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2008/02: Should women be bishops within the Anglican Church of Australia?<BR>

2008/02: Should women be bishops within the Anglican Church of Australia?

What they said ...
'Those who are opposed to this development base their objection on conscientious grounds as a matter of biblical principle'
Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, explaining why he and others oppose women bishops

'It is a specious, contorted, minority view based on a literalist reading of a few isolated scriptural texts'
Dr Muriel Porter, a Melbourne representative on the Anglican General Synod, commenting on the views of some of those who oppose women bishops

The issue at a glance
On September 28, 2007, the head of the Anglican Church in Australia, Archbishop Philip Aspinall, announced that the Appellate Tribunal had decided there was nothing in the Church's constitution that would prevent a woman becoming a bishop.
The Tribunal, by a majority of four to three, ruled that it was possible to consecrate women bishops. However, it said this could only occur in a diocese that had both adopted a 1992 church law allowing women priests and which had ensured its own laws and constitution allowed it.
'So basically there is now nothing in the [Church's] constitution to prevent a woman becoming a bishop,' Dr Aspinall said.
The Tribunal's finding has been greeted with relief by many within the Anglican Church who support women bishops. Opponents of the move, most notably the Archdiocese of Sydney and its leader Archbishop Peter Jensen, remain opposed and do not plan to follow the new ruling.
Dr Aspinall has acknowledged that minority opposition remains within the Church to women bishops. No woman is to be consecrated as a bishop until at least 2008. In April 2008 there will be a national meeting of bishops which will consider how those opposed to women bishops can best be accommodated.
This gradual approach has met with disappointment from those who believe that women have already waited for too long to be able to take on the role of bishop.

Background
Ordination of women within the Anglican Communion around the world
1942: Anglican communion, Hong Kong. Florence Li Tim Oi was ordained as a priest on an emergency basis. Some sources report 1943 or 1944.
1968: The Lambeth Conference of the Church of England recommended that women be ordained as deacons.
1971: Anglican communion, Hong Kong. Joyce Bennett and Jane Hwang were the first regularly ordained priests.
1974: The United States Episcopal Church: 11 women were ordained as priests in Philadelphia.
1975: Four women are ordained as priests in Washington
1976: The General Convention of the Episcopal Church, USA, votes to allow female ordination; the 15 illegal ordinations are regularised.
1976: Six female priests are ordained by the Anglican Church in Canada.
1977: Five female priests are ordained by the Anglican Church of New Zealand.
1983: A woman priest is ordained in Kenya
1983: Three women priests are ordained in Uganda.
1987: Women are ordained as deacons in Australia.
1987: A woman deacon is ordained in England.
1990: Women are ordained as priests in Ireland.
1992: Church of England voted to allow the ordination of women. About 470 male clergy left the church in protest; 58 subsequently returned.
1992: Australia ordains ten female priests.
1992: Anglican Church of South Africa ordains a female priest.
1992: Women are ordained as priests in the Philippines.
1994: The first female priests of the Church of England were ordained in Bristol Cathedral.
1998: General Assembly of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Anglican Church in Japan) approves female ordination to the priesthood.
2000: There remained about 1,000 congregations in the Church of England that refused to accept the authority of women priests.

An overview of the movement toward women bishops in the Anglican Church in Australia
1969: The General Synod created a Doctrine Commission to study whether women should be eligible for ordination to the three-fold order of ministry: deacon, priest and bishop.
1977: The Doctrine Commission's majority report found no theological barrier to women's ordination, after having considered Scripture, tradition, church history, and contemporary society.
The General Synod of 1977 passed a resolution stating that there was no theological barrier to the admission of women to the three-fold order of ministry.
1992, March: The Archbishop of Perth, Archbishop Peter Carnley, ordained ten women as priests. This was without the authorisation of the General Synod. When asked by a journalist what he would do if the forthcoming General Synod failed to pass legislation that would ratify his actions, he replied that he would license the women as deacons.
1992, November: By a handful of votes, General Synod passed the enabling legislation to allow the ordination of women priests.
There has since been a gradual growth in the number of women priests in Australia, with only four dioceses, Sydney, Ballarat, Wangaratta, or The Murray, standing against the trend.
2000, November 16: The Australian Anglican Church issued draft legislation covering the consecration of women as bishops. "A striking feature of these proposals is that they will offer a mechanism to provide alternative episcopal ministry to clergy and parishes unable in conscience to accept the ministry of a woman bishop appointed or elected to their diocese."
2001: By this date, more than 10% of the Anglican priests in Australia were women. They held many positions included senior clergy, archdeacons, canons, area deans, and examining chaplains.
2001, July 23: The General Synod accepted, in principle, a bill to allow female consecrations. The vote was 135 to 95.
At a local level, parishes would have been able to vote to have a bishop from another region or diocese minister to them, if they wished to have episcopal ministry by a male bishop. This was a "special bill" and had to achieve a 2/3rds majority at the final vote during the next General Synod in 2004.
2004, October 6: At the General Synod in 2004 an 'overwhelming' majority of bishops (17 of 23) voted in favour of female consecration. However the House of Clergy voted only 63 to 43 in favour. The House of Laity voted only 67 to 39 in favour. The latter two groups gave 59% and 63% approval. Thus the 2/3rds majority vote from all three houses was not achieved.

Internet information
On September 26, 2007, the Appellate Tribunal completed its Report to the Primate on Women Bishops.
The full text of the report can be found at http://www.anglican.org.au/docs/ATWomenBishop270907.pdf

On September 28, 2007, the Anglican primate for Australia, Dr Philip Aspinall, released a media statement summarizing the findings of the Appellate Tribunal on women bishops. The full text of this media release can be found at http://www.anglican.org.au/index.cfm?SID=4&MediaID=99

On September 28, 2007, the Anglican media site, Anglican Media Melbourne, published a media statement from the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier, welcoming the Appellate Tribunal's decision that women bishops were in accord with the constitution of the Anglican Church.
The media release is titled 'Archbishop of Melbourne welcomes decision re women bishops'. The full text of the release can be read at https://www.melbourne.anglican.com.au/main.php?pg=news&news_id=9972&s=996

On September 28, 2007, the Anglican media site, Your.SydneyAnglicans.Net, , published a media statement from the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, opposing the Appellate Tribunal's decision that women bishops were in accord with the constitution of the Anglican Church.
The media release is titled, 'Archbishop's opinion on the Appellate Tribunal on women as bishops'. The full text of the release can be read at http://your.sydneyanglicans.net/mediareleases/archbishops_opinion_of_the_appellate_tribunal_on_women_as_bishops/

'Equal but Different' is a lobby group opposed to women priests and bishops and also to the ordination of homosexuals. It is primarily an Anglican group but claims members from a variety of denominations among people who share its views.
The group's petition opposing women bishops can be found at http://www.equalbutdifferent.org/currentissues/2004synodletter.html
Its detailed argument opposing women bishops can be at http://www.equalbutdifferent.org/downloads/2004GenSynod_WomenBishop.pdf
It is titled 'Women Bishops: The Final Divide?'

On October 8, 2004, after the defeat of legislation for women bishops at the Anglican General Synod in that year, The Age published an opinion piece by Muriel Porter.
The piece argues that opposition to women bishops is essentially a product of prejudice against women. The article is titled, 'The Anglicans' oppressed majority'. It can be found at http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/07/1097089488009.html

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance run an Internet site outlining arguments for and against a range of ethical and religious issues. They have a section of their site given over to 'Women as clergy and leaders: priests, pastors, ministers, rabbis...'
Though the treatment appears to have a bias in favour of women clergy, the site gives a wealth of historical background and considers the situation of women clergy in England, the United States, Scotland and Australia. It also presents a series of arguments for and against women as clergy.
The site's index page on this issue can be found at http://www.religioustolerance.org/femclrgy.htm

In 2001 the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia issued a media release titled 'Background to the Women Bishops Issue in the Anglican Church of Australia'. The media release gives background on the issue and a series of arguments for and against women as bishops.
The full text of the media release can be found at http://www.anglican.org.au/generalsynod2001/media/Media%20releases/background_to_the_women_bishops_.htm

Arguments against women being bishops within the Anglican Church
1. The Bible disallows women as elders and bishops
It has been claimed that the Bible disallows women taking a leadership role in the Anglican Church.
One of the key opponents of female bishops within the Anglican Church in Australia is Sydney's Archbishop Peter Jensen. Archbishop Jensen has stated, 'Those who are opposed to this development base their objection on conscientious grounds as a matter of biblical principle.'
One biblical source frequently cited as evidence of God's intent that women not assume leadership in the Church is St Paul's first letter to Timothy (2:9 to 2:12) which states that women should 'adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with embroided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which is seemly for women) professing godliness with good works.
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.'
This section of St Paul's epistle is believed by some Christians to set certain limits on the type of role that women can rightly assume within the Anglican Church. There are those who hold that this epistle indicates that it is not God's will that women become bishops within the Church.

2. The role of women in the Church and the family (though of equal value) is different to that of men
It has been claimed that the Bible suggests that men and women have different but complimentary roles within the family and the Church.
This position has been put by Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Dr Peter Jensen who has stated, 'As I read the Bible, just as in the home, I think it is true to say there are mothers and fathers. I think the church is a bit like a family and I think there is a distinction between male leadership and female leadership in the family.'
The Sydney-based group Equal but Different, which opposes women as either priests or bishops within the Anglican Church, has prepared a number of arguments to support the claim that women are intended to have different but equal roles to men within the Church and within the family.
The following arguments are taking from an Equal but Different article titled 'Women Bishops: the Final Divide'.
'Scripture teaches that God has given complementary responsibilities to women and men in the family and the church. These different roles and responsibilities reflect differences that God instituted in the creation of humanity. Whilst men and women are equally created, fallen, loved and redeemed by God, the differences are part of the fabric of who we are and who we are called to be 'in Christ'.
In the family, these differences are expressed in the trusting submission of the wife and the loving leadership of the husband.
In the church family, these differences are maintained in the male leadership of the congregation. This leadership is expressed in the key tasks of the elder most particularly in the exercise of authoritative teaching.
Thus, whilst women's contributions to the congregation are recognised, valued and encouraged in Scripture their ministry is not to be identical with that of men, and so certain prohibitions are given. These find their genesis in the ordered relationships between male and female established in creation, which in some way reflect the relationship between Christ and the church and the relations between the Father and the Son.'
Equal but Different cite biblical authority for each claim that they make.

3. Women serving as bishops within the Anglican Church will be divisive and may cause defections from the church
It has been acknowledged even by those who support women bishops that their appointment is likely to widen divisions within the Anglican Church as many of those opposed to women bishops may feel the need either to move to another diocese or perhaps even to leave the Church.
Tom Frame, the director of St Mark's National Theological Centre in Canberra, has noted, 'In the same way that the ordination of women as priests created new divides within the church, the consecration of women as bishops will further divide those holding conflicting opinions on women's ministry, as some Anglicans will feel conscience-bound to decline the episcopal oversight of a woman. And because the church has not, and will not, make provision for alternative episcopal oversight - so-called flying bishops with a roving brief - the church faces a difficult pastoral challenge in caring for those opposed to the innovation.'
The Bishop for South Sydney, Rob Forsyth, has stated, 'It's going to cause problems. The biggest problem will be little parishes in dioceses that have got a woman bishop, but the parish has a conscientious objection to it. That's going to be a real puzzle for us.'
A similar point has been made by the primate of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Philip Aspinall. Archbishop Aspinall, though in favour of female bishops, has acknowledged that the prospect of women bishops would be 'difficult or distressing' for some.
Dr Aspinall has stated, 'One of our first priorities must be setting in place arrangements for the pastoral care of those who maintain a conscientious objection to women bishops.'
There have been those who have predicted that opposition to women bishops may be so great among some Anglicans that they will leave the Church rather than accept it.
The Herald Sun's columnist, Andrew Bolt, argued on September 28, 2007, that allowing women bishops would cause a large number of Anglicans to desert the Church. Andrew Bolt stated, 'The only drawback, of course, is that women bishops are likely to make the exodus from the Anglican Church even worse.'
It has been claimed that the divisions that might open up in the Anglican Church in Australia on the question of female bishops have been demonstrated elsewhere in the international Anglican Communion. For example, in the Episcopal Church in the United States, which has not only had female bishops but a female primate, seven conservative dioceses have refused to accept her authority.

4. Women serving as bishops within the Anglican Church would affect relationships within every parish and diocese
Critics of women bishops within the Anglican Church argue that this development is much more far-reaching than the previous decision to allow women to serve as priests.
Bishops have a much wider jurisdiction than priests. They preside over dioceses, which are collections of parishes. This means that their stewardship extends over a much larger group of people, greatly increasing the likelihood that they will be ministering to some people who have objections of principle to them.
The fact that a bishop presides over a diocese, a collection of parishes, may also make it very difficult for members of the laity who object to women bishops to easily avoid them. In the case of a female priest, it is a relatively easy matter for a parishioner to attend services in another parish that has a male priest. It is far more difficult for people to attend services outside their diocese. It has also been noted that having to serve under a female bishop could cause major problems for any priest who consider the leadership of a female bishop illegitimate.
This last point has been commented on by the Different but Equal group which has stated, 'The oversight of a bishop is not ... easily avoided. All clergy are required to submit to the authority of their diocesan bishop in diocesan decisions, licensing, synods, matters of discipline etc. Even with the provision of visiting or suffragan (non-diocesan) bishops for ordinations and confirmations, clergy and laity with conscientious objections to women bishops would still be required to submit to the authority of their female bishop. That is, a clergyman might find himself required to submit to a women bishop whose ministry as bishop he does not recognise as conforming to Biblical principles.'
It has also been noted that bishops ordain priests. For people who dispute the authority of female bishops this could cause large difficulties as it would mean they would also dispute the authority of any priest ordained by a female bishop.
The potential for confusion across dioceses seems quite significant. The position of Ross Davies, the Bishop for the Murray in South Australia suggests the sort of blurring of lines of authority which could occur. Bishop Murray has said he will re-ordain any Anglican priest who has been ordained by a woman bishop if that priest wants to work in his diocese.

5. There are many women who oppose the appointment of female bishops within the Anglican Church
Opponents of women bishops within the Anglican Church stress that this is not a gender-based issue. It is not a matter, they claim, of men opposing female bishops and women supporting them.
One of the key opponents of female bishops within the Anglican Church in Australia is Sydney's Archbishop Peter Jensen, who has stated, 'Those who are opposed to this development base their objection on conscientious grounds as a matter of biblical principle ... in all dioceses in Australia there are ... people who oppose this development ... and many of course are women ... It's not a male-female thing, it goes right across the board and many women are opposed to this as well.'
Equal but Different has stated, 'It is sometimes claimed that only a small minority of Australian Anglicans oppose the introduction of women to all orders of ministry within the Anglican Church of Australia, including the episcopate. It is also often claimed those opposed are men, and often clergy. However, this is not true.
[A] statement opposing the legislation allowing the introduction of women to the episcopate under consideration at this General Synod, has been signed by over thirteen hundred (1,300) Anglican lay women, representing around 150 different churches from a range of liturgical and theological traditions, from almost every diocese in Australia ...
There are, of course, thousands more Anglican women, who are similarly opposed to the innovation of women bishops, but who have been unable to express their opposition because they have not known about or had access to this petition.
Furthermore, a significant number of women who expressed their desire to sign have not done so, for fear of discrimination within their dioceses, against themselves, against their children at diocesan schools, against clergy husbands, or against individual churches. This is a distressing development in our life together as Australian Anglicans.'

Arguments in favour of women being bishops within the Anglican Church
1. There is biblical and traditional support for women assuming leadership roles within the Anglican Church
Supporters of women as bishops note that the Bible speaks of women appearing in positions of leadership and of Jesus calling women to various ministries. They point out that Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians: 'There is no longer male and female ...'
It is claimed there are many women recorded in the Bible who showed religious leadership. Their stories appear in both the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and Christian Scriptures (New Testament).
In Exodus, Miriam, the daughter of Aaron was a prophet and one of the triad of leaders of Israel during the Exodus from Egypt. In Judges, Deborah, a prophet-judge, headed the army of ancient Israel.
In Acts Philip the evangelist had four unmarried daughters who were prophets. In the Epistle to the Philippians Paul refers to two women, Euodia and Syntyche, as his co-workers who were active evangelicals, spreading the gospel. In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul refers to Phoebe as a minister or deacon of the church at Cenchrea. The Greek word which describes her function is 'diakonos' which means literally 'official servant.' She is the only deacon in the Bible to be identified by name. In the Epistle to the Romans Paul also refers to Priscilla as another of his 'fellow workers in Christ Jesus' Other translations refer to her as a 'co-worker'. In Galatians 3:28, Paul wrote that there is no distinction between male and female among those who have been baptised into Christ.
Supporters of female bishops also argue that there are historical and traditional precedents for women exercising authority within the Church.
The Christian Gnostic tradition represented one of the three main forms of early Christianity - the others being Jewish Christianity and Pauline Christianity. Gnostic texts show that women held senior roles as teachers, prophets and missionaries in the early Church. They conducted rituals such as baptism and the Eucharist. They performed exorcisms.
It is further noted that more recently both Elizabeth I and the current Queen bear the title 'Defender of the Faith' in England.
Finally supporters of female bishops also argue that as God's ministers are meant to act as God's representatives on earth it is not appropriate to assign God a gender. They claim that God transcends maleness and femaleness and that gender should therefore not preclude a person from serving as either a deacon or a priest or a bishop.
Baptism, it is argued, is the basis of every Christian's ministry and no subsequent ordination should be denied in principle, on the grounds of gender, to any Christian.

2. The Appellate Tribunal of the Anglican Church has ruled that there are no constitutional impediments to women serving as bishops
In a majority decision the Tribunal ruled that there is nothing in the Church's Constitution that would prevent the consecration of a woman priest as a diocesan bishop in a diocese which by ordinance has adopted the Law of the Church of England Clarification Canon 1992. Not every diocese has done so.
The ruling impacts only on diocesan bishops and not assistant bishops most of whom are elected and confirmed under provisions of the Assistant Bishops' Canon 1966 which seems to retain the requirement for candidates to be male.
One of the central issues in the ruling allowing women to become diocesan bishops concerned the definition of 'canonical fitness'. In the Church's Constitution, adopted in 1962 it was clear at that time canonical fitness included a requirement for 'maleness.' The 'maleness' requirement was removed in a process that began in 1989 when a canon (church law) was passed that amended the Constitution to redefine 'canonical fitness.' The canon came into effect in 1992 after seventy-five percent of dioceses, including all metropolitan dioceses, adopted it.
The Anglican primate of Australia, Dr Aspinall, has stated that the Tribunal's ruling 'means that whenever there are vacancies in dioceses that have adopted the 1992 canon and whose own diocesan law permits it a woman can become a diocesan bishop.'
The Appellate Tribunal in indicating there was no constitutional impediment to the ordination of women as bishops within the Anglican Church endorsed a line of theological thinking that has been apparent within the Church for thirty years.
In 1969 the General Synod created a Doctrine Commission to study whether women should be eligible for ordination to the three-fold order of ministry: deacon, priest and bishop.
In 1977 the Doctrine Commission's majority report found no theological barrier to women's ordination, having looked at the issue from the standpoints of Scripture, tradition, church history, and contemporary society.
The General Synod of 1977 passed a resolution stating that there was no theological barrier to the admission of women to the three-fold order of ministry.
In November 2000 the Australian Anglican Church issued draft legislation covering the consecration of women as bishops.

3. Not allowing women bishops would discriminate against women in a society that now accepts their equality
It has been claimed that objections to female bishops are based on a prejudiced and outdated view that women are inferior or subordinate to men.
Dr Muriel Porter, a Melbourne representative on the Anglican General Synod has argued 'It is a specious, contorted, minority view based on a literalist reading of a few isolated scriptural texts - the very texts used until the end of the 19th century to deny women any role in public life.
In the 21st century, it would be a brave church leader who would insist that women should not be lawyers, MPs, doctors or government officials, but the logic of their argument really should lead them to that conclusion.
For all their fine words about women being equal (at one level), [the teaching of those opposed to women bishops] is that women are, by their very nature, subordinate.'
It is now generally accepted that women should be treated as equal to men in all areas of life. As a reflection of this a clear majority of Anglicans support the appointment of female bishops.
At the General Synod in 2004 a majority of bishops (17 of 23) voted in favor of female consecration. The House of Clergy voted 63 to 43 in favor. The House of Laity voted 67 to 39 in favor. The latter two groups gave 59% and 63% approval.
The growing number of Anglican communities around the world where women bishops are supported by a majority of laity, priests and bishops is held to be significant by those favouring female bishops. There are those who believe that for a development to grow and be accepted within the Church is evidence of it being divinely ordained. This is referred to as the Gamaliel principle of reception which holds 'if it is of God it will prevail, if not it will fail'.

4. Provision will be made for those who are opposed to female bishops
The Anglican Church is aware that there are those within it who remain opposed to women bishops as a matter of principle and biblical interpretation. The Anglican Church aims to ensure that the views of those opposing women bishops are respected and that provision is made for them.
The Australian primate, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, who is president of the seven-man tribunal, said the debate had been healthy. 'The Anglican family across Australia is a diverse group and we are mature enough to engage in robust debate on many issues,' the archbishop said. 'There will be some in our family who will be unhappy with this ruling and it is now our urgent duty to offer care for those who retain a conscientious objection to women bishops.'
Similarly, the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier, has stated in relation to those who are opposed to female bishops, 'We will work at developing ways to make sure that those who do not welcome it will feel that their views are understood, as we find ways of implementing this decision in our Diocese.'
Townsville Anglican Bishop Bill Ray, though in favour of women bishops, has also noted, 'There are some people who believe women can teach but not lead. There are some people who take the biblical principle that men are in charge of the house.'
Bishop Ray has argued that the Church needed to handle the issue carefully. He has stated, 'Part of being a Christian is accepting other people's point of view.'
Dr Aspinall has suggested that supportive arrangements for those unable to accept female bishops could involve allowing a male bishop to minister to dissenting parishes in a diocese with a women bishop. However, some news reports have suggested that this 'solution' is unlikely to be implemented.
Dioceses headed by bishops opposed to women serving as bishops will not have this ruling forced on them. The Anglican Church of Australia is essentially a federation of dioceses whose outlook is as much local as national. An archbishop retains the power to regulate every aspect of ministry conducted within his diocese. He decides who will be licensed and the functions they will be permitted to perform.
This is significant because in an archdiocese such as Sydney where the Archbishop, Peter Jensen, is firmly opposed to women bishops, there is no requirement that the Archbishop appoint them.
Dissenting Anglicans will have time to come to terms with the Tribunal's ruling as Australia's Anglican bishops agreed earlier this year not to consecrate any women bishops until at least their next national meeting in April 2008. Discussion of how to accommodate those who are opposed to female bishops will occur at this national meeting in 2008.

5. Other churches with which the Australian Anglican Church is in communion have female bishops and women already serve as priests
It has been argued that in the interest of consistency women should be able to be bishops as they are already able to serve as deacons and priests.
There are those who have claimed that with almost ten percent of active clergy within the Anglican Church now women and their numbers increasing, the exclusion of women from the episcopate will become increasingly problematic and appear increasingly inappropriate.
Muriel Porter, a supporter of women bishops and a Melbourne representative on the Anglican General Synod, noted in The Age on September 29, 2007, 'Women now constitute about one fifth of the clergy outside the Sydney diocese (the main opponent of women's ordination). Here in Melbourne, where women have been ordained priests since 1992, about 70 women would meet the minimum legal requirements - that they be at least 30, baptised, and in priests' orders.'
It has also been noted that a number of other churches with which the Anglican Church of Australia is in communion already have women bishops. Anglican churches in the United States, New Zealand and Canada have appointed women bishops and another 11 of the Anglican Communion's 38 regions have accepted the principle.
In June 2006, the United States Episcopal (Anglican) Church elected a woman, Katharine Jefferts Schori, as its presiding bishop. In July 2006 the Church of England's general synod voted that the appointment of women as bishops is theologically justified. There are those who argue that given such developments in the rest of the Anglican Communion it would have been inappropriate and inconsistent for the Anglican Church of Australia not to allow female bishops.

Further implications
It will be some time before women are consecrated as bishops within the Anglican Church of Australia. There are no immediately anticipated vacancies and no intention of consecrating a woman as a bishop prior to an annual meeting of Anglican bishops to be held in April 2008.
However the issue remains a volatile one. There is the disappointment of those who believe that the church is more concerned to accommodate the concerns of those opposed to female bishops than it is to embrace the new development.
The cautiousness of the Anglican Church of Australia is understandable. The consecration of female bishops has the capacity to be highly divisive. The Sydney Archdiocese is the largest and most powerful in Australia and its leader and many of those within it are opposed to both female priests and female bishops. The archdiocese will not be compelled to accept female bishops yet having such a large group stand apart from an arrangement accepted by the vast majority of other diocese has the potential to be highly disruptive.
The worst case scenario would be a large scale exodus from the Anglican Church. While there is currently no indication that this is likely to happen it remains a future possibility, particularly if no accommodation can be made with dissenting groups.
The situation in the United States where seven dioceses refuse to acknowledge the authority of the primate of the Episcopalian Church because of her gender is a development which the Australian church will be very anxious to avoid.

Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
The Age: October 3, page 15, comment by Catherine Deveny, `Women bishops banned one day, but OK the next. What gives?'.
The Australian: October 1, page 16, comment by Tom Frame, `Gender edict a signal of unity and due process'.
The Age: October 1, page 10, editorial, `The church moves on and women move in'.
The Australian: September 29, page 4, news item by Jill Rowbotham, `Women bishops on the way'.
The Australian: September 29, page 4, news item by Jill Rowbotham, `Mother welcomes chance to become leader'.
The Age: September 29, Insight section, page 9, comment by Dr Muriel Porter, `For Anglicans, women are equal at last'.
The Age: September 29, page 2, news item by Farah Farouque, `Pioneer vicar's joy as glass ceiling goes'.
The Age: September 29, page 1, news item (with cartoon) by Farouque and Marriner, `Anglican move for women'.
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