The General Synod of the Church of England has just voted to reject the legislation that would have authorized women bishops. A two-thirds vote was needed from all three orders—bishops, clergy, and laity. In the end, the compromise legislation was scuttled by the laity.
Bishops voted in favor 44 to 3, with 2 abstentions. Clergy voted in favor 148 to 45, with no abstentions. The laity voted for 132 to 74, with no abstentions, but that was not good enough. It was, however, close.
There is not a simple lesson in all this, as people voted as they did for different reasons. Is the Church of England dysfunctional? Probably.
This is a serious defeat for departing Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. It is a defeat also for incoming Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. I predict this vote will cast a long shadow.
"Probably????"
ReplyDeleteBishops who abuse their expense accounts from the House of Lords like not even old time Chicago alderman would dare, a governance structure that is so convoluted they do not understand it, canons that everyone KNOWS no one obeys, and mostly empty churches. Yup, we might call that dysfunction.
FWIW
jimB