The Anglican church in Australia on Friday announced the country's first female bishop.
-
(Photo: Perth Archbishop's House)This undated photo released by Perth Archbishop's House, shows Anglican archdeacon Kay Goldsworthy in Perth, Australia. The Anglican church in Australia on Friday, April 11, 2008, announced Goldsworthy as the country's first female bishop. A diocesan council late Thursday, April 10, approved Goldsworthy to become an assistant bishop in Western Australia state, and announced the decision Friday. Her consecration is to take place May 22.
A diocesan council late Thursday approved Kay Goldsworthy to become an assistant bishop in Western Australia state, and announced the decision Friday. Her consecration is to take place May 22.
A meeting earlier this week of Australian Anglican bishops that set protocols for the consecration of female bishops paved the way for Goldsworthy's appointment.
Under the protocols, parishes that do not want a female bishop would be offered the services of a male one.
Goldsworthy, 51, who is married with two sons, was ordained in 1992 as part of a group of Australia's first female priests.
She said she would not be offended if some Anglicans did not want her as their bishop.
"I won't feel slighted," she said. "I'm always sorry that we have such differences and I wish it were different, but ... I want everybody to see that the ministry of women is to be valued and celebrated."
Australia is the latest country to have a female Anglican bishop, following the United States, Canada and elsewhere. The ordination of women remains controversial among many Anglicans.
"Australia has been a while catching up, but our time has come and I know that the great majority of Australian Anglicans warmly welcome this day," said Archbishop Roger Herft of the Western Australia state capital of Perth.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
RSS
Gratis,
I am offended by your comments....as a Christian woman, I am EQUAL in the eyes of God and in the eyes of my husband.....different, yes...but EQUAL.
I am no better than he (husband) and he is no better than me!
We are joined together in a covenental marriage PARTNERSHIP to win souls for Christ and to build His Kingdom for His Glory! I was not made ONLY to please him, or he to please me!
And although, I am under the covering of male leader (senior pastor), I am an ordained minister and in leadership in my church home! NO ONE can refute His call in my life!
And yes, the spiritual leader of my home, my husband, is in FULL SUPPORT of God's call on my life as I am in his!
Finally!!! It was long overdue. Anglicans have been for me a bunch of very progressive minded folks. I always wondered why the Anglican church is always so slow when it comes to accomodating women when its practinioners are overwhelmingly non-discriminatory in nature. Anyway, all's well that ends well. All the best Bishop Kay Goldsworthy!!!
St Johns
>>>>As for prayers for the dead, the Scriptures are clear: "and they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out. . . . For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." <<<<
Is that from Machabees?
St Johns,
Junia was not an apostle, she was prominent among the Apostles (not that she is part of the Apostles, but that she is prominent with them).This is the common view held of this passage.
Paul also clearly forbid a woman from teaching at Church. I agree with you about praying for the dead, but women were not allowed in ordination in the Bible, and they were not allowed in tradition.
Also, though Jesus did not demand for the woman's death, does that mean that He approves of adultery? Certainly not. It is still a sin.
Gratus, yes, your comments are offensive. I think they would have offended the preacher from Nazareth who dared to speak with the Samaritan woman at the well, despite the social mores of that day, surprising even his own disciples, who dared to dine with sinners and tax-collectors and invite them into his circle, despite the Pharisees' complaints, who allowed the notorious sinner to bathe his feet. Indeed you sound much more like Simon the Pharisee to me than Jesus of Narazeth. I suspect you would have stoned the woman caught in adultery, because the Scriptures are clear on this matter.
Let us apply what I said in my previous posts to Kay Goldsworthy. Kay may not have authority over man. She may have wonderful gifts of authority, organizing the faithful like a Joan of Arc, coordinating creative solutions to vexing problems like a Margaret Thatcher or a Golda Meir. But she may not be an elder / bishop. What she does, must be, like everyone else in the church, under the supervision of the God-given male leadership. Am I offending her now? Never! Women believers who understand their femininity in a Biblical way, should be offended to be expected to become like men. Womanhood is holy, because God made it. It is not in the least inferior to manhood, although not equal to manhood. God created Eve to complement Adam, not to duplicate him (Gen 2).
What God's Word teaches about woman in church is that she should not exercise authority over a man. If she has gifts of authority, like the woman in Proverbs 31:16f, she may and should exercise her gifts under the supervision of the elders / overseers (bishop means 'overseer'). If she has gifts of prophecy, she may and should bless the church with this speaking gift (cf 1 Cor 11:5, where the Christian women prophesied in church). If she has gifts of service, she may and should bless the church with her 'Mother Theresa' gifts, like Phoebe in Rom 16:1. But all this under the oversight of the called, male leadership. Am I offending anyone if I simply follow God's Word?
StJohn\s Please read what the Word of God says below. There are two reasons why women should not be allowed to rule in the church: She was made after Adam, and she was the first sinner.
1Ti 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1Ti 2:12 But I do not allow a woman to teach, or to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence.
1Ti 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
1Ti 2:14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
1Ti 2:15 But she will be kept safe through childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with sensibleness.
KoneWone2, I think that your remarks would offend Junia the Apostle, or Prisca, or Mary, or the various other women who were leaders in the early Church. They certainly offend me. In fact, that's one of the remarkable things about Jesus, how he treated women as equals, and it appears the early Church continued that pattern for a while, until the Greek influence took over and reinstated their subjugation. Thank God most of us are over that now!
The Anglican Church in Christchurch, New Zealand has elected a woman bishop as well. The first female bishop of Canada and she is for homosexual unions.
The leaven of falsehood and deception continues to spread.
The Anglican commune grows darker by the day. It is not a light set upon a hill.
Chch's controversial new bishop
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4441602a6662.html
Actually, in the photo there, she looks like a man. A woman trying to be a man? A woman taking on a mans' role?
As for beseeching prayers of the dead, again the Scriptures are clear: "O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, listen now to the prayer of the dead of Israel and of their sons."
As for prayers for the dead, the Scriptures are clear: "and they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out. . . . For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."
When we Christians from the Roman Catholic, Protestant Catholic or Orthodox Catholic traditions talk to one another, it is a wonderful experience for me. Yes, such a discussion tends to force me right out of my 'comfort zone'. As a Protestant I must now also look at an issue from the perspective of my brother who is, for instance, a Roman Catholic Christian. Not easy! But this is when I learn a lot. My unsuspected Protestant follies tend to be uncovered. So please, Topekan, Canadianchristian, Chris70, please keep it up. Speak the truth in love!
Eph 4:15 But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ ...
Topekan,
I am not Catholic, but when one criticizes another, he should do so accurately.
"Jesus said not to call any man father, because you had no father except the father in heaven. Pope means father. You call priests "Father"."
Do you call your dad, dad or father? If you do, then by your standard you have committed blasphemy. I think you are missing the point of what Jesus was saying. Indeed, Paul called Timothy his son. So I guess Paul would have been committing blasphemy too right?
"The worship of Mary is blasphemy, as is praying to dead "saints" and to Mary herself."
Yes, the worship of Mary is blasphemy, but Caholics do not worship her. You have a misunderstanding. Praying to "saints" or Mary is not defined as blasphemous or wrong in the Bible.
"The concept of the sacrament of Penance denies the sufficiency of the blood of Christ as atonement for sin."
No it does not, but it depends on how you view the atonement. Everyone, Protestants included, believes that you must repent, or give effort. Do you believe that an openly homosexual person can be a Christian, while continuing in their lifestyle? If not, then you believe that penance is necessary. If you do, then you have destroyed all standards of right and wrong. Christians must be constantly changing towards God.
"The fantasy of apostolic succession, Peter as the first Pope, on and on, all are the doctrines of men in the loving embrace of Beelzebub."
Maybe, but it is one thing to say something, it is another to prove it.
"May all Catholics wake up and discover the true Jesus."
Yes, and may we Protestants do the same...
Topekan
Jesus said let him who has not sinned cast the first stone.
Please show me a perfect Protestant.
The Roman Catholic church practices satanic, non-biblical practices in the name of "tradition". Jesus said not to call any man father, because you had no father except the father in heaven. Pope means father. You call priests "Father". The worship of Mary is blasphemy, as is praying to dead "saints" and to Mary herself. The concept of the sacrament of Penance denies the sufficiency of the blood of Christ as atonement for sin. The fantasy of apostolic succession, Peter as the first Pope, on and on, all are the doctrines of men in the loving embrace of Beelzebub. May all Catholics wake up and discover the true Jesus.
chris70,
You are mistaken, the HOLY WORD of GOD is the final word, and I would rejoice if anglican's and catholic's would come home to the loving embrace of JESUS CHRIST as the ONLY path to salvation. Numbers don't mean anything, the LORD will provide- remember, narrow is the gate. The only true authority resides in our SAVIOR, LORD, MASTER,KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS- JESUS CHRIST!!!
This truly is wonderful news!!!
Why? Well, because of the Anglican Communion's heretical views on female ordination that is unbiblical and unhistorical and the ordination of actively Gay ministers to Bishop, thousands of Anglicans and now Lutherans are leaving for both Orthodox and Catholic Churches. In fact, in Australia is the Seat of the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Union which sepparated because of these issues with the Anglican Communion of Canterbury. This Traditional Anglican Communion has 400,000 strong world wide and has recently requested admittance into the Catholic Church to be in full communion with the Pope, but as Anglican Catholics. This is such a blessing if the Pope allows the massive influx at one time. Many of these Anglican and Lutheran Pastors are becoming Catholic Priests. Because they will not be of the Roman Rite, but of the Anglican Rite, then their Priests can marry. Remember, celibacy in the Roman Rite is a practice not a doctrine. Our Priests try to fully imitate Christ by being celebate and fully committed to their Church.
Having married preists will be a wonderful addition the the Catholic Church, but this will never diminish the call of celibacy which is a gift of sacrifice to the congregation.
May all Protestants who still want true REFORMATION, come home to the loving embrace of the Catholic Church like I did. It is hard to study the first 1000 years of the Church, and especially the first 500 and not see a huge disparity between Protestants and early Christians and yet there is no disparity between the early Christians and today's Roman Catholic religion.
The more Protestant and Evangelical Churches have to deal with tough issues where voting simply doesn't answer the problem, they will look for true authority. This authority resides in the Bishop of Rome with the other Bishops in communion with him. The Pope is the final word, and thank God!
Australia like my country is not catching up- it is fallen into apostasy. I have no problem with women's ministries, however women are not supposed to preach- it is not biblical. IN JESUS NAME