Debate continues over whether the same should happen in England
Churches around South West London have been reacting to the decision to allow female bishops to be ordained in Wales.
Reverend Imogen Nay, from St Andrew and St Mark in Surbiton, is ‘delighted’ with the decision.
“It gives encouragement to us in the Church of England who are hoping for similar legislation to be passed at General Synod,” she said.
“The Good News is that in this generation God is calling women to ordained leadership roles in His church. Women and men have so much to offer together in the leadership and ministry of the church and I look forward to the day when that is a reality in the Church of England.”
Following the landslide ‘yes’ vote earlier this week, the Church of England is now the only Anglican Church in the UK who are not legislated to accept women bishops. Female bishops are allowed in Northern Ireland and Scotland, although none have been elected yet.
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, stated that it made ‘no theological sense’ not to ordain women as bishops when they are allowed to be deacons and priests, and the Archbishop of Canterbury said there are ‘good signs’ the ordination will be approved in England.
While the decision has been met with a huge amount of positivity, controversy surrounding the issue continues.
Father Martin Hislop, of St. Luke’s Parish Church in Kingston, is unable to support the decision to ordain female bishops in the parish due to the strong belief that changes should not be innovated without the consent of the Roman Catholic Church.
“My position is that the Church doesn’t have the authority to do this without the concurrence of the wider Christian Church” he said.
“There are a significant minority who aren’t happy.”
Fr Hislop explained that everyone at St Luke’s has worked hard to ‘behave with one another with courtesy’ despite any fundamental differences of opinion on the matter as ‘there are two positions to be held with integrity’.
The issue is to be discussed again in England in November.
Photo courtesy of arbyreed, with thanks.
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