The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Rev Nick Holtam, has expressed his regret following the decision of the General Synod to vote against going ahead with the ordination of women as bishops.
And the Rector of Marlborough, the Rev Canon Andrew Studdert-Kennedy, has described it as a “terrible” result.
He told Marlborough News Online: “Along with many, many others I think it is a terrible outcome. The decision makes the church look prejudiced against women and completely out of touch.”
“I share the Bishop of Salisbury’s anxiety about the way that the Synod’s decision is not representative of the views of the wider church. Don’t forget that the principle of women bishops has been accepted, so it is baffling that it cannot be implemented.”
“Of course the issue will not go away and so we have the prospect of yet more time and yet more energy being expended on the subject.”
”In the meantime, whilst the national church is attracting such unwelcome bad publicity, at the local level parishes continue to serve their local communities as faithfully and imaginatively as they are able.”
Bishop Holtam, who spoke in the debate last night (Tuesday), was one of the speakers in the debate, which failed to meet its two-third majority by just six votes.
“Although the proposal gained the necessary two-thirds majority among bishops and clergy, it was lost in the House of Laity,” he pointed out as some women priests were reduced to tears by the decision.
“This prevents for now what the Church of England has said in 42 of its 44 Diocesan Synods with 75 per cent in favour. We should now expect a good deal of prayer and thought to try to find what God is saying to us today.”
“There will also be a searching analysis of the unrepresentative decision of General Synod.”
Marlborough’s rector added: “I don’t think that women priests will quit the church as a result of this.”
“I think this set back may well make them more determined to stay and serve the church which they care for even though it appears to treat them so badly.”
“I have enormous sympathy for those women who have been campaigning for this and working on it for so long. They will have to continue doing so when I am sure they would much rather be getting on with other things in their ministry.”
The Rev Sue Armitage, the retired priest who preached at St Mary’s, Marlborough, on Remembrance Sunday, said she endorsed the comments made by the Bishop of Salisbury.
And she added: “Personally, I was very surprised at the outcome of the vote and extremely disappointed. It will be of great sadness to many both in and out of the church and to the ministry of women within the church and the many whose gifts and skills would make them great bishops and enhance the leadership roles in the church.”
