Marriage
Christian Singles Still Believe in Love at First Sight, Soul Mate
Fifty-five percent of Christian singles still believe in love at first sight, ...
Opinion
What Compromise? This Policy Leaves Religious Liberty in Peril and Planned Parenthood Smiling
As is often the case, what is presented in Washington as a compromise is really ...
U.S.
Kirk Cameron Joins Rick Warren, Billy Graham on Strict Female Rule
"Growing Pains" star and born-again Christian Kirk Cameron made news for not ...
Opinion
Gay by Choice?
Are all homosexuals "born that way"? Not if you believe the testimony of a ...
The Church of England published draft legislation on Monday detailing alternative arrangements for those unable to accept the ministry of women bishops.
Under the alternative arrangements, conservative congregations that believe only men may be bishops can petition to receive pastoral care from male complementary bishops.
The Legislative Drafting Group on Women in the Episcopate, chaired by the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt. Rev. Nigel McCulloch, said the special arrangements would come under a new “national code of practice.”
The draft legislation will come up for debate at the next General Synod in London in February and follows an impassioned debate at the York General Synod in July during which alternative measures for opponents of women bishops were rejected.
“We have published our further report at the earliest opportunity to give everyone the chance to study it before debate. We finished our discussions only just before Christmas,” said McCulloch.
A covering note to the Drafting Group’s report expresses the hope of the House of Bishops that the legislation helps build trust and enables as many people as possible to remain loyal Anglicans.
Like us on Facebook
Some conservative Anglicans have previously warned of an exodus of clergy similar to that seen in 1994 after the ordination of the first women priests. The introduction of women priests prompted the departure of more than 500 clergy, many of whom converted to the Roman Catholic Church, which still holds a strict male-only policy on ministers.
