This 2008 Letter
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The Most Reverend and Right Hon the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury & The Most Reverend and Right Hon the Lord Archbishop of York July, 2008 Most Reverend Fathers in God, We write as bishops, priests and deacons of the Provinces of Canterbury and York, who have sought, by God’s grace, in our various ministries, to celebrate the Sacraments and preach the Word faithfully; to form, nurture and catechise new Christians; to pastor the people of God entrusted to our care; and, through the work of our dioceses, parishes and institutions, to build up the Kingdom and to further God’s mission to the world in this land. Our theological convictions, grounded in obedience to Scripture and Tradition, and attentive to the need to discern the mind of the whole Church Catholic in matters touching on Faith and Order, lead us to doubt the sacramental ministry of those women ordained to the priesthood by the Church of England since 1994. Having said that, we have engaged with the life of the Church of England in a myriad of ways, nationally and locally, and have made sincere efforts to work courteously and carefully with those with whom we disagree. In the midst of this disagreement over Holy Order, we have, we believe, borne particular witness to the cause of Christian unity, and to the imperative of Our Lord’s command that ‘all may be one.’ We include those who have given many years service to the Church in the ordained ministry, and others who are very newly ordained. We believe that we demonstrate the vitality of the tradition which we represent and which has formed us in our discipleship and ministry – a tradition which, we believe, constitutes an essential and invaluable part of the life and character of the Church of England, without which it would be deeply impoverished. Since the ordination of women to the priesthood began in 1994, we have been able to exercise our ministry in the context of the solemn assurances given at that time that our understanding of Holy Order was one entirely consonant with the faith and practice of the Church of England, and secure in the knowledge that those assurances were embodied in the legislation passed in 1993, and in the Act of Synod which followed that legislation. That legislation, together with the Act, has been the framework which has allowed us to continue to live and work in a church which has taken the decision to allow women to be ordained, but which has also made room for us, and honoured our beliefs and convictions. We have been further encouraged and affirmed by the Resolution of the Lambeth Conference 1998, endorsed by the General Synod in July 2006, that “those who dissent from as well as those who assent to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate are both loyal Anglicans.” We believe that, should the Church of England move to the ordination of women to the episcopate, our ability to continue to minister in the church to which we have been called will depend on provision being made to allow us to do so with the same theological integrity which we have been able to hold since 1994. We recognise that, much as we might hope things to be otherwise, the Church of England is set upon the path of ordaining women as bishops. We will strive to honour their calling as ministers of the Gospel, and to respect the offices which they will hold, despite our profound reservations about the Church of England’s decision to ordain and consecrate them. We do not look for ‘protection’ from the ministry of ordained women. Rather, we ask that our theological convictions continue to be accorded that respect which was promised fifteen years ago. We believe that priests must be able to look to bishops about whose ministry they can be assured; and that bishops in turn must be able to carry out their ministry in a way consonant with the traditional exercise of Episcopal office. Only a structural solution to the new problems which will inevitably be created for the Church by the ordination of women to the episcopate can, we believe, allow us to flourish and to contribute to the life of the whole Church as we believe the Spirit continues to call us to do. It is with sadness that we conclude that, should the Church of England indeed go ahead with the ordination of women to the episcopate, without at the same time making provision which offers us real ecclesial integrity and security, many of us will be thinking very hard about the way ahead. We will inevitably be asking whether we can, in conscience, continue to minister as bishops, priests and deacons in the Church of England which has been our home. We do not write this in a spirit of making threats or throwing down gauntlets. Rather, we believe that the time has come to make our concerns plain, so that the possible consequences of a failure to make provision which allows us to flourish and to grow are clear. Your Graces will know that the cost of such a choice would be both spiritual and material. We know that all members of the Church of England and of the General Synod in particular, will be looking to you for wisdom, guidance and leadership in this matter. We urge you, as our Fathers in God, to lead the whole Church in making generous and coherent provision for us. This will not only allow us to continue to play our part in that mission, under God, to which we are all committed, but also ensure that the Church of England continues to encompass, in her polity, an understanding of Holy Orders consonant with that of the great Churches of East and West with whom we share the historic episcopate. We assure you of our prayers at this time. The Revd Simon Acland Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Gordon Adam Assistant Priest, Boxmoor The Revd David Addington Retired The Revd John Adey Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Malcolm Ainscough Rector of Hasland & Temple Normanton The Revd Peter Ainsworth Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Osmond Aisbitt Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Oriel Alby Vicar of S.James, Milton The Revd Edwin Alcock Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd John Allan Rector of Littlebourne & Ickham with Wickhambreaux and Stodmarsh The Revd Alex Allardice Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Dr Nicolas Alldrit Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Giles Allen Vicar of Lund The Revd Patrick Allen Vicar of The Ascension, Lavender Hill The Revd John C Allen Retired The Revd John M Allen Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Keith Allison Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Anthony Allsop Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Alison Alp Assistant Curate, Ribbleton Team Parish The Revd Mark Amey Vicar of Sutton and Witcham with Mepal The Revd Scott Anderson Vicar of S.Andrew & S.Francis, Willesden Green The Revd Michael Anderson Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Dr Digby Anderson Assistant Curate, S.Saviour, Luton The Revd Peter Anderton Retired The Revd Paul Andrew Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Peter Andrews Vicar of S.Peter, Streatham The Revd Peter Andrews Vicar of S.Thomas the Apostle, Hanwell The Revd Prebendary John Andrews Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Anthony Andrews Vicar of S.Michael & All Angels, North Kensington The Revd Paul Angwin Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Herman Annis Retired The Revd Ian Anthony Assistant Curate, S.Matthew, Little Lever The Revd Peter Anthony Assistant Curate, S.Mary and Christ Church, Hendon The Revd David Apps Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Anthony Apps Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Ivan Aquilina Vicar of S.John, Sevenoaks The Revd Ben Archibald Assistant Curate, All Saints, Middlesbrough The Revd Canon Brian Arman Rector of Filton The Revd Brother Arnold SSF Member of Religious Community The Revd David Arnold Chaplain to the Bishop of Blackburn The Revd Richard Arnold Vicar of Kentish Town The Revd Canon Dr Gavin Ashenden Chaplain & Lecturer, University of Sussex The Revd Neville Ashton Rector of Church Kirk The Revd Russell Ashworth Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Lionel Atherton Vicar of S.Peter, Chorley The Revd Courtney Atkin Retired The Revd Nigel Atkinson Vicar of S.John, Knutsford and Toft The Revd Terence Atkinson Priest in Charge, S.Andrew with S.Luke & All Saints, Grimsby The Venerable George Austin Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Paul Bagott Vicar of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell & S.Mark, Clerkenwell The Revd David Bailey Priest in Charge, Budshead Group Ministry The Revd Jonathan Baker Principal of Pusey House, Oxford The Revd David Baker Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Neville Baker Retired The Revd John Baldry Assistant Curate, S.Paul, Brighton The Revd Kevin Ball Senior Chaplain, Manchester Airport Chaplaincy The Revd Anthony Ball Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Desmond Banister Assistant Curate, S.Anselm, Hatch End The Revd Norman Banks Vicar of Walsingham, Houghton & Barsham The Revd Christopher Barley Vicar of S.Margaret, Swinton The Right Revd Edwin Barnes Honorary Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Winchester The Revd John Barnes Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Colin Barnes Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Philip Barnes Shrine Priest, Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham The Revd Tom Baron Chaplain, Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust The Revd Philip Barratt Vicar of S.James, Thornham The Revd Canon Kenneth Barrett Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Leslie Barron Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Michael Bartlett Team Rector of Christ the King, Redditch The Revd Anthony Bartlett Vicar of S.Anne, Greenlands The Revd John Bassett Honorary Assistant Curate, Lower Wharfedale The Revd Richard Basten Retired (Licensed / PTO) The Revd Stuart Bates Vicar of S.Hilda with S.Cyprian,