Synod approves women bishops
Posted on Tuesday 8th July, 2008
Last night the General Synod of the Church of England voted in majority to allow women to be ordained as bishops.
The motion carried moved:
That this Synod:
(a) affirm that the wish of its majority is for women to be admitted to the episcopate;
(b) affirm its view that special arrangements be available, within the existing structures of the Church of England, for those who as a matter of theological conviction will not be able to receive the ministry of women as bishops or priests;
© affirm that these should be contained in a statutory national code of practice to which all concerned would be required to have regard; and
(d) instruct the legislative drafting group, in consultation with the House of Bishops, to complete its work accordingly, including preparing the first draft of a code of practice, so that the Business Committee can include first consideration of the draft legislation in the agenda for the February 2009 group of sessions.’
The motion was carried by a division of the three houses of Synod.
Legislation will now be drawn up, coming back to the Synod in February next year, and then it will be put before dioceses for approval. A final vote will require a majority of two thirds from bishops, clergy and laity.Back to news listing
