Manchester Report on Women Bishops

Women in the Episcopate – Manchester Report published
28 April 2008

The House of Bishops is to discuss the report of the Legislative Drafting Group considering proposals to allow for women bishops at its next meeting in May. The report of the group, chaired by the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester, has been published today and will be debated by General Synod in July (the report can be read in full at: www.cofe.anglican.org/info/papers/womenbishopsreport)

“The Drafting Group has worked together well and produced a significant piece of analysis. The report includes illustrative drafts of possible legislation and sets out the choices that the Church now has to make. We have not offered a preferred answer,” said Bishop Nigel McCulloch.

“The central issue for the Church of England, as our report points out, is the extent to which the Church wishes to accommodate the breadth of theological views that it currently encompasses in relation to women priests and bishops. Against that background, we have set out the three broad approaches which the Church of England could take if it wishes to move towards ordaining women bishops.”

The three approaches set out by the Legislative Drafting Group are:
• The simplest national statutory approach with no binding national arrangements;
• Legislation that would provide some basis for special arrangements for those unable to receive the ministry of women bishops, such arrangements to be made within the present structures of the Church of England;
• Legislation that would create new structures within the Church of England for those unable to receive the ministry of women bishops.
The Group does not offer a recommendation of its own but analyses the pros and cons of each approach, identifying, where relevant, various sub options.

From www.forwardinfaith.com
FiF UK
Manchester Report - first reaction
Apr 28, 2008

The Catholic Group in General Synod and Forward in Faith warmly welcome the publication of the Report of the Legislative Drafting Group. We are most grateful to the Bishop of Manchester, to the members of the Group (particularly Fr Jonathan Baker SSC and Sister Anne Williams CA, members of both the Catholic Group and Forward in Faith) and to the Officers and staff of the General Synod for the very great care with which they have clearly approached this mammoth undertaking.

We are pleased to note that the Report appears to have addressed most, if not all, of the issues which we raised with the Group and that it seems, among the several possible ways forward described, to include proposals which those unable to receive the ordination of women as bishops could in good conscience embrace. However, we shall naturally need time fully to digest and reflect upon the Report before commenting further.

Fr Simon Killwick
X John Fulham
Chairman
Catholic Group in General Synod
Forward in Faith