The Women Bishops Vote - An Enfuriating Result and a Triumph of Synodal Government

Well, it wasn't the result that the majority of people in England would have wanted.  Let's just get that out of the way.  I banged my head on the desk a few times myself.  But neither is it the end of the world.  By rejecting the draft measure allowing the consecration of women bishops, commentators have said that the CofE has 'detonated its credibility' or 'committed suicide.'

No such thing has happened. 

We have to look at how the vote was actually lost.  It was actually remarkably close. 89% of bishops voted for it. 77% of clergy voted for it. 64% of the laity were for it.  That means that if five more of the laity had voted for the measure, it would have passed.  This vote confirms the view that the majority of the church is for women bishops.  42 of the 44 diocesan (regional) synods also approved women bishops.  This is a good thing. 

Why then do we have a 2/3 majority system in the general synod?  The church takes a wise approach to difficult issues.  For example, the results of controversial votes are given in strict silence, so that there is no ill-advised response that can be snapped up by commentators.  In the same way, change that might be painful must be overwhelmingly supported.  Change that comes with only a bare majority supporting it can damage the church far more than taking a long time to follow the majority view.

Some have directed their anger at the House of Laity.  Why should the laity have any say if they are clearly so out of touch with the public in this case?  Well, assuming that they are out of touch, it is still a very good idea that they have a say.  Usually, we are worried that it is the bishops and clergy who have their heads in the clouds, but on this one rare occasion it was them, and not the laity, who had their finger on the pulse.  The Church of England is rare in acknowledging that God speaks through the apostolic ministry of Bishops and the experience and prayer of priests, but also that God speaks to the lay people who work in the church as well, and that change without them is not actually going to get very far.  Tyranny in the church is just as dangerous as tyranny in government.  Again, that the laity had a voice is utterly a good thing.

Some are saying that the Church of England is damaging itself wasting time when everyone knows there are going to be Women Bishops soon.  There are two problems with this:

1) Our brothers and sisters in Christ who can't in all conscience accept the authority of a female bishop must be catered for.  However 'un-Christian' we may wish to label their attitudes, it is more 'un-Christian' to abuse the confidence they have placed in the Church of England in hoping for a compromise.  It is also an unforgivable waste of human potential and God's action in our Church to simply cut them loose as a quick-fix.  We must bear the cross of the media feeding-frenzy until then.
2) The Synod's vote doesn't just affect the CofE.  As the nominal head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the CofE must not alienate our brothers and sisters around the globe.  History has taught us that further fractures in the church do not heal.  It is far better that we make this move slowly and wisely so that more conservative anglican provinces can see women bishops working in their church which they know and love, rather than in a church which rejected their views and by which they feel betrayed.  Ultimately the cause of gender equality throughout the Anglican Communion is better served by doing this sensitively and unhurriedly, however painful that may be.

Finally, the fact that most of the angriest comments are coming from people who are not members of Synod is a cause for hope.  Those in Synod have expressed their intention to continue praying the issue through.  As much as the media may try to make us believe otherwise, the spirit of co-operation within the church is not dead.

The next Archbishop (above) is as staunchly pro-women-bishops as is Archbishop Rowan

No-one now doubts that there will soon be women bishops in the CofE