A Statement of Needs and It’s worth Passing a Resolution Theological Conviction remembering that… under the Forward in Faith recommends the following House of Bishops’ A Resolution can be passed by the PCC even wording for the Resolution: if the parish priest does not support it. Declaration [For the sake of the unity of our Parish,]* This PCC requests, on the grounds of theological If there is a female priest in the benefice, conviction set out in the statement appended to this does not prevent a PCC from passing A Resolution under the House of Bishops’ this Resolution, that arrangements be made for it a Resolution. in accordance with the House of Bishops’ Declaration will Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and A Resolution should be ‘reviewed’ when Priests. there is a vacancy, but there is no commit your parish to sharing in Christ’s requirement to vote on it again. mission in your diocese The statement to be appended to the Resolution asks that sacramental and pastoral There is no provision permitting the ensure that the episcopal and priestly ministry ministry in the parish be exercised Archdeacon or Rural Dean to chair a in the parish can be received by all normal PCC meeting. It is illegal for him or maintain the unity of the parish by male bishops at whose consecration a her to do so. male bishop presided, and who stand in seek sacramental and pastoral ministry from a the historic, apostolic succession of A PCC is not required to permit an bishop with whom you are in full communion bishops so ordained, and Archdeacon or Rural Dean to attend a normal PCC meeting. If the Archdeacon contribute to sustaining breadth and diversity by male priests ordained by such bishops or Rural Dean is to be present, the Society in the Church of England and in your diocese Bishop’s Representative should also and that episcopal sacramental and pastoral be invited. enable the parish to flourish within the ministry in the parish be entrusted to a bishop Church of England. with whom we can be in full communion. For the name of your Bishop’s Representative, * For inclusion where there is a significant diversity of see www.sswsh.com/dioceses views within the congregation and the PCC. Forward in Faith 2A The Cloisters, Gordon Square London WC1H 0AG [email protected] +44 (0)20 7388 3588 www.forwardinfaith.com Seeking to renew the Church in the historic faith An Invitation to Flourish Theological Conviction A Vote for Unity and Inclusion In its Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops A Resolution must be founded on theological and Priests the House of Bishops has invited conviction about Holy Order. If a significant number of worshippers are catholics and evangelicals alike to flourish unable, for theological reasons, to receive the Considerations such as the personality or within the Church of England’s life and ministry of women as bishops or priests, a theological stance of the diocesan bishop, structures. Resolution will unite the parish, making it social conservatism, or diocesan policies one in which all can worship with integrity. The Resolution that PCCs are invited to pass is – for example, relating to pastoral not a means of distancing the parish from the reorganization, parish share, or clergy deployment are not relevant. Church of England, but a response to the Sustaining Diversity invitation to flourish within it. Nor are considerations that arise from secular The House of Bishops’ Declaration enshrines thinking about equality and social liberalism. Ideally, a resolution should be passed before a ‘the Church of England’s wider commitment woman is appointed as a bishop in the diocese, to sustaining diversity’. There is no need for all of those who vote for the so that this cannot be viewed as a response to Resolution to hold the theological conviction Is your parish one of the few parishes the appointment of a particular individual. personally. It is not an opinion poll as to whether (or even the only parish) in the deanery PCC members are for or against ordaining or even the diocese that is likely to pass Responsibility for parish decision-making rests a Resolution? with the PCC. If the PCC invites the wider women. church community to submit views, it must still Will passing the Resolution contribute to take its own decision. It cannot simply decide Rather, PCC members should consider what ‘sustaining diversity’ in the diocese? to proceed according to the majority opinion ministry will promote the unity of the parish, among those who express a view. given the theological convictions of other Will rejecting the Resolution reduce the members of the congregation. diversity of church life that the Church of If two-thirds of the PCC members attend, a England can offer to the local community? simple majority is required. (If fewer attend, a majority of the total membership of the PCC is needed.).