops in America, and TEC has been told to stop ordaining homosexual bishops. The problem is that both sides still throw their crust on the floor. Regardless of whether ordaining women is that much of a polarizing issue, the already existing tension doesn't exactly pave the way for cooperation.
Posted by: Matt J. at July 9, 2008
Ah. So if there are no 'truly conservative' women priests, there are no good women priests? Or am I simply being as ungenerous toward Mr. Morgan as he is to the notion that the Episcopal Church might honestly and faithfully struggle with matters of sex, God, and discipleship?
Posted by: Terri at July 9, 2008
I am not a member of the Christian church but even if I were I could not help finding the discussion over the ordination of women totally ridiculous. Are we to believe that spiritual leadership is dependent on the shape of a person's genitals? The traditionalists claim that this is a theological matter and not a gender issue, but if that were the case, theology - which should be concerned with absolute and non-temporal truths - would be demonstrably trivial and constrained by historical cultural norms. Any responsible spiritual leader today must see the world and human potential as inclusive and not patriarchal. The vast majority of non-believers can only scratch their heads in puzzlement over the anachronistic views of the diehards. This will certainly prove no good for the future of Christianity, but then we humanists have no problem with that!
Posted by: Michael Barrett at July 10, 2008
God designed the world to grow. God designed people to grow. It is entirely possible to honor and live the message of Jesus as given to us in scripture without forever following a model of 1st century Mediterranean/1st century Middle Eastern cultural and social norms.
I doubt very much that the Savior would want America behaving like the Saudis or the Taliban - who, after all, are just following their 7th century scriptural models.
I notice that people tend to hold to the parts of scripture that support what they already think, or what they prefer. Those who hold to Timothy so dearly seldom also demand that their wives and mothers and sisters and daughters shave their heads or cover their hair in church. Or that they withdraw from the choir so as to be silent in church. They pick the parts of scripture that they prefer. Nor do they often quote Paul when he writes that, "...in Christ there is no male or female..." They omit the parts of scripture that contradict what they prefer.
It's a recognizable inclination, I think - we're all pretty human!
I think the wisest thing to do is to hold first to the most important message Jesus had for us: to love God, and to love each other. Everything that gets in the way of that is really just our own personal way of looking at things - something we all probably ought to watch out for.
Posted by: Laina at July 11, 2008
Women should be allowed to be leaders in church. I do not beleive in bishop label theories. I think it would be great for women to teach about their loving gifts and messages. Such as patting and rubbing persons(christian) backs to relax them.Such as teaching Gal 3:2. Such as telling other christian to choose christian sxl friends. Christians are better than sinners. Sinners are known to punch or kill you.Such as be blunt to their friends. Such as certain relations are good and should be supported(gold carpet,candles). Probably all women can relax or heal. Mean persons teach snobism and hatred for conservative christians. Seriuosly. But I know that 90% of persons are lost and or mean. Sin causes a chain reaction. I have complained about being alone in life during testimony at church several times and no person has sought me out. When they find out I am the right hand of God the father, I hope they are repentive. This comment is a big deal to me. Thank you for your time. Gal3:2! Pslams99:9 -hill pray!
Posted by: andy tucker at July 11, 2008
People who quote the Bible saying that women cannot be ministers are guilty of prooftexting, of taking passages out of their context. It's simply bad Bible study. No matter the issue, you must always, always put the verse into the context of the paragraph, chapter, and book overall and look at it in the light of what Paul and others were addressing in the culture of the time. Then, you can clearly see what applies today and what was specific to that time.
Posted by: Karen at July 14, 2008
Although I am unhappy with female ministers it's not because of any scriptural reason, but because when the church first began ordaining women there was an unhealthy rush by some to "get done" and be better than the men. I know that there must be many godly women called to the ministry and I thank the Lord that thay have followed His call upon their lives, however the number of men is diminishing and we must pray that they too will respond to the call of God upon their lives to be faithful ministers for the Kingdom.
If the church is, as we have been taught, a picture of the family of God then we need mothers and fathers in the faith to teach the Lord's children. Is this too simple to ask? Only one proviso is needed as far as I can see since we see plenty of instances in both Old and New Testaments of Female leaders both politically and Spirituall ( Deborah, Miriam,etc) that is ,a definite calling from God not a desire for greatness!
Posted by: Lydia at July 24, 2008
Dear Beloved Brothers and sisters in Christ
My hearty greetings of love grace and peace to all of you your blessed family your friends your well wishers your staff and all in the most precious name of our lord and saviour Jesus Christ
Dear sisters I already sent some emails to you introducing myself as a Bible woman. But I have received no kind of information from you .As being a Bible woman, filled with the love of God I want to shared the love of the our lord with you.JOHN15:12,1 JOHN5:3,HEB 13:15. Jesus wanted us to have true intimate relationship with Him
Dear loving sisters already narrated my gospel work activities to your prayerful consideration. After the demise of my husband I have been taking care of 4 congregations, orphanage and widow home. Our congregations which are at a radius of 2to 5 kms .I alone can go to teach the message of gospel on foot. My life aim is to save many souls in advancement of the kingdom of our lord. Frankly I do not have any financial assistance from anywhere. Being a widow woman servant of God who can show sympathy towards us? In spite of all the difficulties have been regularly teaching the good news of the message of salvation door to door and condescend to visit hospitals to pray for the sick. Many hearts are stirring and coming to the feet of our lord.
Dear beloved sisters I am regret to inform you that recently some of the male Christian pastors forced to come to our poor congregations and threatened me not to organize revival meetings, Sunday worship meetings night meetings and women fellowship meetings etc., They also warned me that the woman is not entitled to teach and preach the gospel. I humbly requested them to show the scriptures where the woman is found not permitted to teach the gospel .But they are unable to prove according to scriptures. Scriptures say that every one has great commission to declare the truths of God in this dispensation.(CHURCH AGE/GRACE PERIOD) GAL 3:28 JOHN 4;25-29,ROM16:2,12.JUD4:4-9.Being a poor widow woman servant of God my heart has broken down and diminished.
Dear beloved sisters, after the demise of my husband I have been facing immense problems to feed our destitute children and widows. We are all in a most help less state. In addition to the entire burden of gospel work and compassionate activities laid on my shoulder. Sister I tearfully beg all of you please unite me into your stewardship and send your generosity for the growth of lord’s work and compassionate activities. If you really want to see the progress of lords work and compassionate activities please visit our country and deli ever your wonderful messages to transform many souls for Christ. let us rejoice and exalt our lord by spreading the word of God
Please do pray for our lords vital services our poor family orphans and widows
Here we are all fervently praying for all your endeavors.
Your humble and poor widow sister in Christ
(SIS.M.RAJAMANI)
THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN THE SCRIPTURES:
EXO 15: 20, JUD 4:4, 2 KINGS22:14, NEH 6:14, LUKE 2:36, 37, ACTS29:9
WOMEN CHURCH WORKERS:
Acts 18: 26, ROM 16:1, 2. PHI 4: 3
WIDOW WOMEN IN THE SCRIPRURES:
RUTH 1: 3, 1 KINGS 17: 9, 2 KINGS 4:1, MARK 12:42, LUKE 2:37,7:12,18:3, ACTS 6;1,9: 39
WISE WOMEN IN THE SCRIPTURES
PRO11:16, 12; 4, 14; 1, 31:10
Dear sisters If you want to send your heart warming donations and charities for the lords work and compassionate activities .please send your benevolence to this following online Bank to Bank transfer account
M.RAJAMANI,A/C NO : 01190057453, STATE BANK OF INDIA,ELAMANCHILI(2713)W.G.DT., A.P., S.INDIA.
May God add His rich blessings
Posted by: M.RAJAMANI at August 2, 2008
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