Who’s in the frock?

After the General Synod of the Church of England voted less than 24 hours ago against the introduction of women bishops, the media chatter is of crisis. Blah. This hasn’t been kicked the issue into the long grass for a decade. Justin Welby will work very hard to have a success within five years.


Though the bishops (80% of the dioceses) and clergy voted in favour of the change, the majority of the general laity were opposed. This can be seen as the revenge of the conservatives as last year, proposals for compromise on a way forward were torpedoed by the liberal wing, insisting on either female bishops or nothing. In a way, the liberals have got their wish.

I don’t have a problem with women in the higher echelons of the church. I am served by one as my parish priest, though as Rochester Diocese didn’t want to surrender the leasehold on the vicarage, they denied her the title of vicar, saddling her with the cumbersome ‘priest-in-charge’. The ‘teaching’ by St Paul instructs that women are not to have such guidance over men but then he also says that, unlike men, women should cover their heads when in church and that almost never happens these days, even in the most evangelical of places. It’s been a constant and fierce struggle for ‘emanicipation’, going back to admission of women into choirs (driven by necessity as a result of world war) and letting them read the Lessons. The ordination of women priests kicked off a kerfuffle, causing many Anglo-Catholics to depart to Rome (though vicars kept their wives).

Archbishop-designate Welby will probably bring back the opt-out for certain churches of having a female bishop over them to ensure the measure passes (Rowan Williams tried the same but indications are that Welby has more force of character). The liberals will have to be content with half a loaf, which is better than none at all.