One of the most senior women in the Church of England is urging supporters to
accept a compromise plan for women bishops insisting it is “the best that
we’re ever going to do”.
The Venerable Jan McFarlane, the Archdeacon of Norwich, said it was clear that
the plan due to be voted on this week is “imperfect” and would disappoint
some who have campaigned for years for the change.
But she urged them to back it nevertheless to demonstrate that it is possible
to “live together in unity even when we disagree”.
She posted a video message on the internet as part of a campaign initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to persuade waverers to back the measure.
The Archbishop stepped in amid signs that opponents of women bishops – who believe that female leadership goes against Biblical teaching - may be able to command enough votes to stop it despite strong overall support.
In what would be an historic move, the Church’s General Synod is due to vote on Tuesday to give final approval to a plan to allow women to become bishops.
The legislation includes a provision for those who disagree on principle to
receive the ministry of a male bishop instead of a woman, in an effort to
keep them within the national church.
The exact terms in which this would take place have been the subject of months of wrangling which forced the postponement of the vote in the summer and a special emergency Synod to be scheduled for this week.
In the final wording, alternative bishops would be chosen "in a manner which respects” their theological convictions.
Campaigners say this could amount to making future women bishops as “second class” bishops.
Archdeacon McFarlane said: “The legislation we’re being asked to vote on is imperfect. Let’s be perfectly honest about that - but it’s the best that we’re ever going to do, because we’ll never find a perfect legislation. We’re trying to hold together two opposing views. Anything that we do is always going to involve compromise. But might we allow this imperfect legislation to be a means of allowing God’s grace to shine through, and to show to an imperfect and cracked and broken world that it is possible, with God’s grace, to live together in unity even when we disagree?”
She said it important now both for the majority who want women bishops to make room for the minority who do not, and for minority to respect the will of the majority.
“We agreed to respect the views of the minority, and to wait a little bit longer, and to try to find a legislation which would hold us all together,” she explained. “Well, now we’re asking the minority to also compromise; to respect the views of the majority, and to vote in favour of this new legislation.”
The exact terms in which this would take place have been the subject of months of wrangling which forced the postponement of the vote in the summer and a special emergency Synod to be scheduled for this week.
In the final wording, alternative bishops would be chosen "in a manner which respects” their theological convictions.
Campaigners say this could amount to making future women bishops as “second class” bishops.
Archdeacon McFarlane said: “The legislation we’re being asked to vote on is imperfect. Let’s be perfectly honest about that - but it’s the best that we’re ever going to do, because we’ll never find a perfect legislation. We’re trying to hold together two opposing views. Anything that we do is always going to involve compromise. But might we allow this imperfect legislation to be a means of allowing God’s grace to shine through, and to show to an imperfect and cracked and broken world that it is possible, with God’s grace, to live together in unity even when we disagree?”
She said it important now both for the majority who want women bishops to make room for the minority who do not, and for minority to respect the will of the majority.
“We agreed to respect the views of the minority, and to wait a little bit longer, and to try to find a legislation which would hold us all together,” she explained. “Well, now we’re asking the minority to also compromise; to respect the views of the majority, and to vote in favour of this new legislation.”