News

Recent Appointments

Future Events

Reports

• WATCH at GREENBELT
• London WATCH (click to open new window at www.watchlondon.blogspot.com)
• London WATCH
  
• Isle of Wight WATCH
  

Talks & Addresses

• WATCH Celebration 17 July 2010 – Bishop John Gladwyn's sermon (click to download Word doc)
• A report by Revd Jean Mayland on the presentation given by Canon Jane Hedges at 2009 WATCH AGM (click to download Word doc)
• Hilary Cotton talk 15 June 2009 (click to open downloadable Word file)
• Canon Joy Tetley AGM 2008 Keynote Address (click to open downloadable pdf)
• Canon Lucy Winkett AGM 2007 Keynote Address (click to open downloadable pdf)
  

Women Bishops in the Anglican Church (opens a new page)

13.09.11
Promises in 1993 – kept, broken or never made?

A report released today provides an insightful analysis of the promises made to opponents of women’s ordination as priests. As the Church of England moves towards legislating for women bishops, opponents are appealing to promises made in the past they claim have been broken. GRAS, the campaigning group for an end to gender discrimination in the Church of England, published the report which seeks to set the record straight over claims made in the debate around provision for those opposed to women’s ordination as bishops.
 
The Revd Rosalind Rutherford, Team Vicar in the Basingstoke Team Ministry and author of the report, says, “My research reveals what was actually proposed and promised when the legislation was debated in General Synod in 1993, and shows that these promises have been kept. I have also identified a case in which commitments made to preserve church unity have been overstepped, in an attempt to create a separate diocese for opponents to women’s ordination.” 

The report comes as the Church of England discusses how to implement the 2010 General Synod vote to move towards the ordination of women as Bishops. The legislation is being discussed by representatives across the Church’s 44 dioceses, requiring the approval of a majority of diocesan synods.  So far all 15 dioceses who have debated the proposed legislation have voted in favour.
 
The Revd Rosalind Rutherford’s paper, “Promises Kept, Broken or Never Made?”  will be available on the GRAS website www.GRAS.org.uk.
 
Contact:
Revd Rosalind Rutherford:     01256 464616
Revd Kat Campion-Spall:     020 3490 2719
Sally Barnes: 020 8731 9860  m: 07759343335

First woman ordained in Dubai

Our prayers and sincere best wishes are with Catherine Dawkins as she embarks on her new ministry in Dubai. The Gulf Daily News reported as follows:

'HISTORY was made in Bahrain yesterday with the ordination of the first female priest in the Middle East. Reverend Catherine Dawkins was officially ordained by the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, the Right Revd Michael Lewis, during a ceremony at St Christopher's Cathedral, Manama, She became the first woman to be ordained following a vote by members of the four dioceses of Egypt, Jerusalem, North Africa and the Gulf.

'Revd Dawkins, who previously served as assistant chaplain at the Anglican Chaplaincy in Aden, Yemen, alongside her husband Revd Nigel Dawkins, told the Gulf Daily News she was still overwhelmed by the decision. "I'm still reeling in the disbelief that it's happening," she said. "It's an amazing privilege for me. When I got married, Nigel was already serving as the Anglican chaplain in Yemen. The bishop there was very supportive of me coming to Aden and very happy to ordain me as a deacon to work in the church, yet at that time he said he was sorry but he was not able to have women priests."

'Despite this, Revd Dawkins always felt the calling to be a priest and was overjoyed when the diocese gave permission for the ceremony to go ahead. She will take up a post at Christ Church, in Jebel Ali, and her husband will take over the role of senior chaplain to the Mission of Seafarers. "The main work in Yemen was the clinic, but there are weekly services for foreign Christians – around 30 or so would come to the weekly service and it was a mixture of Ethiopians, Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos and Westerners," she said. "The church in Dubai has lots of Indians, so it's much bigger and the weekly services have got between 200 and 300 people attending, about half of whom are Indian and the other half a mixture of African and European nationalities. The church is really busy in Dubai, with a large congregation, lots of weddings and activities."

'St Christopher's Cathedral Dean Reverend Chris Butt said the ordination service had huge significance. "We are privileged to host this big occasion, not because it is just a Bahraini event but it holds significance for the whole of the region and this diocese, and it is a joy to be involved in this process," he said. "It is a sign of recognition in the wider church that women have a final role in the ministry of the church and not a secondary. It is also recognition of the gifts and special insights that women bring into the ministry in a powerful way." '

The Ordination of Women as Priests welcomed by Cyprus and the Gulf Diocese

Women and the Church (WATCH) congratulates Bishop Michael Lewis, and the people of the Cyprus and Gulf Diocese, for their warm and open-hearted welcome to the permission granted to them by the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East to ordain women as priests. In a recent announcement Bishop Lewis commented, "This was something the synod has wanted for some time and I am delighted to have this new opportunity". The ordination of the first woman is likely to take place in June.

Early Day Motion encourages Church to appoint women as bishops
Read Press Release here.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COVENANT
The proposed Covenant for the Anglican Communion. Download pdf here.

OUTCOME OF GENERAL SYNOD, JULY 2010

REASONS TO BE OPTIMISTIC

1. Synod’s decision is good news for the Church

• Synod’s endorsement of the draft legislation is a decisive step forward. It allows women to be bishops without dismantling the office of bishop and offers space to those opposed. It is a good and generous compromise.
• It relies on trust not legal separation.
• It is good news for the Church.

2. A Generous Compromise

The draft legislation is a generous compromise because
• Those in favour of women bishops dropped their insistence on the simplest possible legislation in order to include as many people as possible.
• Provision is made for parishes opposed to women’s ordained ministry to have a male priest and/or a male bishop via Letters of Request.
• The Code of Practice and Diocesan Schemes will aim to ensure that those male priests and bishops are in fact acceptable to the requesting parishes.

3. The draft legislation had overwhelming support – other ways of accommodating those opposed did not.

• The draft legislation proposed by the Revision Committee had overwhelming support from Synod (373/14).
• Other ways of accommodating those opposed were all rejected by Synod: separate dioceses (258/134), transfer (270/175), and co-ordinate jurisdiction (by Houses)
• The Archbishops’ Amendment for co-ordinate jurisdiction did not command enough support to succeed by Houses. Each House was significantly divided. (Bishops 25/15, Clergy 85/90, Laity 106/86)
• This draft legislation is the way forward that best unites the church.

THE NEXT STAGE

Discussion in the dioceses

• The Draft Legislation now goes to the dioceses for discussion and approval.
• When it returns to General Synod it will need a 2/3 majority in each house to pass.
• This is a very high threshold but is achievable with a Synod that properly reflects opinion across the church as a whole.

New Synod

• The final vote will be taken by a new Synod elected this autumn.
• Those opposed are aiming to stop the legislation by packing Synod with their supporters.
• It is vitally important that people who support the full inclusion of women stand for Synod and that everyone uses their vote wisely.

PLEASE CONSIDER STANDING FOR GENERAL SYNOD

You will not split the vote.

We can support you.

Papers are out already.

The deadline for nominations is 3rd September.

This text above is available as a Word document to download here (to facilitate easier printing).

Both sides compromise as draft legislation goes forward for discussion in the dioceses

On 12 July 2010 the General Synod overwhelmingly endorsed the draft legislation prepared by the Revision Committee with only a couple of minor amendments. After rejecting the ways of accommodating those opposed, that were debated on Saturday, Synod accepted the proposals suggested by the Revision Committee in clause 2 of the draft legislation.

After a moving debate, the motion was passed with an overwhelming majority; 373 in favour; 14 against with 17 abstentions.
Several powerful speeches made it clear the sacrifice that had been made by the majority who welcomed women's ordained ministry in voting for this compromise. "This is good news for the whole Church and we are delighted" says the Revd Rachel Weir, Chair of WATCH. "Synod's decision gives the Church a powerful mandate to move forward enthusiastically; welcoming the ministry of women at all levels within the Church whilst making space for those who are opposed to stay within our body".

Contacts: Revd Rachel Weir: Chair of WATCH 07815 729 565
Hilary Cotton: Vice Chair and Campaign Coordinator 07793 817 958
Sally Barnes: Media Officer 0208 731 9860 / 07759 343 335

Vote on Archbishops' amendment is standard practice

WATCH is disappointed that some opponents of women bishops are seeking to discredit the standard practices of General Synod after the vote on the Archbishops’ amendment yesterday. The procedure of votes being taken “by houses” is standard practice for many issues. It must be requested from the floor and supported by 25 members of synod. Once this decision is taken, the votes of each House of Synod (Bishops, Clergy and Lay) are added separately. A majority is required in all three houses for the motion to be carried. This ensures that all three groups are prepared to support a proposal and the Church can move forward together.

Ironically the same procedure was used in 1978 when Synod first fully considered ordaining women as deacons, priests and bishops. Although it obtained a majority overall, the motion failed to achieve a majority in the House of Clergy and therefore fell.

“It is important that we all continue to honour the processes of Synod and move forward in the light of the decisions they have made,” said the Revd Rachel Weir, Chair of WATCH. “ We hope and trust that the graciousness and attentive listening that characterised Saturday’s debate continues on Monday when Synod completes its consideration of the draft legislation.

Supporting the draft legislation represents a significant compromise for WATCH and others who support women’s ordained ministry: a compromise made in a spirit of generosity to make space for those opposed.”

WATCH looks forward to these proposals going forward to the wider church for further consultation.

Full Steam Ahead for Women Bishops – Church can move forward at last

WATCH is delighted that the Church has today affirmed its wish to appoint women as bishops on the same basis as men.

The General Synod, meeting in York, re-iterated its decision of July 2008 that when women are appointed bishops they will be in charge of their entire Diocese. Amendments suggesting that there should be separate dioceses for those opposed, or permanent flying bishops, or that parishes should automatically be transferred to another bishop, were all rejected by the Synod.

Hilary Cotton, Vice-Chair of WATCH, said, ‘We are absolutely delighted that Synod has stuck with its decision of two years ago and wants women to be bishops with full authority. This is good news for all women, not just women in the Church.’

Rachel Weir Chair of WATCH said, ”This has been an agonisingly slow journey and the Church has rightly wanted to do all it could for those who find this difficult, but we are delighted that Synod has made the right decision in the end”. Now at last the Church can move forward and accept the wonderful gifts of leadership that our women bring”

On Monday the Synod will decide what minor amendments to make. It will also be given the opportunity to vote for the simplest possible legislation, in other words that ‘the Church will appoint male and female bishops’. Arrangements for those opposed would then be entrusted to individual bishops under a Code of Practice that will be drawn up in the near future.

This is not the end of the journey. The wider Church will now be invited to debate the proposals and if approved General Synod will have a final vote on them in about eighteen months time.

WATCH opposes Archbishops' amendment regarding women bishops

The text of the Archbishops’ amendment on women bishops appears innocuously brief and simple. However, their proposed small alterations to the draft legislation hide some changes for the Church that WATCH sees as highly contentious.

In removing the reference to ‘delegation’ we are returned to the idea of ‘transfer’ of jurisdiction: a female bishop will have some of her job automatically removed as soon as she is appointed. This was rejected (as TEA) by the House of Bishops in 2006, and found unworkable in practice after detailed examination by the Revision Committee.

When it comes to having ‘coordinate jurisdiction’, the Archbishops appear to be seeking to create, in effect, two Diocesan bishops in each Diocese: one to minister to those who accept ordained women, and one to minister to those who don’t. This is a step further even than flying bishops. Such an innovation must not be accepted without serious examination of the consequences.

Senior clergywomen have written in the last week to the Archbishops asking them to withdraw their amendment. They say that the proposed amendment ‘brings dismay and despair amongst women priests, and many have voiced their reaction by saying how deeply undermining it is of their ministry as ordained women.’

WATCH remains opposed to the Archbishops’ amendment.

REV RACHEL WEIR SUCCEEDS CHRISTINA REES AS CHAIR OF WATCH

Revd Rachel Weir was elected the new Chair of WATCH at a General Meeting of members on 20th March. Two new Vice-Chairs were also elected at the meeting: Hilary Cotton and Revd Mark Bennett. Read the profiles of the new team below.

The Venerable Christine Allsopp paid tribute to the outgoing Chair Christina Rees and thanked her on behalf of all members for her long years of service to the organisation. Thanks were also given to Revd Charles Read who has served as Vice-Chair for many years and also stepped down at the meeting.

The new team is looking forward to the challenges of the next few months as WATCH prepares for the crucial debates in General Synod this July. But beyond July, WATCH will be broadening its focus. "We want to celebrate the gifts and perspectives that women bring to the church and affirm the renewal that their ministry brings to our corporate life" said incoming Chair Rachel Weir

BIOGRAPHIES

Revd Rachel Weir (Chair)

Rachel is a non stipendiary Assistant Curate serving in Oxford diocese. She read Economics and Law at Newnham College, Cambridge and then practised as a barrister before switching direction to study Theology.

Rachel trained at Cuddesdon for three years full time before being ordained in 1997. In the first part of her curacy, Rachel's time was shared between parish and national inter faith work. The second part of her curacy has been split between parish life and the life of WATCH.

Rachel joined the national committee in 2008 and was elected Vice-Chair in 2009. She looks forward to leading WATCH through the next crucial period.

Hilary Cotton (Vice Chair)

Hilary Cotton is a laywoman from Guildford Diocese and a member of Diocesan Synod. In 2002 she co-founded WATCH Guildford, and served on the national WATCH Committee previously from 2003-2007.

Hilary is passionate about getting more women into leadership, and has for 20 years been coaching women and running training programmes across the public, private and third sectors to this end. In the past few years these programmes have also been greatly appreciated by clergywomen as they move into positions of greater responsibility and breadth.

Revd Mark Bennett (Vice Chair)

Revd Mark Bennett is Team Rector in the Great Parndon Team in Harlow – a local ecumenical partnership. He studied mathematics at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, and worked as a forensic accountant with KPMG, and lawyers Leigh, Day & Co before training for ordination at Westcott House.

During his curacy in Leeds, Mark joined WATCH and helped set up the WATCH branch in the diocese of Ripon and Leeds. He joined the National Committee in 2005, shortly after moving to Harlow.

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RECENT APPOINTMENTS


Revd Dr Jane Shaw to become Dean of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, USA

Congratulations to Jane from all of us in WATCH! She was our Vice Chair some years ago when she was Dean of Divinity at New College Oxford. Since then she has served as Theological Consultant to the Church of England House of Bishops. At the moment Jane is Canon Theologian at Salisbury Cathedral and an honorary canon of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Her installation will take place in November.Follow this link to read more.

Canon Catherine Ogle becomes the third woman Dean in the Church of England

On 2 September 2010 Catherine Ogle was installed as Dean of Birmingham. She becomes the third woman to hold such a position - Vivienne Faull is Dean of Leicester, and June Osborne is Dean of Salisbury.

In a joyful, colourful service in her excellent sermon Catherine spoke of the lively Church in Leeds which nurtured her faith and her relationship with Jesus who affirmed her as a woman and recognised her skills. She spoke of Birmingham Cathedral as a place of prayer where one enters the holiness of God. She wished to maintain this vital role but also make it a centre for outreach and mission. She hoped it would become a meeting place with other Christians and people of other faiths who together would care for the city and the community.

The picture below left shows the three women Deans: June Osborne (centre left), Catherine Ogle (middle), Vivienne Faull (right).
The picture below right shows Catherine with the Chapter of Birmingham Cathedral.

First Woman Bishop in Finland

News has come from the Finnish Lutheran Church that they have elected Pastor, Master of Theology, Irja Askola (born 1952) as Bishop of the Diocese of Helsinki on the second round of the election, with 591 votes. She is the first woman to be elected as bishop in Finland.

Irja Askola graduated as Master of Theology in 1975, and was ordained as priest in 1988. Her home parish is Alppila. She works now as the Special Assistant in Theological Affairs for Bishop Mikko Heikka.

Canon Dr Frances Ward to be Dean of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich

WATCH member Canon Dr Frances Ward is to become the next Dean of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Cathedral. She will be installed on Saturday 16 October at 2.30pm.

Currently a Residentiary Canon and Canon Theologian at Bradford Cathedral, Frances is responsible for all the worship. She has also taken a prominent role developing dialogue between the Church and the Muslim communities in that multi cultural city and is currently writing a book on the subject. Previously she was a vicar in the Diocese of Manchester, at the other Bury in Lancashire. She has done various jobs in parishes and as an educator since she was ordained in 1989. This includes teaching for the United Reformed Church at the Northern College in Manchester.

This means that when Frances is installed there will be FOUR women deans in the Church of England – Catherine Ogle to be installed as Dean of Birmingham this summer, with Vivienne Faull as Dean of Leicester and June Osborne as Dean of Salisbury.

Canon Lucy Winkett becomes Rector of St James's Piccadilly

Canon Lucy Winkett is now Rector of St James's Piccadilly. On making the announcement the The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres said, "Lucy Winkett is among the most talented priests in her generation in the Church of England. I am delighted that after such a fruitful ministry at St Paul's Cathedral she will be moving to Piccadilly to work with a gifted and diverse congregation.”

We too would like to send our heartiest congratulations to Lucy on her appointment. We wish her well and much joy in her new role.

Two more Women bishops in the Anglican Communion

The Revd Canon Diane Jardine Bruce became the first woman elected a bishop in the Diocese of Los Angeles on 4 December 2009, pending the required consents.

"Diane is a skilled pastor and a proven leader," said Los Angeles diocesan Bishop Jon Bruno. "Her gifts and expertise are major assets in this diocese and the wider church and I am delighted with the opportunity for us to continue to serve together in new ways."








The 114th annual convention of the Diocese of Los Angeles made history for the second time in as many days on 5 December 2009, electing an openly gay candidate, the Revd Mary Douglas Glasspool, as bishop suffragan, pending the required consents from the majority of the church's other dioceses.

"I'm very excited about the future of the whole Episcopal Church, and I see the Diocese of Los Angeles leading the way into that future," Glasspool said after the election. "But just for this moment, let me say again, thank you, and thanks be to our loving, surprising God."

Glasspool is the second openly gay partnered priest to be elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church. The first was Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who was elected in 2003.

Now in April 2010 we have the news that these two women's elections as bishops have been confirmed so they were consecrated on 15 May 2010.

Another Woman bishop – and a second for Cuba!

In a service described as “full of life and energy,” the Revd Griselda Delgado del Carpio, 55, was consecrated on 7 February 2010 as the new co-adjutor Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Cuba. 

'Hers is a theology of hope'
The pews at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Havana were packed as about 400 people – busloads from parishes where Bishop Delgado had served as priest – gathered for the four-hour service. 

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (pictured left with the new bishop), Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, primate of The Episcopal Church, and Archbishop John Holder, the new primate of the Church of the Province of the West Indies, celebrated the Eucharist as members of the Metropolitan Council of Cuba. (The Council has overseen the Cuban church since it separated from The Episcopal Church in 1967 because of difficult relations between the governments of Cuba and the United States.)

The Episcopal Church of Cuba already has the Rt Revd Nerva Cot Aguilera serving as a suffragan bishop.

This brings the total of women bishops in the Anglican Communion to 26.  Some of these are retired.

New Canadian Bishop

We are delighted to hear that Revd Barbara Andrews has been appointed as the new Suffragan Bishop for the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior in Canada.

Ever since she was ordained a priest in 1998, Barbara Andrews said she had always served the Anglican Church of Canada "kind of on the fringe of the church." That all changed in June, when she became the new suffragan (assistant) bishop for the Kamloops-based Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior (APCI). Until her election as bishop, she had worked as executive director of the Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre in British Columbia.

Prior to that she served as a director of Christian education, and had been in street ministry for four years in an inner city parish in Winnipeg. In an interview, Bishop Andrews said her experience puts her "in a unique position because I come from a totally different experience and point of view."

This brings to 25 the total number of women bishops in the Anglican Communion: 2 in New Zealand, 2 in Australia, 5 in Canada, 1 in Cuba and 15 in USA. 19 are currently serving while 6 have retired; these 6 include 2 who are still acting as Assistant Bishop in their Diocese.

Some recently appointed Women Bishops:



From left to right:
Right Reverend Barbara Darling is Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Melbourne, Province of South Australia
Right Reverend Kay Goldsworthy is Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Perth, Province of Western Australia
Right Reverend Jane Alexander is Bishop of Edmonton, in the Diocese of Edmonton, Canada

Recent appointments in the Church of England

Congratulations to WATCH member Paula Gooder who is now Lay Canon of Salisbury Cathedral. If you get the Church Times you will have been reading extracts from her book This Risen Existence.
Paula used to be our Book Reviews editor for OUTLOOK. She is Canon Theologian of Birmingham Cathedral, Hon Lecturer of the University of Birmingham, and Associate Lecturer of St Mellitus College, London already!

Congratulations to Revd Christine Wilson, who is now Archdeacon of Chesterfield in the Diocese of Derby. More info is available at www.derby.anglican.org/news/?i201
This brings to fifteen the number of women Archdeacons in the CofE.

Congratulations to Nikki Arthy (Nicola Arthy), Team Vicar in the Winchcombe Team Ministry, who is Priest in Charge of the Gloucester City Benefice and Honorary Canon of Gloucester. Nikki was on our WATCH Committee for a number of years and has written the Prayers on our Prayer cards.

Revd Canon Dr Judy Hunt, a member of WATCH, is Archdeacon of Suffolk in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich.

First woman Bishop in Great Britain
The Lutheran Church of Great Britain consecrated the Revd Jana Jeruma-Grinberga Bishop on 17 January 2009 in the church of St Anne and St Agnes in the City of London. Jana is the first woman to be a bishop in the Lutheran Church of Great Britain. However, female bishops are not unusual in the Lutheran Church. Jana was chosen by her peers, many of whom are members of the Anglican Lutheran Society. There is much joy and anticipation about Jana's consecration.

The first three women ordained priest in the Province of the Indian Ocean - Madagascar
For more details click here

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FUTURE EVENTS

REPORTS


WATCH at GREENBELT 2010

WATCH stepped into the unknown this year – in faith – by hiring a double sized space at the Greenbelt Festival in Cheltenham over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

For those who don’t know Greenbelt, it is a Christian Festival focusing on open exploration of faith with particular interest in justice and the place of the arts in Christian discipleship. It’s a very vibrant and ‘full on’ experience (21,000 people go) and many Christians particularly clergy find it a very stimulating and encouraging place to spend August Bank holiday weekend – despite the hardships of camping!

We were very fortunate that Lindsay Southern did the pre-Festival admin which was quite onerous at times and then heroically set up our stall before the rest of us arrived on Friday. She really deserves a huge vote of thanks from the committee for doing this at a very busy time for her both personally and professionally – thanks also to Hannah Southern (age 12) for being such a help.

The stall was staffed by Rachel, Hilary and Lindsay with evening support from Paul and Caroline Edelin. We were lucky that other WATCH stalwarts also volunteered to cover which allowed the committee members a break.

As well as the WATCH notice boards, our main focus was on the cope project – designing patchwork squares to decorate a cope for the first female bishop. Dee Coulton-Ball who is a professional vestment maker had made up a cope in Calico and Lindsay brought a tailor’s dummy and visitors to our stall decorated pieces of paper with words or images of what women bishops will mean to them. One of my favourites was a simple message ‘Amor Vincit Omnia’. We hope to get some of these drawings onto our website/facebook in due course. This was a very popular activity – particularly amongst the teenagers.

Those of us staffing the stall had many very interesting conversations with passers by and supporters and we were visited by Lucy Winkett and Joanna Collicutt McGrath and two bishops! We distributed more than 50 membership forms – 13 of which were filled in there and then.

One of the other benefits of our presence was that we received several offers of help for key roles in WATCH and were able to talk to the people and get a feel for them before taking things further. One
particular success was meeting up with Dot Gosling who is a curate at Chester Cathedral and has volunteered to run our Facebook and Twitter activities. We also had offers from two people willing to re-design/run our website as well as someone with marketing experience and a professional copywriter willing to help us out.

So although this was an expensive investment both in terms of finance and in terms of the time of the committee members involved, it has been very successful in raising our profile, getting new members and making new contacts. We have learned some lessons and have ideas about how to make things even better in future. Those involved hope that WATCH stall at Greenbelt will become a regular feature of our calendar. But for that we will need a dedicated team working towards this throughout the year.

‘Networking’ aka chatting at Greenbelt Left to right: Joanna Collicutt-McGrath, Hilary Cotton, Lindsay Southern, Hannah Southern, Hannah Cleugh, and far right, Dee Coulton Ball and Judith Maltby		Feeling rather jaded by Monday! Hannah & Lindsay Southern, Rachel Weir

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We now have our own Blog spot where you can comment on our posts and events. If you would like to add a new post – in the first instance email sarah@sarahlamming.com. The blog can be found at www.watchlondon.blogspot.com Please make good use of it.

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ISLE OF WIGHT WATCH

Our AGM and fourth Annual Lecture (‘Signs of the Times’) was held on 15th May 2010 in Newport. The Chair reported that WATCH has had a very busy year, both nationally and locally. The changes in personnel and structure at the centre mean changes for us, locally, as we monitor progress of legislation through General Synod and Diocesan Synod. Our Chair is to speak at both Deanery Synods at their next meetings to remind them of the importance of September’s elections to General Synod. We paid tribute to our recently retired Bishop, Kenneth Stevenson, who turned Portsmouth Diocese round in favour of ordained women and appointed Caroline Baston as our brilliant Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight. We look forward to welcoming Bishop Christopher Foster and his wife, Revd Sally in September. We thanked our retiring Secretary, Betty Reed, who, aged 80, continues to fly the flag for us at her F-in-F parish church in Ryde. We are pleased to welcome Terrie Burland (new secretary) and Sam Sartain (Steering group member) to our committee, both of whom responded to our call for computer-literate supporters. We wish to pursue the idea of an inter-branch/HQ computerised link accessible by members/ supporters everywhere, as raised at the EGM in London.

We were delighted to welcome Revd Jean Mayland as this year’s Speaker. Jean’s lecture was, as expected, inspirational and erudite. Jean reminded us that, worldwide, women are the poorest of the poor, and frequently suffer violence and oppression, many being veiled and hidden away, yet in our own country, bishops in the House of Lords, led opposition to improvements in Equal Opportunities legislation at the end of the last Parliament. Historians reviewing common themes of revival and decline in the church would recognise ‘the inward-looking mood’ of our leaders who defend inherited teachings and practices instead of paying attention to the spiritual needs of the society around them: a sure sign of decline. New possibilities for women as Bishops are among the countless opportunities for new life which will move the Church towards revival. As an ecumenist, Jean reminded us that the Free Churches have been better at reading the signs of the times than our own, and contrasted the Roman Catholic opposition which has triggered WOW and CWO movements. She noted that the most non-hierarchical churches were quickest to recognise the ‘essential equality’ of men and women and place it at the core of their belief and practice. The Orthodox Church, while recognising the order of Women Deacons to be an ‘undeniable part of the tradition’ has yet to revive that order, mainly because of the reactionary backlash occurring in the Russian Church after the fall of Communism: women must be ‘patiently impatient’.

Turning to the draft legislation coming to General Synod, Jean particularly mentioned Clause 5, saying Bishops should be joined by senior women, clergy and lay, when formulating the Code of Practice. In 1992, Bishops considered a Code of Practice and came up with the Act of Synod! The reference in Clause 7 to exemptions to the Equality Act underscores the Church’s continued willingness to discriminate against women. We pray that Bishops and Archbishops remember that God created humankind, male and female, in his own image.
Annis Fessey

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