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 "Yes” to Women Bishops, but not at any price"

In an outspoken statement sent last week to all bishops in the Church of England, well over half of all licensed women clergy called for no further delay on women bishops, but also, for no further discrimination written into the legislation. We understand that the letter had a "significant" effect on the discussions in the House of Bishops. The covering letter, dated 11th May 2008, is signed by Jane Hedges, Canon Steward at Westminster Abbey, Rosemary Lain-Priestley, Secretary of the National Association of Diocesan Advisors in Women's Ministry and Lucy Winkett, Canon Precentor at St Paul's Cathedral and nearly 1000 other ordained women.

THERE IS NOW A PETITION FOR MALE CLERGY AND A PETITION FOR LAITY TO SIGN. The accompanying invitation reads

AN INVITATION TO MALE CLERGY

FROM: The Deans of Bristol, Durham, Manchester, Southwark and St Edmundsbury

TO: Male clergy and retired bishops of the Church of England

Greetings! You are invited to read the statement below (and also attached) and to add your signature to the on-line petition. This petition is for male clergy and retired bishops to sign. It is not for serving bishops.

The website for the petition for male clergy is <http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/19569.html>

www.gopetition.co.uk/online/19569.html

There is a separate website for lay people to sign and show their support for the letter from the women clergy to the House of Bishops. The website for the petition for lay people is <http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/19571.html> www.gopetition.co.uk/online/19571.html

Please send these website links to any of your friends and colleagues whom you believe should be made aware of their existence. If they are not equipped with a computer please enable them to sign by offering them the facility of doing so via your computer. If you feel you are unable to sign, thank you for reading this and for considering doing so.

A STATEMENT FROM MALE CLERGY TO THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS

We welcome the letter sent in early May by our women clergy colleagues to the House of Bishops of the Church of England. In common with them, we support the Simplest Statutory Approach outlined in the Report of the Women Bishops Legislative Drafting Group (GS 1685). The letter, signed by over 500 clergy women within two days, has accumulated even more support since it was published and is now approaching a thousand signatures. We wish the House of Bishops to be aware how strongly our women colleagues are supported by us, their male counterparts in the ministry of the Church. We emphasise our agreement that the price of having arrangements spelt out in law for those opposed to women bishops is too high and we would add that the language of 'safeguards' is offensive. Any such legislation would enshrine discrimination against women within the ordained ministries of the Church, which we would find unacceptable. Twenty years' experience in the provinces of the Anglican Communion where there are women bishops has shown tried and tested ways to meet graciously and generously the concerns of those who remain opposed to women's ordination. In none of the 15 provinces that have voted to have women as bishops has discriminatory legislation been included. We are confident that acceptable non-statutory arrangements can be devised.

We point out that many ordained men supported the ordination of women to the priesthood from the outset; significantly, many others have changed their minds over the past fourteen years. We value the ministry and collegiality of female clergy as much as that of our male colleagues; parishes and congregations have been enriched and assisted, cathedrals have benefited from the addition of women to their Chapters, and most congregations are bemused that any further hesitation and prevarication is even being considered. They know the good fruits of a priesthood inclusive of both women and men.

We urge the House of Bishops to give a clear and positive lead in the General Synod that the simplest statutory approach is all that is required to enable the ordination of women to the episcopate, something for which the Synod has already shown its support. We believe this will have widespread approval within our congregations and in both Houses of Parliament. We also believe that having women as well as men serving as bishops will be beneficial to all our work and that it will result in greater unity and integrity within our Church and greater credibility in our mission and ministry. We consider that any further delay or any compromise in legislation would be deleterious to our mission and evangelism. We are also aware that some men themselves may well refuse ordination to the episcopate if the Church chooses to be discriminatory in its acceptance of women as bishops.

We appreciate the patience and generosity expressed by our sisters in Orders and we urge that the time is right for a formal and simple extension of their ministries to include episcopacy as soon as possible.

We sign this letter in a spirit of solidarity in faith and work with our female colleagues and we pray for wisdom, clarity and courage for our (all male) House of Bishops.

June 2008

The monthly Inclusive Church Newsletter is being revamped. And we need YOU!

We want to include resources to help us all promote the expression of the generous love of God in an inclusive and open-hearted Church.

If you have written an article on Inclusion for your Parish Magazine, composed some Inclusive intercessions, preached an Inclusive Sermon, or expressed Inclusion in some new and exciting way that we haven't even thought of - please share it with us. Right now we are looking for collects to help us pray our way through the Lambeth Conference. (Any material sent may be included on our web site as well as the newsletter, and by sending it you also grant us permission to use it in any future compilations of Inclusive Resources.)

News of Lambeth

Thank you to everyone who signed on with photographs to help at Lambeth on the stall. It was a tremendous response - 50 people!

There is lots more to do , stewarding functions , helping at the communications centre, so please email me if you would still like to help but know that you couldn't get a photograph to me in time. We particularly need welcomers, makers of drinks and buyers of cakes, and people experienced at leading evening prayer.

And if you can SING can you come to the Eucharist on Saturday 26th July , 6.00pm - 10pm with party?

Contributing Prayers to Lambeth

Please note John Plant's Notice and contribute prayers. Inclusive Church is praying through Lambeth at 5.00pm each day in St Stephen's Church, Hales Place, and there will be a review of the day afterwards and supper for those who come. But we also want the prayers to be used across the Communion each day wherever we have links and supporters

Living Christianity - Where is it now?

By now you will know that Living Christianity is the name of the first module of a course being established by IC in Christian Basics, using inclusive methods of study and the experience of all in the group to explore a theme. Work is continuing with 3 courses in the London Diocese after 3 in Southwark before Easter. But the course needs serious editing (if you are doing it or willing to put it on soon constructive criticisms absolutely necessary so DO FEED BACK) and then some concentrated work on presentation to bring it up to ALPHA standards. There will be a taster pack at Lambeth.

Communication, communication, communication……………

1. By the start of July we will have a Lambeth Fringe timetable to send to Synod. It is for you too both to see and to use to persuade friendly bishops to attend Fringe events during their time in Canterbury. It is not a big Fringe this time so the events organised by the Inclusive Church Network (ie us and our partner groups) take up a large and we hope friendly and influential part in the whole.

2. By mid July there will be available to you and the Lambeth Conference Stall a timetable of Inclusive Church events over next year. We hope that while some will certainly be in London others will take place further afield for more supporters to be able to come

3. Lucy is still editing her DIG talk but it is coming and will be available with others on the IC stall at Lambeth and on the WEB. CH.

 

Please write to your Bishop(s) and Archbishop to urge them "to live out the promise of the Gospel; to celebrate the diverse gifts of all members of the body of Christ; and in the ordering of our common life to open the ministries of deacon, priest and bishop to those so called to serve by God, regardless of their sex, race or sexual orientation."

 

We would also like to produce a collect for each day of the Conference (to fit with the theme). That way people would be able to use them in daily prayer. The collects will be available to download as a .pdf before Lambeth.

Please, please help us and send prayers and collects so that we can edit them and fill in any gaps.

We need submissions by second week of June. Please send them to John Plant at jplant@leicester.anglican.org

The themes for the days are as follows:

17-19 July: Bishops' Retreat

20 July: Sunday celebration in Canterbury Cathedral

21 July: Celebrating Common Ground: the bishop and Anglican identity.

22 July: Proclaiming the Good News: the bishop and evangelism

23 July: Transforming Society: the bishop and social injustice

24 July: London Day (the Bishops will visit Lambeth Palace and by Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace)

25 July: Discerning our Shared Calling: the bishop, other churches and God's mission

26 July: Safeguarding Creation: the bishop and the environment

27 July: Canterbury Day

28 July: Engaging with a multi faith world: the bishop, other religions and Christian witness

29 July: Equal in God's sight: when power is abused. This day will be held jointly with the Spouses' Conference.

30 July: Living under scripture: the bishop and the bible in mission

31 July: Listening to God and each other: the bishop and human sexuality

1 August: Fostering our common life: the bishop, the Covenant and the Windsor Process 1

2 August: Fostering our common life: the bishop, the Covenant and the Windsor Process 2

3 August: Closing sessions, celebrations and farewell

The list of Churches to sign up to the Inclusive Church is being renewed. We are aiming to havea country-wide directory of inclusive churches. If your church would like to be included here, please send us an e-mail via the link below. We'll get back to you asking for a copy of the PCC minute supporting the IC Statement, and further contact details. Please do this even if you have already signed the Petition so that we know you remain keen to be included.

Rebuilding Communion, Who Pays the Price?;edited by Peter Francis - publisher MONAD

This short but detailed book, subtitled "From the Lambeth Conference 1998 to the Lambeth Conference 2008 and beyond" describes the current situation in the Anglican Communion. It begins with a whistle stop tour of 'the story so far' and then branches out to hear voices from around the world. (I was stunned to read that the first conference of Changing Attitudes Nigeria attracted over 1,000 participants!). The third section of the book lays out positive ways forward for Anglicanism.
Informative, heartbreaking, depressing, challenging and inspiring. It's what every bishop should read before Lambeth. Buy it now (before its out of date!)

Exploring Diversity by the Sexuality Group of the Third Order Society of St. Francis

This is the Second Edition of Exploring Diversity. It consists mostly of personal stories, then a reflection, an essay and the text of John Bell's Thought for the Day. It concludes with resources to turn the booklet into a series of workshops. Well worth a look!

Room With a View,  by Nick Holtam  SPCK

You probably know that the wonderful development of St Martin in the Field's opened very recently.  Nick Holtam, the vicar and a trustee of IC,  has written a book which was launched at the same time.  Alan Jones, the Dean of Grace Cathedral,  California, says "In a time of bad religion... it is refreshing to learn of a church community which is not only vibrant,  intelligent and inclusive but also self critical,  deeply honest and open to change.  St Martin's belongs not only to London but to all of us throughout the world who have found in its vision and mission a Christianity which doesn't talk too much but finds its inspiration in the Eucharistic Bread broken for the world -  in a bread broken for everyone,  without exception." 

 

ALL THESE CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE LONDON CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY BOOKSHOP

Trevor Donnelly is our new Editor. "It is with excitement and a little trepidation that I have taken over as editor of this illustrious newsletter. Our circulation is over 7,000 and growing!;A little bit of background about me: I have been a Curate in North London and a Vicar in Surrey. I am currently working as Chaplain of the Medway Secure Training Centre for young offenders. Please send me feedback on the newsletter via the website."

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