Saturday, May 07, 2011

Archbishop of Canterbury appoints flying bishops

The Church of England is experiencing "much upheaval and uncertainty", the archbishop of Canterbury has said as he announced the appointment of two bishops who will provide spiritual and pastoral care for Anglicans opposed to female clergy.

Dr Rowan Williams said that the Rev Jonathan Baker, 44, and the Rev Norman Banks, 57, were taking up a "very demanding pastoral ministry" and would need prayers and friendship.

Provincial episcopal visitors – also known as flying bishops – care for parishes and priests who do not accept female clergy. 

The previous flying bishops, Keith Newton and Andrew Burnham, left the Church of England. 

They were among the 900 who joined the ordinariate, a Vatican initiative that allows Anglicans to convert while keeping elements of their liturgical heritage.

Their departures followed years of turbulence over what pastoral provision, if any, there should be for those who do not believe women should be ordained as bishops.

Mindful of the rows convulsing sections of the church, Williams welcomed Baker and Banks, describing them as "faithful and gifted".

He said: "They are taking up a very demanding pastoral ministry at a time of much upheaval and uncertainty, and will need our prayers and friendship as we work in the Church of England for a future in which there is full mutual respect and constructive work in mission to be undertaken together."

Groups within the Church of England have been campaigning for female clerics to become bishops without concessions that would undermine their authority.

But traditionalists and conservative evangelicals oppose the historic change, claiming the concept of women bishops runs contrary to doctrine. 

They have asked for extra dioceses or a male bishop who does not ordain women – measures that have been refused by the law-making body of the Church of England, the General Synod.

The appointment of Baker and Banks, however, gave traditionalists fresh optimism.
Forward in Faith said it was particularly grateful the archbishop of Canterbury had "demonstrated his confidence in a real future in the Church of England for traditionalists".

The spokesman added: "Given their respective ages, it is clear that these two appointments are in no way intended to provide terminal care; rather, they can be seen as the foundations of a permanent and equitable provision."

Statistics published last year showed that only 2.8% of parishes – 363 out of 12,894 – have requested the ministry of a "flying bishop".