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July 2, 2009Women's Ordination: A Crack in the Cathedral?
Female bishops outlawed, female priests tacitly allowed at last week’s Anglican gathering in Bedford, Texas.
After the Anglican Church in North America's (ACNA) momentous inaugural gathering, the verdict is out on whether the issue of women's ordination will inhibit the budding alliance from moving forward.
Last week more than 800 men and women gathered in Bedford, Texas, to elect an archbishop and ratify a constitution for the ACNA, a new alliance for churches that have left the Episcopal Church. Led by Robert Duncan, bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the ACNA comprises more than 700 theologically conservative churches with about 70,000 parishioners.
There were many central theological beliefs that last week's attendees could agree on in their constitution and canon laws, including the full inspiration of the Bible, the centrality of baptism and Communion to church life, and the authority of the historic church creeds. But for the time being, ACNA leaders have not reached full agreement on female priests. At this time, each jurisdiction is free to decide whether or not to ordain women, but jurisdictions cannot force others to either accept women's ordination or to stop practicing it. Women bishops are forbidden.
"For those who believe the ordination of women to be a grave error, and for those who believe it scripturally justifiable . . . we should be in mission together until God sorts us out," said Duncan in last week's opening address. "It is not perfect, but it is enough."
Religion journalist George Conger told Christianity Today that Duncan himself has ordained women priests and that all of his key aides are ordained women, including Canon to the Ordinary Mary Hays, who was profiled in last week's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Of course there is disappointment that there is less openness to the ordination of women among some," Hays, ordained for 25 years, told the paper. "But we are agreed on the essentials of the faith."
Julia Duin of The Washington Times reported today that only 6 of the 28 ACNA jurisdictions currently allow women priests. Duin spoke with the Rev. Travis Boline - Duncan's right-hand woman during last week's deliberations - who noted that even the conservative Anglican provinces of Africa are split on this issue: Kenya, Uganda, and, most recently, Ghana allow women priests, while Nigeria, Tanzania, and Central Africa do not.
Conger explained the ecclesiastical distinction between allowing female bishops and allowing female priests. "In the Anglican understanding, a bishop is a bishop of the whole catholic church, meaning that person should be acceptable in all places that the catholic church is," Conger told CT. "[The ACNA] can live with women being at the local level of priest, because a woman priest in New York doesn't do anything to the people in Fort Worth, Texas, who think it's contrary to Scripture."
"Bishops serve the whole church, and if the church is not of one mind, then it's not appropriate for women to be bishops," the Rev. Boline told Duin. "The global south has shown us a model of keeping to the main thing, while not being of one mind."
Since both human sexuality and the authority of Scripture are so central to ACNA's formation in the first place, it seems unlikely that the issue of women priests won't at some point cause the newly formed partnership to fracture. But Duncan stressed the importance of keeping unity - for the time being.
"Our adversary, the Devil, is interested in what is happening here," Duncan told last week's crowd. "A reformed Anglican Church in North America is one of the enemy's greatest concerns. He will try to draw us into old ways and old fights. It is essential that we stand together."
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Comments
I am impressed that they were able to come to the "each jurisdiction" decision. I am also impressed with their firm desire to keep unity and not let this separate them.
I do not have a problem with other Protestant churches who have split over this issue, but the rhetoric used in many of the debates make me sad. The way both sides of this issue seem to see each other is saddening. Those who do not believe in female ordination seem to lump all those who do together in the category of liberals who care nothing for Scripture. Those who do believe in women being ordained see the other side as unfeeling and sexist people who are stuck in the past and care nothing for the feelings and experiences of women.
Both sides have people like that, for sure, but in general both sides are made up by people who both care about women and believe that the Bible is the Word of God to be taken seriously. I myself fall into the category of those who believe that Scripture, rightly interpreted, does allow for women to be ordained, but I can see where other views are coming from.
Posted By: Anna | July 2, 2009 6:59 PM
It is good that the various churches can live with their differences. I just wonder: why couldn't they live with differences while still in the Episcopal Church? Why was it necessary to make a painful, divisive break in order to become a church that can suddenly live with differences?
Posted By: J. Farrell | July 2, 2009 7:25 PM
Because there is a difference between having different interpretations of Scripture and just having no respect for Scripture at all.
Posted By: Anna | July 2, 2009 7:29 PM
The ACNA position on women is actually quite compelling. All women may be ordained within some of the jurisdictions; All women may serve anywhere in any jurisdiction. So, it is quite possible that a woman can be ordained in one place and serve in a church within another jurisdiction 'on loan' so to speak. (The technical word is 'licensed'.
Posted By: David | July 3, 2009 7:46 AM
I changed my name as I see there is another Anna on these sites now. Okay, I thought the reason these churches left was over the issue of hommosexuals being ordained. Why all of a sudden is there an issue over ordaining women since that was not the reason for the breakup. Where is this coming from. Anyone have an answer.
Posted By: original Anna | July 6, 2009 9:21 PM
Original Anna:
It is a disagreement that has always been there; it is being made an issue by journalists and others who are looking for reasons why this new church might fail and go the way of the old one.
Posted By: Wolf Paul | July 7, 2009 7:54 AM
J Farrell, because it wasn't working in the Episcopal Church. Dioceses and bishops rejecting women's ordination have been pressured and men having objections to it have trouble being ordained and serving.
David, actually ordained women will only serve in jurisdictions where their ministry is accepted. Women priests from Pittsburgh, for instance, will not be licensed in REC parishes.
Posted By: Katherine | July 7, 2009 10:26 AM
This is why I am profoundly skeptical of the desire expressed by some to establish communion between the ACNA and the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox consider female ordination heresy. There will be no room for compromise there.
Posted By: Ad Orientem | July 7, 2009 11:48 AM
I was a delegate at the ACNA Assembly and the question of licensing women priests in non-WO dioceses came up. The clarification given to the delegates was that the bishop of any jurisdiction/diocese can refuse to license a woman priest and need not accept a letter of transfer for her or any other clergy the bishop deems unacceptable.
Posted By: Barbara Gauthier | July 7, 2009 1:28 PM
Okay. Thanks. This is interesting because women who followed Jesus and in the early Church served equally with men. By the time Paul came along, they could serve up to a certain level equally with men but couldn't be Bishops, etc. I guess I assumed the Episcopal Church was like my Church where women can serve all the way up. Well, it's interesting that after separating over ordaining homosexuals that the ordination of women or the changing of it within this particular church would even come up knowing the strength of belief of these people in the "new" church. I mean they separated from their main church over belief so I don't see why this demand for change would even be brought up. And yes, I so agree that the media is looking for the "new" church to fail simply because of the secular media's leaning towards acceptance of sin as normal and I include my definition of sin as out and out sex,violence on women in particular on programs, acceptance of foul language and the use of bitch for women, etc. etc. and not just homosexuality showing up on tv shows meant for "family" consumption now. Hollywood is so into teaching the acceptance and the appearance of what I just mentioned as "normal" that I wonder who is working in Hollywood, normal people or a bunch of perverts. And our media including the "news??" programs love it. Anyway, I got off of the subject. Good Luck to the new church and Paul was talking about women yielding to men in a particular church that was having problems with women out speaking and out ruling their men in that particular church, not all Christian woman who Paul meant to be equals with men. He was trying to get that particular church back to doing Jesus's work instead of fighting among themselves. Perhaps all churchs should remember this and not use Paul's letter to a church as the reason for putting women in their position in the church. Just me thinking, my point of view of course. What the "new" church believes, they should follow.
Posted By: Original Anna | July 8, 2009 12:32 AM
"...it seems unlikely that the issue of women priests won’t at some point cause the newly formed partnership to fracture."
I find it disappointing that this article is already dooming the ACNA to failure when they are clearly making an attempt to live out the old motto, "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity." I am quite impressed and very pleased that this organization has managed to find a peaceful compromise on this non-essential issue, and I pray that God continues to bless and guide the ACNA as it seeks to serve him fully.
Posted By: Esther | July 8, 2009 12:40 AM
Would Jesus really deny women the God-given role of being spiritual leaders? I can't see anything in his teachings that would lead me to say yes.
Posted By: Paul | July 9, 2009 11:14 AM
Good point, Paul. Thanks. After all, in a day and age when women could not even testify in court, Jesus first appeared after the Resurrection to a woman and told her to tell others.
Posted By: K. | July 9, 2009 6:17 PM
I'm not yet convinced that WO is "Non-essential".
1. If Gene Robinson has been quoted correctly in saying to Roman Catholic ordained friends -if you want Homosexuality accepted start ordaining woman.
2. My unanswered thought is this if WO had not been accepted would we have had the SSB issue today?
3. Is there a relationship to the across the spectrum mysterious decision by woman to stop wearing head covering
to the eventual admission to ordination.
4. All are equal! but equality is defined in two ways complementarion (equal but with different purposes) and egalitarion (equal with no differences )
5. A revue of scripture will in my estimation overwhelmingly support a complimentary position, whereas any scriptural argument put forth places egality in somewhat confusing terms. "Just the facts Mam"
6. Having said that history clearly indicates the need for emancipation of woman was quite necessary due to the undeniable failure of men to be obedient to God in their relationships. This unfortunately caused woman to break from their nature as well and the slippery slope got steeper and steeper. We are almost at a point were reconcilliation to each other and to our creator is almost out of reach.
7. The broad path that all of this has wandered down exists because The Church failed. As far as I can see in order to hopefully fill spaces in the pews She compromised over and over again. Each time diminishing Her purpose.
8. An example everyone is talking about "human sexuality". There really is no such thing. Sex, part of the unfolding creation came with clear and unarguable directions from the creator. Any deviation from that is obviously man made, erroneous, and should be anathema. In other words "Human Sexuality" is a red herring - one of the great cons played on mankind. by uno whoooo.
Posted By: Stuck in Toronto | July 10, 2009 7:08 PM