Fulcrum Perspectives: Women Bishops Legislation
by Simon Cawdell
For those, like me who have long supported the Consecration of women as Bishops this has been an interesting fortnight. I believe this is right, just as much as I believe that we are a church that needs to be generous in the theological traditions it embraces. I genuinely value the input of my conservative evangelical and Catholic colleagues, even when I find myself disagreeing on minutiae of faith and practice with them. We share a passion for scripture and clear teaching that is central to my faith.
Thus in February I was pleased that we appeared to find a compromise that recognised there was a little more that could be given in the gracious provision that we wanted to make within the draft Measure permitting women bishops. I believe that what the bishops attempted to do in their meeting was to remain faithful to that commission, and on first reading they appeared to have achieved that very well. However as with so many complex issues it was only on a subsequent review that the penny began to drop in terms of what the clause 5 amendment might permit.
Whilst (as my own Bishop has pointed out in a pastoral letter to his clergy) the amendment does not mention the theology of ‘taint’ (that is to say that ordinations by any bishop who has ordained women are in particular doubt [and those of the women certainly in especial doubt]) it does very clearly enable the view that parishes and priests holding this view, widely held by petitioning parishes under the Act of Synod 1993 may expect a bishop of this theological persuasion. Thus they must be allowed the ministration of a male bishop who has never ordained women.
This therefore makes permanent in law the situation that has arisen since 1994 when the position of those opposed to the ordination of women is protected, in effect if not explicitly in statute. And this is precisely the position that General Synod has been resisting for the last seven years as the draft legislation has made its snails progress through the stages.
Sadly the evidence of the Act of Synod has been that in many places women have certainly suffered significant sleights, and had their ministry undermined. It creates the danger of women being permanently hampered in their ministry as bishops.
I am deeply conscious at present of being a man in a position of legislating for women, and over the next month I shall be listening very carefully to the voices of the women in my diocese as to whether this is something they want to accept now, or to wait either for the House of Bishops to look again, or even for a fresh Synod. For myself my view is in flux at present, as I suspect is that of many. I am minded at present to seek that it is sent back to the bishops to reconsider this amendment, but much will depend on the Synod arithmetic in July and the views of my electors. To lose the whole Measure now would, I believe be a disaster. But we are now in the murky world of realpolitik, and that does not always sit easily with faith or mission.
Pray for those of us on General Synod.
Simon is the Team Rector of Bridgnorth Team and Morville Group and a member of the General Synod.