Church of England: Women Bishops - What happens next?

BY CANON DR. CHRIS SUGDEN
ANGLICAN MAINSTREAM, UK

The General Synod of the Church of England completed its revision stage of the legislation for Women Bishops in York on Monday, July 12th. The synod agreed to the following draft legislation:

There will be women bishops.

1. Current arrangements set up in 1993 for providing bishops for those who cannot accept the ministry of ordained women will be cancelled.

2. The House of Bishops will begin work on a Code of Practice on how to provide bishops for those who cannot accept women bishops.

3. The draft legislation will be sent to the 43 dioceses for their response.

4. Based on those responses, the legislation will be presented to the Synod in two years time for final approval when it will have to secure two-thirds majority in all three houses of bishops, clergy and laity.

Are there any problems? Yes.

The synod actually voted by a numerical majority, and by a majority in the House of Bishops and the House of Laity for a different arrangement-namely that proposed by the Archbishops that there would be statutory provision for "co-ordinate" bishops to look after those who cannot accept women bishops. This provision would have provided greater assurance by legal means to Anglo-Catholics and conservative evangelicals that they would have a secure place in the Church of England. the rest