Women Bishops: Enough Waiting – The Bishop of Worcester’s message to General Synod
Monday 29th October 2012
In a new video message about the legislation for women bishops in the Church of England, The Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd Dr John Inge, speaks of his hopes and prayers that members of General Synod will vote in favour of the legislation in November as ‘it doesn’t seem to me to make any sort of theological sense for women to be enabled only to minister as priests and not bishops’.“The legislation presently before Synod strikes what seems to me is the best balance we are ever likely to get between rejoicing in the ministry of women as bishops but at the same time honouring those who don’t feel that this present move is warranted either by scripture or tradition. It enables us to move together, respecting one another; it enables us to remain a broad church.”
“I would urge any member of Synod to vote for this legislation. It seems to me that if it doesn’t pass it will be a disaster for the Church’s mission, and I simply don’t want that to happen”.
The full transcript of the video message is below:
I’m John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, and I believe with all my heart that the Church of England needs to ordain women as bishops sooner rather than later. I hope and pray fervently that the legislation presently before Synod will be passed in November.
The Church of England has been enriched immeasurably through the ministry of women as priests over quite a few years now, and it doesn’t seem to me to make any sort of theological sense for women to be enabled only to minister as priests and not bishops.
The legislation presently before Synod strikes what seems to me is the best balance we are ever likely to get between rejoicing in the ministry of women as bishops but at the same time honouring those who don’t feel that this present move is warranted either by scripture or tradition. It enables us to move together, respecting one another; it enables us to remain a broad church.
I would urge any member of Synod to vote for this legislation. It seems to me that if it doesn’t pass it will be a disaster for the Church’s mission, and I simply don’t want that to happen. So I hope if you’re not a member of Synod, you’ll join with me in praying that the legislation will be passed. And if you are, that you will vote for it.