Seven female Trans-Tasman bishops have met on Raymond Island off the coast of the West Island of New Zealand. A report of their meeting is here on Taonga and their communique is here.
This was an historic "first" such meeting and ACANZP was represented by Bishop Victoria Matthews and Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley.
One question they raise is when there might next be a female Primate in the Anglican Communion. In theory that could be any time soon, in practice it probably won't be straightaway. Will it be within the next five years?
3 comments:
Everything depends on what God wants, and since he forbids pressure group ideologies within the Body of Christ, helping one team over another in Canterbury is probably not on.
He does nourish the cardinal and theological virtues in women, as in men, and sometimes turns them to spiritual gifts to the Body. Whenever he does, we are wise to recognise and follow them, whatever the sex of the gift-bearers. The Crown Nominations Commission is not a perfect process, but it has proven able to match gifts to needs.
Those who truly believe in the Holy Spirit will be patient with his work. Those who believe instead in pressure group ideologies will waste a lot of time and energy on what they neither influence nor control.
Thank the Lord for all things...
Bowman Walton
"Those who truly believe in the Holy Spirit will be patient with his work. Those who believe instead in pressure group ideologies will waste a lot of time and energy on what they neither influence nor control.
Thank the Lord for all things... - Bowman -
Indeed Bowman. What is really needed in all of this is true discernment - the characteristic in Christian circles often hindered by an endemic unwillingness for change - probably based on the hymn: "Change and decay in all around I see" - with no perspective of the working of the Holy Spirit to renew the Church. Women, like men, are made in the Divine Image and Likeness and, as such, are equally gifted for the proclamation of the Gospel of O.L.J.C., whose care for women was exemplary.
I am not a great believer in 'hobby-horses' less so when the 'hobby-horse' takes on such a presence it overshadows the aspect of most importance. However, this meeting doesn't seem to have such a tone, rather a source of mutual encouragement.
I would concur re Bowman and Ron with the Holy Spirit as guiding discernment and His will as pre-eminent. However, I do think people can at times 'quench the spirit'. I have been fortunate in my Christian walk whereby there have not been many times when this has happened due to being female. However, I can distinctly re-call one significant example. So while I have no personal qualms about there being no female representative or male representative (if you want to look at our local churches : ) ), I do think it is important to "listen to what the spirit is saying to the Church" and not merely what the transcript in our minds says.
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