C of E General Synod: Women Bishops measure narrowly lost

“Following 12 years of legislative progress and several hours of debate during the 20 Nov 2012 afternoon session of synod, the Consecration and Ordination of Women Measure failed to pass in all three houses of the Church of England’s legislative body.” – Anglican Ink.

See also: Reform statement. Church of England. BBC. The Telegraph (1). The Telegraph (2).  Comment from Reformation21. EVNews. CEEC statement.

Also on ABC Radio’s The World Today. (Note that the while the transcript of ACL President Gavin Poole’s remarks says,

“I don’t think we should be surprised when those who halt the biblical teachings in the church appear out of step with the community.”

should be

“I don’t think we should be surprised when those who hold to the biblical teachings in the church appear out of step with the community.” It does change the meaning a little. ;-)

Dick Lucas gives thanks for Chappo

Wonderful words from Dick Lucas, past Rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate:

“…we join with friends in Sydney in blessing the Lord, who has now taken John away to be with Christ in glory, for giving him to us for so long, and for such grand purposes of grace.”

–
”Many at this time will wish to pay tribute to John Chapman, alias the unique and unforgettable ‘Chappo’. Allow me, as one such, to write very personally of a dear friend, a marvellously stimulating brother in Christ, a shrewd fellow worker and, of course, a superbly gifted evangelist and teacher. John knew his special calling, and, to his final days, was energetically gospelling and offering to all the possibility of a Fresh Start. This made his U.K. visits highly desired and valued.

Looking back, I recall another characteristic of Chappo – he was a great encourager of the brethren. I saw this in Australia at ministers’ meetings where John would always be present putting new heart and humour into everyone there. On one such occasion, when I was speaking, it was initially unsettling to have him lurking in the back row, making pungent and priceless comments sotto voce, causing a ripple of amusement to spread through the assembled company. With Chappo in attendance you had to be ready for anything, at any time!

As for his visits to this part of the world, when it was reported that Chapman was on the horizon, morale soared, and requests for his services poured in – this man was a tonic to have around. When in London Chappo often stayed with me. The day would begin with my calling him for breakfast, and delighting in the sound of his tread on the stairs, as he descended from his room on the top floor, humming, whistling, or otherwise making his happy noises, finally arriving, larger than life, full of cheerful talk, ready for the fray.

We commonly say of a person of note that we shall not see their like again. In John Chapman’s case I see this to be no less than the simple truth. As for his many friends in Britain, we join with friends in Sydney in blessing the Lord, who has now taken John away to be with Christ in glory, for giving him to us for so long, and for such grand purposes of grace.”

– Dick Lucas writes at the Proclamation Trust.

Evangelical and Catholic letter to The Times on the Women Bishops measure

The General Synod of the Church of England will vote on Women Bishops this week. A letter was published in The Times on Saturday –

“As active priests from both the Catholic and Evangelical groupings of the Church of England, we write to express our deep concern over the draft Women Bishops Measure. We believe that our future ministries will be severely prejudiced if the General Synod votes to approve the draft Measure…”

It was signed by The Rev. Rod Thomas, Chairman of Reform and Canon Simon Killwick, Chairman of the Catholic Group in General Synod – and 324 others. There are many familiar names in the list. John Richardson has the full text, the list of signatories, and some comments.

Related: General Synod: women bishop vote in balance (EV News from Church Society, 19 November 2012.)

(Photo: Church of England website.)

Some questions for the new Archbishop of Canterbury

Mark Thompson does us a great service by respectfully raising key questions for the next Archbishop of Canterbury –

“There is a great deal that is wonderfully hopeful in this appointment. Bishop Welby self-identifies as an evangelical. He is able to communicate clearly and winsomely. However, as he prepares to take up this challenging role at a very challenging time, one characteristic that has not been attributed to him is ‘courage’. So there are a number of questions which I would like to put — or at least have someone put — respectfully but seriously, to the next Archbishop of Canterbury.” 

Full text here – Read more

‘Cloak and dagger’ Archbishop of Canterbury selection

“The committee choosing the next leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans is facing growing discontent from within the Church amid clams that the long-running process has become a ‘cloak and dagger’ procedure.…

The first that the world’s 77 million Anglicans are expected to know of the identity of their new leader will be when the name is announced from Downing Street.”

– Opinion piece in today’s (UK) Telegraph.

Church Society urges C of E General Synod to reject Women Bishops measure

Church Society has written to members of the Church of England’s General Synod:

“…our Council and membership contain a substantial body of ordinands, younger clergy, lay leaders and laity all of whom subscribe fully to the Society’s position, such that their ministry within the Church of England will be threatened by the proposed Measure, if it is enacted. It would be immensely damaging to the Church of England and to our country if the ministries of such men and women were seemingly rejected by our beloved national church.

It would also put us significantly at odds with most of the provinces, and the vast majority of Anglicans, in the global Anglican Communion, who do not have female bishops.…”

– Read the full letter at Evangelicals.org.

Crown Nominations Commission — nothing to report

“This week’s meeting of the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) has been accompanied by much speculation about possible candidates and the likely timing of an announcement of the name of who will succeed Dr Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury  … There will be no comment on any speculation about candidates or about the CNC’s deliberations.”

– from the Anglican Communion News Service.

‘Church leaders pay tribute as Bishop Wallace Benn nears retirement’

The Church of England Newspaper has a report on the coming retirement of Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes.
(Photo:Peter Frank / GAFCON.)

BBC Radio 4 programme on women bishops

Adrian Reynolds at The Proclamation Trust writes:

Interesting programme on Radio 4 yesterday including a very high quality section with Andrea Trevenna from St Nicholas’ Sevenoaks. Listen here. Go to 16:38 if you want to skip context and go straight to her part. She’s very strong on the authority of Scripture. She pretty much was the only person interviewed who mentioned the Bible.

(Includes comments from Kay Goldsworthy.)

Reform statement on Women Bishops measure in the C of E General Synod

“Reform says ‘furore’ over women bishops shows need for better provision.

Reform Chairman Rev’d Rod Thomas said today that “Reform deeply regrets that we have reached such an impasse on women bishops” with the current House of Bishops’ amendments not satisfying the conservative evangelical network’s concerns over their future in the Church of England. …”

– See the full Reform statement.

Church Society response to the Church of England Submission on Same-Sex Marriage

The Church Society media release below refers to this submission (PDF) from the Church of England.

“Church Society Response to the Church of England Submission on Same-Sex Marriage

Church Society welcomes the Church of England’s official submission to the government’s ‘consultation’ on sex-same marriage, which argues strongly in favour of retaining the current definition of marriage as “the voluntary union for life of one man with one woman to the exclusion of all others”.  Read more

‘Is David Cameron about to force the Queen to break her Coronation Oath?’

Well-known UK blogger ‘Archbishop Cranmer’ looks at some implications of the British government’s proposals –

“The newspapers today are full of reports of the likely consequences to the Church of England of the Government’s plans to redefine the institution of marriage to include same-sex unions, contra the official teaching of Church, as established by Act of Parliament. The Report has been hyped, selectively quoted, misquoted and misrepresented by much of the media, so His Grace urges you to READ IT for yourself…”

– Read it all here. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

2,200 Anglican women say ‘No Thanks!’ to having a woman bishop

“A petition signed by more than 2,200 Anglican women who oppose women bishops will be presented today to the House of Bishops at the start of their meeting in York…”

– Media statement from Reform.

UK Advertising Standards Authority investigates blogger

This from well-known UK blogger “Archbishop Cranmer” –

“Apparently there have been a number of complaints about one of the advertisements His Grace carried on behalf of the Coalition for Marriage. He has been sent all manner of official papers, formal documentation and threatening notices which demand answers to sundry questions by a certain deadline. He is instructed by the ‘Investigations Executive’ of this inquisition to keep all this confidential…”

– Read about it here.

Women Bishops in the Church of England

“We all know there are within the Church of England those who conscientiously object to the principle of consecrating women bishops. Those people, both lay and ordained, have been reassured on many occasions that they are loyal, faithful Anglicans. They have been reassured there is a place for them – on some occasions it has even been called an honoured place – within the church. They have been told that that place will remain. So far, so good, you may think…”

– Church Society Council member George Curry points out some of the implications of the Church of England’s current trajectory – in the latest issue of CrossWay (PDF file).

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