WHY I SIGNED THE PETITION TO SAY NO TO A BISHOP OF LONDON WHO DOES NOT ORDAIN WOMEN
I’m a lay woman in the diocese of Ely, and have worked and worshipped in the Church of England for decades, including in the diocese of Chichester. It’s taken almost that long to learn how our Church actually operates nationally, behind the scenes.
Recently I’ve learned that the conservative-heavy appointment committee for the Diocese of London has published its ‘Statement of Needs’, which says what sort of bishop it’s looking for. Specifically it does not say that it wants a bishop who ordains women. To most in the Church of England this might sound innocuous, but it is in fact both significant and dangerous.
This deliberate choice means that the door is being opened to appoint a man who, as they say, doesn’t ‘fully affirm’ equality for women in ministry - who does not ordain women, who does not receive communion from them, who does not recognise the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury, etc.
A change.org petition has been launched in response to this by theologian and journalist Theo Hobson, asking Anglicans to say that we want a Bishop of London who does ordain women. I’ve signed this, outraged that this could be considered for the leader of our national church in our capital city.
I know that the 2014 Declaration/Settlement finally permitting women to be bishops envisaged the possibility of appointing diocesan bishops who ‘do not fully affirm’ women’s ministry, but I can’t support this any longer, for these reasons:
1. Pastoral harm to women and churchgoers
Appointing a diocesan bishop who doesn’t choose to receive communion from women or ordain them signals, inescapably, that women's priestly orders are actually deficient. This would corrode trust and confidence, both for clergy and churchgoers, across the whole diocese. It would inevitably be undermining of the authority of women vicars and other women clergy in the eyes of their congregations.
Women would often be put off from applying for ministry roles in a diocese where they would have no choice but to receive oversight from someone who - in his heart – didn’t think they should be priests, be preaching, etc. This seems to have been what has happened in a couple of other dioceses where the diocesan bishop doesn’t ordain women, such as Chichester.
Imagine having a diocesan bishop who is formally trusted with the care of their souls but does not, in his own mind, view that female clergy can offer holy communion validly to their congregations. Apparently that would not matter: after all, we’re only the mere churchgoers, far less important than the bishop.
2. Institutional damage to the Church
The Bishop of London exercises considerable pastoral, spiritual and public leadership, and represents the Church of England at a senior level. He or she would have a seat in the House of Lords, part of our national legislature. Over decades the Church of England has taken difficult, slow steps towards the full inclusion of women in ordained ministry, reflecting a moral and institutional commitment to fairness and equality. A bishop whose personal views and practice project the idea that women should be kept under the authority of men in the Church would undermine the Church's credibility in the public domain, and its wider institutional commitment to fairness and justice. A man who opposes equality for women in the House of Lords would undermine our credibility in Parliament, and harm our standing as the established church.
3. Independent Reviewers’ recommendations for assessing the impact of appointing a diocesan bishop who does not fully accept women’s ministry have not been actioned
Two reports of the Church of England's Independent Reviewers on this matter have recommended work needs to be done before the appointment of another diocesan bishop who does not fully accept women’s ministry. Sir Philip Mawer's 2017 Review on the See of Sheffield recommended that work should be done on the fundamental pastoral and theological challenges that appointing a diocesan bishop who doesn't ordain women would pose for the ministry of female clergy, lay ministers and therefore congregations in that diocese. The House of Bishops accepted the recommendations. Canon Maggie Swinson noted in her 2024 Independent Reviewer's report that the Church had still, seven years on, not done the work that Sir Philip recommended. The Church’s latest meeting group on this, the Standing Commission, has produced a statement about supporting women clergy via Diocesan Advisers (DAWMs) but many big issues for clergy are still not addressed. And the issues affecting us churchgoers, the mere prayers and payers, are not even covered at all, and conspicuous by their absence.
4. The 2014 Declaration has been abused by those who limit women’s roles
Over the last 12 years, the terms of the 2014 Declaration, endorsed in good faith by General Synod and then the UK Parliament, haven’t been followed within the Church by those - primarily clergy - opposing equality in ministry for women. We’re told they represent about 5% of the Church nationally (though Church leaders no longer provide up to date Ministry figures). For example, cases keep emerging showing that PCC Resolutions excluding women have not been regularly reviewed; congregations and parishes have not been consulted - often not even informed - about their church leaders’ limits on women’s roles; women's discernment of vocations to priesthood have not been supported - and are even deflected; and there has been a widespread lack of transparency, even quiet secrecy, about the practices and arrangements.
On the other side, those wanting equality for women in the Church, who make up about 95% of the Church, seem without exception that I’m aware of to have abided by the terms of the Declaration.
Our Church leaders have known about this disparity, that the ‘mutual flourishing’ that the 2014 Declaration envisaged is not ‘mutual’ at all, but one-sided. They look the other way. The institutional omertà is almost tangible: it’s too difficult, troubling and embarrassing for the Church to admit to and address what’s really going on.
The 2014 Declaration, with its Five Guiding Principles, was intended to enable the minority who oppose equality for women to remain in the Church with dignity and assurance of a safe future in ministry. However, flourishing in ministry does not require preferment. Ministry is about servant leadership. Surely only ambition seeks preferment. It was never widely anticipated that the Declaration should provide a route to one of the Church’s most nationally prominent sees for someone who does not 'fully affirm' equality for women in ministry.
Organised action and pressure from a small minority of conservative evangelicals and 'traditionalist' Anglo Catholics should not be allowed to result in a cleric taking this role of national significance while espousing views that go against the theological convictions on gender equality of the overwhelming majority in the Church of England. Only public awareness and outcry can stop this now.
So please do consider signing the petition and share it as widely as possible among those who might also wish to sign. Please also let us at WATCH know your views and experiences of these issues too.
