Episcopal Press and News

ENGLAND: Church publishes amended draft legislation on women bishops

Episcopal News Service. May 10, 2010 [051010-05]

ENS staff

The Church of England has published amended draft legislation that could pave the way for women to be consecrated as bishops, but not until at least 2014.

The legislation – and its accompanying 142-page report -- will be debated at the next session of General Synod, the church's main governing body, when it meets in July.

General Synod voted in February 2009 to send a draft measure on women bishops to a revision committee so it could rework the legislation.

That draft measure had two principal objectives: "to give the General Synod power to make provision by canon allowing women to be consecrated as bishops; and to set out the legal framework for the arrangements to be made for parishes which, on grounds of theological conviction, feel unable to receive the ministry of women."

A May 8 press release from the Church of England said the revision committee has met on 16 occasions over the past 12 months and considered 114 submissions from members of the General Synod, and a further 183 submissions from others.

"After much discussion, the committee rejected proposals aimed at fundamentally changing the approach of the legislation, whether by converting it into the simplest possible draft measure or by creating more developed arrangements -- whether through additional dioceses, a statutorily recognized society or some transfer of jurisdiction -- for those unable to receive the ministry of female bishops," the release said.

A measure is a piece of legislation that, once passed by the General Synod, requires approval by the British Parliament.

"Added to the measure are new provisions requiring each diocesan bishop to draw up a scheme in his or her diocese that ... provides local arrangements for the performance of certain episcopal functions in relation to parishes with conscientious difficulties. A further new provision allows such parishes to request, when there is a vacancy, that only a male incumbent or priest-in-charge be appointed."

Assuming all stages of the legislative process proceed without delay, the first woman bishop could not be consecrated until at least 2014.

"Once the revision stage has been completed -- and provided the synod does not decide that further work is necessary in revision committee -- the draft legislation will have to be referred to diocesan synods and cannot come back to the General Synod for final approval unless a majority of diocesan synods approve it," the church's release said.

The report of the revision committee and the draft measure are available here.