Is Ordaining Women as Bishops in the Church of England a mistake?

On face value most reasonable people would say “why not?” Women are doctors, politicians and lawyers. Big business has women of ability in positions of leadership.  So why is there persistent opposition from male and female Christians of all ages?  Much will depend on how you view the Church. Is it simply a human construct?     For me the church is a God given society founded by Jesus Christ and formed by him during his ministry.  If that is so we need to be very careful about how we dabble with his structures and teaching. 

Though Jesus was quite revolutionary in his attitude to women, and certainly did not conform to the traditions of the age, he nevertheless chose only male Apostles. Male apostles and Bishops has been the consistent tradition of the Church for 2,000 years. Some claim this is simply because it was inconceivable socially. This is untrue as some heretical groups broke that tradition.

To consecrate women bishops is to break with the past and begs the question ‘is there anything objectively true about the faith?’

 The Church of England has already been seriously divided over women priests. Parishes and priests reject this change in ministry. This innovation has damaged relationships with the two Churches that structurally claim to be descended from the Apostles – the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

 To ordain women bishops would further divide the Church of England and increase the divisions between the churches.  A bishop is meant to be a focus of unity and a teacher of the faith.  How can women bishops be a focus for unity when many reject them?  More than that, how can they be teachers and guardians of the faith when to many they are a sign that the historic faith has been rejected?

₊John Broadhurst
Bishop of Fulham
Chairman of Forward in Faith