Church of England Readying for Exodus As Women Bishops are Anticipated

Two routes are currently being selected by Anglicans - Reunion and Schism

While the resolution must now be reviewed by the Dioceses over the next eighteen months and then ratified by the 2012 synod; no one expects the measure to fail. For many Anglo-Catholics, the Canterbury Road will lead to Rome. For evangelicals, alternatives are being considered.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The recent action by the Church of England to introduce a resolution for consecration of women bishops has all but guaranteed that the largest exodus from the mother church of Anglicanism is about to take place. For many, the destination will be Rome

At a recent meeting in York, the General Synod voted to move forward on the new policy, which provides no real protection for those who oppose the practice. Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and honorary head of the Anglicanism was powerless in his efforts to provide compromise.

The new resolution does allow for a woman bishop to delegate oversight of a parish if she so chooses, however, the parish has no power to change supervision. Critics insist that a bishop will not easily cooperate with a parish requesting re-assignment.

While the resolution must now be reviewed by the Dioceses over the next eighteen months and then ratified by the 2012 synod; no one expects the measure to fail.

For Anglo-Catholics, this is the end of the Canterbury Road. With the invitation for full communion with the Roman Catholic Church already offered, these pilgrims must now wait. The structures are still being put in place for the reception of bishops, priests, deacons and laity into the new Anglican Ordinariate.

Forward in Faith, the largest Anglo-Catholic group in the Church of England, is anticipating a large exodus. Steve Parkinson, Executive Director of the 10,000-member organization, told David Virtue of Virtue Online that conversion to Catholicism is about the only solution.

"This draft measure does nothing for us at all," said he stated. "We explained very carefully why we could not accept women bishops theologically.

"We explained what would enable us to stay in the Church of England, but the General Synod has decided to get rid of us by giving us a provision that does not meet our needs."

"They are saying either put up or shut up and accept innovations, however unscriptural or heretical, or get out."

From the Catholic side, there is still a lot of work to do in implementing the apostolic constitution, "Anglicanorum coetibus," where Anglicans are able to be received into the Catholic Church while retaining their distinctive patrimony and liturgical practices.

It may be as long as two years before the arrangement will be ready. There is also some concern that those who choose to become a part of the ordinariate will be more inclined to continue as "Anglicans in exile" than fully embrace their Catholicity.

Parkinson indicated that "traditionalists" will have a couple of years to decide what to do.
"Many, I expect, will be exploring the provisions of Pope Benedict's apostolic constitution," he told Virtue. "We have got 10,000 members, so clearly we are talking about thousands."

Anglo-Catholics aren't the only group affected in the CofE. Evangelicals, who make up an active component within the church are also wondering what to do. Their members, who are especially active through such ministries as the ALPHA evangelistic program, are scratching their heads, wondering what will be happen next.

One group that is looking for alternatives is "Reform," a network of churches and individuals established in 1993 for the purpose of reforming the Church of England.

In a recent press release, the group stated, "The positive response to the Archbishops' own amendment shows that there are still options available which have not yet been fully explored and which could give Reform members and others adequate provision. We want to see these explored and will seek discussions to ensure they are.

Rev. Rod Thomas, Chairman of Reform, introduced an amendment at the Synod to allow complementary bishops for parishes opposed to female bishops. It was solidly defeated at all three levels of bishops, priests and laity.

In a recent news letter, however, he told his followers not to lose hope and that there are other alternatives that could be considered, including the selection of sympathetic delegates for the next General Synod.

According to David Virtue, "Reform" may be planning beyond what is stated in the abridged version of their online newsletter. According to Virtue Online, "In his latest newsletter following the women bishops debate at General Synod, the Reform chairman sent the clearest signal yet that the movement is actively considering consecrating its own bishops.

"Recognizing the future for conservative evangelicals is still 'uncertain.' Thomas said the Reform Council will be 'actively exploring' the possibility of creating a 'Society' focused on mission, 'with its own bishops providing support and encouragement.' He suggested 'the House of Bishops might recognize it as a place where separate episcopal oversight could operate when the Women Bishops Measure comes in.'"

With the Anglican Conference in North America, supported by overseas bishops, gaining strong momentum among orthodox Anglicans, we will most likely see a move similar to this gaining strength in England.

Ironically, the original definition of an Anglican church means one who is in communion with the See of Canterbury, these autocephalous Anglicans will have to seek more fundamental definition for the term, most likely tied to liturgy and ecclesiology.

When looking twenty years into the future, David Virtue, who has followed Anglicanism for more than two decades, paints an interesting picture.

"The Church of England," he writes, "will be very largely a homogeneous liberal body, like the Church of Sweden. It will have about 250,000 active members. The hierarchy will still be intact, but at the local level there will be many closed churches, and many more struggling to remain open.

"There will be no significant growth points, once Evangelicals and Catholics are gone. Former Anglo-Catholics will by now have been fully absorbed into the Roman Catholic Church with little trace remaining.

"There will be a number of large Evangelical churches around the country, but no longer in communion with the Church of England - congregational churches in all but name, with occasional visits from overseas prelates, in the tiny rump of the Anglican Communion that will have survived by 2030 - all those provinces which currently ordain women will have gone the same way as the Church of England."

What he envisions looks much like the Episcopal Church USA of today.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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