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| Petertide ordinations 2019 Source: Church in Wales |
As predicted, women are gradually taking over Western Anglicanism. At the shrine of St David men are becoming a rarity as Joanna continues her policy of feminising the church in her diocese.
It is not just the feminisation. Solemnity has been replaced by a carnival atmosphere highlighted in many tweets following this year's Petertide ordinations. Dignity has given way to frivolity, mystery to madness. Just about anything goes.
There have been endless celebrations to mark women priests celebrating 25 years of women’s ordination giving the impression that the Anglican Church has become little more than a vehicle for feminism in a do-as-you-please religion.
Figures reported in the Church Times show that more women than men are going forward for training for ordination for the first time in more than 15 years. The total number of female clergy has risen steadily from 5310 in 2013 to a record high of 5690 last year, the total for men declined by about 860 in this time, contributing to the overall decline in clergy in the past four years.
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| "25 years on" Source: Twitter |
Figures reported in the Church Times show that more women than men are going forward for training for ordination for the first time in more than 15 years. The total number of female clergy has risen steadily from 5310 in 2013 to a record high of 5690 last year, the total for men declined by about 860 in this time, contributing to the overall decline in clergy in the past four years.
Meanwhile, those whose consciences prevent them from engaging in 'Churchianity' are advised to make other arrangements as best they can which generally means leaving them with no place of worship.
So much for the new, loving, friendly inclusive church.
Postscript [05.07.2019]
CoE General Synod Q&A — 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.
So much for the new, loving, friendly inclusive church.
Postscript [05.07.2019]
CoE General Synod Q&A — 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.
25 years of trying to ordain women but not one single priest has resulted from these sacrileges.
ReplyDeleteDanger- soon the church will be female dominated. The sacredness, mystery and otherness of the Church is evaporating as the process continues, and there is no turning back. The certainty is that in the eyes of the public the Church will be seen as no different from any other public body, without anything special to offer. Giving will be reduced as people - churchgoers included - wonder why they should contribute towards the stipends of the 'open door' candidates at the moment being recruited.
ReplyDeleteLW
If I wanted to be involved in a Coven then I would have joined one.
ReplyDeleteThis shower of charlatans and pretenders is not for me.
Pictures speak a thousand words. Some of these do. And it will be good to return to them in future years to find out which of the Sisters in Arms are still speaking to one another.
ReplyDeleteToday, in St Paul's Cathedral, there is an all-female consecration of those who will occupy the sees of Stepney, Huntingdon, Shrewsbury and Southampton. The only reassuring aspect of it is that the sermon will be delivered by Lord Williams of Oystermouth, rather than one of the Sisters in Arms. So there will be some orthodox theology, at least.
But the Stepney consecration is the interesting one; particularly in the light of last Friday's announcement that the Speaker's Chaplain, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, is to be the next Bishop of Dover (effectively, the Diocesan for Canterbury).
My impeccable Church of England sources tell me that Prebendary Hudson-Wilkin was being spoken of with an air of disarming certainty (not least by the Archbishop of York) as the next occupant of the See of Stepney. Not all the women clergy of the Stepney Area (some of whom appear in one of the above photos) were quite so certain. In fact, they were alarmed that one of their number, who had become aloof, disengaged and downright superior, might be their next area bishop. That another superior woman emerged as the favoured candidate was greeted with all-round relief. Clearly, Dame Mullally had 'listened' to the views of her sisters in the way that bishops do wehn they are determined to do their own thing regardless of the views of others. Talking of which, how are things developing on the Cathays church plant?
I digress.
Then, I am told, there was discontent (and much worse) that someone as popular (sic) as the Speaker's Chaplain had been overlooked for the job for which she was presumed to be the indisputable candidate. Indeed, one inside source told me, in less than ecclesiastical terms, that 'Rose is bl**dy furious.' This was rather confirmed by Pebendary Hudson-Wilkin herself at a dinner in Westminster on Friday evening. After being congratulated on her elevation, she was less effusive than she has hitherto been towards the current occupant of the See of London.
What campaigning, bullying, lobby, accusations of bigotry, and all the rest of it went on after the Stepney process was over to secure this elevation to the See of Dover, one cannot tell. But if I were a female cleric in the Diocese of Canterbury, I would be somewhat anxious. In fact, I think I'd be inclined to scan the jobs pages of a certain trade newspaper when it appears on Friday.
Let's leave it at that - and then return to these pictures in a few years time and see what story they tell then.
It would have been rather odd if Rose had been appointed to Stepney. There are those who have grave doubts about some of her capabilities already (which would not be news to the London diocese). Lest we forget that Sentamu had to nigh on go to the stake when his former Dean was in the running for Bristol (and it is rumoured that the long delay in appointing to the see of Oxford may have been due to disagreements between the two primates over a preferred choice of candidate).
DeleteDewiResistance
PP. Seen this article on Vatican art recently revealed. If it is true, the implications for women as priests is certainly in vogue.
ReplyDeletehttps://m.independent.ie/irish-news/girl-power-vatican-hid-art-that-showed-female-priests-38277210.html?fbclid=IwAR0Zj6YdrRGotqErEKLfCG934crZAbETuTbDSju_FhGuPwGBo7x7Arcq2tE
This is a serious question. If it sounds stupid well that's because I am dim...
ReplyDeleteWHY is it that women feel driven to destroy any sort of organisation that was designed for men / boys? I mean, even though we have Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, feminism dictates that females MUST be allowed to join Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. WHY? It is GOOD for males and females to have mutually exclusive "clubs" imho. That's just one common example but the same goes in sports too - even if a girl / woman can join a female football team, the cry "EQUALITY" goes up and males have to accept females into their midst (often at great cost and inconvenience to organisers). There was a letter in a magazine in my dentist's recently which insisted that although there are women masons, they should now be allowed to join male masons' groups too. You guessed it... a lady wrote it. But apart from the odd oddball or two, I never hear of boys or men rioting for the right to join the WI, Brownies, TWG... alright we have male members of the MU these days (though I don't really care for that either - yeah I KNOW you don't have to be a mother to offer mothering) but let's be honest, by and large rather like Isl@m-oh-faux-bia, the shouting and wailing and placard waving just comes from one group, claiming they "just want..." but are really angling for something deeper and more destructive. Do women ENJOY being in each other's company as men do? Or is it more about crushing and tearing down what the "other" has and enjoys rather than wanting to enjoy and "cherish" it? I seriously AM interested in this.
I guess the cries of, "Foul! Fascist! Sexist! Bigot! Will be aimed at me now (again). Or worse still in the eyes of many - "Traditionalist, Patriot.... MAN!
I think, David, that the kind of patriarchy that you are trying to defend here is something that Jesus came to dismantle. You were not ordained to be a priest in a club for 'boys'(or men) but to love others into the Kingdom of God. Patriarchy has not served that aim well and so it needs to be deconstructed. This deconstruction is a painful for men of a certain type because it asks them to give up their 'power over' women. My response is not aimed at calling you a bigot etc, it's simply the observation that when power is re-distributed along kingdom-lines, the fallout can be a painful one, and the letter you read in the dentists makes it clear that for some, asking them to give up that power can be like pulling teeth.
DeleteOh Pilgrimprogress, you've misunderstood a simple question and tried to raise it to a theological debate. The theology of the priesthood is not something to be compared with brownies and football clubs. I often wonder why I was called and ordained but I'm sure it wasn't just for loving people into the kingdom as you put it. Loving (as in mandatum novum) is what ALL Christians must do - I know that much. My feeling is that I am what I am (apologies to Popeye) firstly to "make present the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ...". This is all much higher in importance to the query I was trying to put to people here. I'm asking a simple question (perhaps I put it badly, I admitted I am dim) about a societal phenomenon. there is XX and XY. Both may and do have groups, clubs, organised meetings etc in and at which, the other (XX / XY) are absent. This makes for a short time each week or month in which either category of human can be in the company of their nearest peers. They can feel comfortable in their conversation and so forth and avoid (largely) offending those around them. I know I'm being simplistic here. This can work well for either group. NOW, rather than DEFENDING any patriarchy as you say, my question is WHY are the XY group comfortable with being amongst their "own", whilst group XX (often today) want to enforce a matriarchy in the XY camp? Why are they unhappy in a group of their same sex peers and why do they want to destroy the dynamics of the XY group that they want "membership" of? And why is this hardly an issue when the groups are reversed? I don't want to make this about theology or ecclesiology just ordinary everyday groups and the suchlike.
DeleteBecause for such females, their gospel is extreme feminine assertiveness, never mind what the Lord if the Church says. Some of them simply do not like men. Nearly all are of the same mind on controversial issues. Such thinking is warped. If God does not call them, who does?
DeleteRob
PilgrimP. It is not a case of 'power over women' and never was. 'Power redistributed along Kingdom lines'?? These are very strange thoughts. We have got ourselves, and our Church, into very awkward territory over women's rights, LGBT, gender-neutrality and the like, and it is difficult to see how such skewed views can take us forward in peace.
DeleteLW
Surely a case based on insisting women have exactly and fully equal, the same as, men. 'I want what you've got, and I insist on having it now! Gimme!'
ReplyDeleteNever mind if you think it appropriate or not, or whether in certain cases God may intend otherwise. 'We are wimmin and we want equality!'
What I find disaplointing is that many of them seem brainwashed with the same abhorrent ideology: gay rights trans gender lromotion etc.
Rob
Yes Rob. It's gone from wanting equality to demanding to be identical.
DeleteThe sport World Cups on now present a good example of their thinking.
ReplyDeleteWomen's football: the "separate development" feminists are in charge so it is a female-only zone - all pundits and presenters are women.
Men's cricket: the "equal numbers" feminists are in charge so it is equal numbers of male and female pundits and presenters.
This difference was so obvious to all that after ten days, all the women suddenly vanished from the cricket - like a whistle was blown and they all left en masse.
Evangelical Ed