How long will it be before we have women bishops in the Anglican Church? That was the question which sprang to my 
mind last night after meeting the Rev Rhiannon Jones in her parish of Great Wilbraham, near Cambridge. She looked stunning in her tight white jeans and dog collar at a fund raising Gilbert and Sullivan evening. She is also highly intelligent, charming, competent and much admired by her congregation.
I asked her about this as I thought she would make an excellent bishop, and because she is youthful, she clearly has time on her side. Her parish also has a woman curate.
Rhiannon sits on the General Synod, the national assembly of the Church of England, which is debating this controversial issue. Next month it will be debated again. Even if agreed, she believes it could take up to 10 years before women are ordained in this high ecclesiastical role.
More women than men were ordained as clergy in the Church of England last year for the first time since the introduction of women priests in 1994. Church statistics showed that 244 of the 478 clergy ordained in 2006 were women and 234 men. The Vicar of Dibley effect has been credited for this increase.
Wales and England are the only UK regions in the Anglican Church that do not allow women bishops. The Anglican Church in Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and the United States already allows women to be ordained as bishops.
There is still some widespread opposition among some traditional clergy, while some women clergy clearly feel discriminated against. The Church of England is exempt from the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
Christina Rees, who chairs Women and the Church, which campaigns for equal opportunities in the church, believes the lack of women in "senior leadership" roles sent a negative message to congregations.
She warned that some women clergy felt so strongly that they might be forced to take the human rights line:
"There are still people who don’t want women in the church and they’re making demands so they don’t have to experience women as bishops.
"There are women who feel frustrated. They feel they are unable to progress because of this law and these attitudes but they have no legal recourse. They will not speak out, either, because it is counter-cultural. But some people will be forced to go down the human rights line."
Members of Parliament’s Ecclesiastical Committee have now withdrawn their opposition to women bishops, even though it is feared this will dismay traditionalists and could lead to legal action from male priests opposed to the move, as well as a mass exodus of congregations and clergy to the Roman Catholic Church.
I would welcome Rhiannon, and others as competent as her, as a bishop. What do you think about women bishops? If we can accept a woman monarch leading our country, why can’t a woman lead the Church of England?
The only 2 influential churchwomen I can think of are St Hilda of Whitby and Pope Joan. It seems to have gone downhill since the Middle Ages
>Wales and England are the only UK regions in the Anglican Church that do not allow women bishops.
That made me smile, regardless of any views on the topic.
That would be 85% or so, then … plus (for semantic reasons?) the Isle of Man.
Matt W
I’ve never understood this prejudice against women clergy.
I can’t see the problem. As a former Roman Catholic it does dismay me to see anglican clergy and parishoners move over. It’s as if the Catholoc Church had an ad campaign along the lines of “Hate the idea of female clergy? Then join the church that it truly terrified of women – Mary excepted of course”
I don’t see why not. Rhiannon looks great – lively, intelligent, and very approachable with a lovely smile. Ticks all the boxes. Oh, and for the men, she’s very attractive. I would think she might really encourage people to go to church.
I hope it is soon too it can only enrich the Anglican Church ๐
She looks most capable for the position.
Christianity was largely spread by the Romans, certainly in this country. A large part of the Christian religion’s attitude is understandably formed by scripture and that reflects the culture of those who spread the word – the Christian religion advocates a patriarchal society. The foundations of early Christian misogyny รขโฌโ its guilt about sex, its insistence on female subjection, its dread of female seduction รขโฌโ are all in St. Paul’s epistles. They provided a convenient supply of divinely inspired misogynistic texts for any Christian writer who chose to use them; his statements on female subjection were still being quoted in the twentieth century opponents of equality for women. I have no objection whatsoever to a female Bishop but I won’t hold my breath and it would be tough on the first one in post. I wish her all the best. God’s speed.
Philipa beat me to it.
Scripture is clearly patriarchal in nature. Is what we have now Christianity any more ?
The other issue is why should youthfulness be a good thing for a bishop … or a politician or director for that matter ?
I prefer maturity in senior clergy.
Oh my goodness! Don’t get me started. Yes, here in Canada there are female clergy but certainly not in all Christian churches. Mine for example. And they don’t even allow women to be more than heads of the Sunday School for children or to serve in the kitchen. It has been a sore point for me for many many years. I finally left that church when the new pastor left over the same issue. He’d worked for about 5 years to get the Board to change their stance, but they would not. I don’t feel “called” to serve in any leadership capacity but I do know many women who would do a phenomenal job, if permitted. And I also believe that if Jesus were here today, he would welcome them with open arms. Too many Christian men take the Bible too literally and are too legalistic in their thinking.
When my friend’s father passed away about a month ago, the funeral was at a Presbyterian church. There is a female minister there and she was fantastic! Just as reverent as any male would/could be.
Kevin, Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. It is clear to me that Rhiannon is clearly gifted. I’m sure you would feel the same if you met her, which is why she sits on the General Synod. She is in fact 36 years, but has been blessed with youthful looks. So in 10 years time, she should have “matured” enough to be elevated in the church’s hierarchy, if women bishop’s approved.
Leslie, I had no idea that Canada was still in the dark ages regarding woman and the clergy. They are certainly missing out. And I do feel so sorry for the brilliant women who would like to serve the church and must feel so frustrated and demoralised by these archaic views.
Ellee, the faith is not a feminist competition.
Ellee,
I guess,as in most other professions, eventually the Church of England will find a process which elevates the best qualified person for the job. However, how this fits in with Christ’s recruitment of his Apostles will exercise the minds of the Synod and perhaps further widen the divide between the Established church and the church of Rome.
Thanks for your recent comments, times are quite trying.
Lesley, As I understand it, the Anglican Church in Canada does ordain women bishops, according to wikipedia, and I made reference to this with the link in my post.
I am not religious in the slightest but it seems archaic to me that women are still prevented from taking up senior positions. What amazes me most, I suppose, is that the women in the Church accept this and let it happen. But most things to do with religion are a mystery to me and I am quite happy for them to stay that way.
Yes, Ellee, there are women bishops in the Anglican church here, but there are so many other Protestant denominations here – Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite, Christian Reformed, Unitarian, United Church of Canada, etc. etc. And within those churches there are often “fellowships” that have different guidelines within them.
It’s not ‘wisdom’ with regard to youth that I’m on about, Ellee. More the conservatism that older people have – the patience and temperament for old ways and slow change rather than radicalism and wild experimentation. The willingness to maintain continuity.
I feel that Blairist youth has undone centuries of culture in the UK and latest manifestation is that today we lose Habeus Corpus – an essential pillar of our liberty and freedom. This is done as a panic measure against a foe which has thus far proven to be less formidable than the IRA and certainly insignificant in comparison to the threat posed by Nazi Germany. Neither Blair nor Brown nor any of our pygmy politicians were worthy to do this but they have discarded something people have sacrificed their lives for. I can see the same transformation happening in the church and ask if one thing is to be changed so radically then why not change everything ? Why not ? To the point that you take the letters of St Paul from the pages of the New Testament ?
Too fast, Ellee. You may not think so but the last 30 years has seen dramatic change in us. I think we’re open for ANY style of regime now – ripe for the taking. Things do not bode well for Britain anymore. The safeguards and securities we once enjoyed including deference to the Church are gone – replaced by misguided faith in the benevolence of our individual leaders.
Insightful comment, Kev.
Ellee, I’m afraid we still have some way to go. Under present rules, C of E parishes can opt out of having a female priest. They are covered by so-called ‘flying bishops’. Not only will such parishes refuse to recognize future female bishops, but they will probably refuse to recognize male priests ordained by these female bishops.
Meanwhile we watch our churches empty.
Best wishes, and I hope you enjoyed cereals!
The problem is looking at this just as an equal opportunities issue. The Church has to look at it from the viewpoint of the revelation from God in its scriptures.
Quite honestly I don’t know what the right answer is, however your own article shows some of the draw backs. If more than half of the new clergy are now women, it means that they have displaced a roughly equivalent number of men. That changes the character and style of the whole church ( queue argument about it being a good thing or not ) – whatever you think this has changed the church.
Men seem to have been a minority in congregations for some time, will feminising the clergy help ? Did feminising our education system help boys ? Not really, it had the exact opposite effect.
There are macro scale implications of this move which are not debated or understood well enough, as well as the theological issues.
Yet is played solely as an equal opportunities issue in the media.
What I fear is the break up of the Church of England and different groups make their claims on its failing prestige, but never stopping to think of why it is failing.
[…] in high office. The Church of England is currently in turmoil over the ordination of women bishops, an issue I first highlighted two years ago, the European Commission is considering introducing quotas to tackle gender […]