Vicars ready 'to quit' over women bishops

9:38am Saturday 5th July 2008

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DOZENS of vicars across the York area are reported to be ready to resign over the issue of women bishops.

The controversy over the move will be debated in York on Monday. The General Synod – the national assembly of the Church of England – is meeting at York University this weekend and into next week.

It has already agreed that women can become bishops and at the Open Synod Group – which encourages debate within the Synod – will discuss how members of the clergy who are opposed to the move can remain within the Church.

But it has been reported that 50 members of the clergy in the York diocese are ready to resign over the issue.

It comes as 1,300 serving and retired members of the clergy sent an open letter to the archbishops of Canterbury and York to say they will leave the Church of England and defect to a different denomination if women are ordained as bishops. Roy Thompson, secretary of the Open Synod Group, lives in the York Diocese, and is the church warden at Sheriff Hutton.

He said members of the clergy who do not agree with women becoming bishops will find it very difficult if not impossible to work under a female bishop.

Therefore the General Synod wants to draw up a code of conduct or even legislation which will allow clergy who are opposed to the move to remain in their posts.

Mr Thompson said this was likely to take the form of them being overseen by a male bishop who is also opposed to women bishops.

He also outlined the arguments for and against women bishops.

He said: “Those against the move believe that in scripture there is no justification or reason for a woman being a bishop as they feel that Jesus only recognises the ministry of men.

“The counterview is that perhaps Mary Magdalene was the chief among chiefs and perhaps the most senior of the apostles.”

Christine Rees, chairwoman of Women And The Church, said in her view both men and women are given the same gifts and qualities that make a good bishop.