Anglican Church ‘On the edge of a precipice’

Photo: JOHN GILES/PA

John Bingham,  Religious Affairs Editor of the Daily Telegraph:

In his most stark comments yet about divisions over issues such as homosexuality, the Most Rev Justin Welby said the Church is coming perilously close to plunging into a “ravine of intolerance”. He even drew parallels between the crisis afflicting the 77 million-strong network of Anglican churches and the atmosphere during the English Civil War. And he likened the collective behaviour of the church to a “drunk man” staggering ever closer to edge of a cliff. Yet he added that many of the issues over which different factions in the church are fighting are simply “incomprehensible” to people outside it....

...At home he has been attempting to resolve the seemingly intractable disagreements within the Church of England over women bishops. But the worldwide Anglican Church has also been split between liberal provinces, particularly in North America, and more conservative regions for several years after the US church consecrated its first openly gay bishop. The Archbishop said the Church had to steer a course between, on one hand, compromising so much that it abandoned its “core beliefs” and, on the other, becoming so intolerant that it fractured completely.

Read the full article here.

On the "seemingly intractable disagreements within the Church of England over women bishops" this is because provision for so-called traditionalists is based only on promises. Why would anyone in their right mind accept such "assurances" when previous promises have evaporated?

If the Anglican Church is serious about making provision for those not able in conscience to accept the ordination of women, provision which is acceptable to them should first be agreed and safeguarded in legislation in good faith to avoid yet another sham.