From the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby:
We're here at Lambeth. Behind me you can see priests and indeed deacons from all over the country who have come to celebrate 25 years since the ordination of women to the priesthood began in the Church of England. We've had great fun, it's been a very happy gathering and we're going to press on."
Great fun and happiness for some but hell for others as the Church of England presses on, abandoning her commitment to 'mutual flourishing'. Such commitments are easily dropped after goals have been achieved.
Pressing on means
unpicking the agreement that let loose ordained women in the Anglican Church.
Pressing on means excluding anyone who does not conform to the new regime.
As strident 'Eves' seek their own fulfilment at the expense of others, countless 'Marys' who have followed the example of the mother of God, serving others rather than themselves, have been forgotten after nurturing the young in the faith and providing continuity in the Church for generations. They have been cast out by women who constantly celebrate their own 'success' on social media while leaving the vanquished to fend for themselves as best they can. Great fun!
The establishment is complicit. Mutual flourishing was simply used as a
device to win the debate in the same way that 'Shared Conversations' are being used to advance the LGBT+ agenda in the Church.
Figures published by
Anglican Ink answer the question put to the CofE General Synod,
Who has flourished under mutual flourishing?
Since the enactment of the legislation in 2014:
• 22 women have been ordained Bishop;
• 4 women have been appointed Deans
• 23 women have been appointed Archdeacons
• 31 women have been appointed Residentiary Canons
The diversity monitoring data for those appointed to senior roles since that time indicates that:
• 1 diocesan bishop;
• 2 suffragan bishops; and
• 1 archdeacon
identify themselves as either traditional catholic or conservative evangelical. However, the labels which people use to describe their church tradition do not necessarily correlate with whether they are unable for theological reasons to recognise the priestly or episcopal ministry of women.
In Wales the situation is even more dire.
In the latest edition of
New Directions, the former Chairman of Credo Cymru, Jeffrey Gainer, writes about the Church in Wales "Then and Now". He considers the challenges facing traditional Christians in Wales.
I quote:
"It should surprise nobody then that some younger clergy have gone elsewhere, some to England and some to other communions. The numbers are not large, but they are significant signs of the narrowing of the basis of Anglican fellowship in Wales where the bishops have throughout refused to provide any structural provision for traditionalists even though the innovations in sacramental life and teaching that they have promoted have made the inherited structures less unifying. The sense of collegiality between bishops and clergy is reduced in some instances and some clergy from Wales renew their ordination vows by attending chrism masses outside the province as result. This practice has developed after the Provincial Assistant Bishop, who ministered to traditionalist clergy and laity, was not replaced after his retirement in 2008. No theological explanation for this decision was given then or since; there was no consultation with Credo Cymru, the organization representing traditionalists. Recently, the relatively new Archbishop of Wales, acting on behalf of the whole bench of bishops, declined to meet with representatives of the same organization to discuss matters of concern and argued that the positions of both sides were evident. It was simply a matter of episcopal fiat again. Likewise, at the most recent meeting of the Governing Body, held at Cardiff, the archbishop stated publicly that the code of practice was purely in the hands of the bishops, and could be torn up tomorrow should they so wish.
"...the Church in Wales is similar to other Anglican provinces from North America to Australasia which have striven to commend their claims by accepting the social mores of the societies in which they are set and have ended up being ignored as offering very little that is distinctive. Especially since the major social changes of the 1960s all churches in Western Christianity have had to confront the issue of the extent to which they challenge or conform to profound change in attitudes and behaviour. As has been remarked by many, the fault lines in belief and practice nowadays do not run so much between denominations as within them. It might be supposed that Anglicanism with its inherited patterns of diverse churchmanship might be better equipped to face this challenge but that is a claim that is more optimistic than accurate. In fact, the Anglican churches have found that whilst engaging with contemporary culture they have been tempted to capitulate to that culture. Part of the reason may be that without a strong centre such as the Papacy, they are tempted to follow the model of provincial autonomy. The Lambeth Conference has failed to fulfil the role of securing eucharistic communion and mutual recognition of ordained ministries, a clear sign of a breakdown in common faith. After all, in 2008 a third of the Anglican episcopate did not even attend the Conference which also did not issue teaching, say on the family, as the 1958 Conference had done. What has ensued is a pragmatic acquiescence in provincial autonomy. In Wales this has led within a few years to unilateral innovations affecting the administration of the sacraments.
"Some may suppose that the recent rejection of a private member's motion at the Governing Body points in a different direction. It is true that Archdeacon Peggy Jackson's motion was heavily defeated after ten speakers criticised its attempt to bar traditionalists from access to the ordination process. However, what should not be missed is that not one bishop voted against this illiberal proposal and that two of their number, Joanna Penberthy of St Davids and Andrew John of Bangor voted for it. Moreover, the indications are that in Bangor the policy advocated by the motion has been the de facto reality for some time. In St Davids, a traditionalist parish with one of the strongest congregations, and with a significant ministry to children and young people, has been told that it will not have a resident cleric although it is still expected to contribute over £60,000 in ministry share. Another parish, elsewhere in the diocese, and one which did not ask for a male bishop to officiate at confirmation, will have a new priest resident in its parsonage after only a month's interregnum. This strikes many as anomalous, to say the least."
It is difficult to escape the conclusion that orthodox Anglicans in England and Wales are held in contempt for not conforming to this world.
