Death throes

Thinking Anglicans carries this news comment on the defeat of the Covenant in the Church of England:

…Speaking on Monday, Dr Williams said: “This is, of course, a disap­pointing outcome for many of us in the Church of England and many more in the Communion. Unfor­tunately, the challenges the Covenant was meant to address will not go away just because people vote against it.

“We shall still have to work at vehicles for consultation and manag­ing disagreement. And nothing should lessen the priority of sus­taining relationships, especially with some of those smaller and vulner­able Churches for whom strong international links are so crucial.”

The blinkers still seem to be attached. What this defeat has said is that the Church of England wants to hold on to its Anglican heritage of unity in diversity, and has overwhelmingly voted against any ecclesiastical vehicle "for consultation and managing disagreement".

It appears that as our Archbishop starts to pack his bags for the airy corridors of academia he still doesn't understand this, and nor do the majority of our Bishops.

Ministry Development Review

I have been invited to attend a Ministry Development Review with one of our Diocesan Bishops later this year. In my reply I pointed out that I have not transferred my post to Common Tenure, and that until I read the “Comparison of Freehold with Common Tenure” document, no-one had ever informed me that as an Office holder of Incumbent status my participation in an MDR was voluntary.

I then added that i would be happy to attend this MDR meeting on the understanding that it would be an opportunity to informally review my ministry rather than to formally assess it under the Clergy Terms of Service Regulations.

The CofE has "shafted" me several times since I began training for the ministry. I've now reached the stage of making my position clear, and may well take this opportunity to descibe the various ways in whioch I find myself "out of step" with several official pronouncements.

There again, I might just shut up .....

What we've been saying all along

My cynical side says that our Archbishop saw the writing on the wall .....

Not waving but drowning

As of today, the Anglican Covenant proposals, as they stand, have been defeated by a majority of CofE Diocesan Synonds. The issue is now "dead in the water" and cannot come back to General Synod for at least 3 years, though expect some sort of "back-door" attempt to reintroduce the prescriptive control seemingly desired by the majority of bishops.

Puts a spring into my step as the clocks bounce forward an hour.

Anglican Covenant voting update

In Ripon & Leeds the voting was :
Bishops: 2 for, 0 against
Clergy: 12 for, 22 against
Laity: 8 for, 17 against

In Southwark the voting was:
Bishops: 1 for, 0 against, 1 abstention
Clergy: 10 for, 27 against, 2 abstentions
Laity 21 for, 32 against

In Worcester the voting was:
Bishops: 2 for, 0 against
Clergy: 5 for, 19 against
Laity: 6 for, 22 against

In Carlisle the voting was:
Bishops: 2 for, 0 against
Clergy: 19 for, 13 against, 2 abstentions
Laity: 33 for, 17 against

In Bath & Wells the voting was:
Bishops: 0 for, 1 against, 1 abstention
Clergy: 17 for, 22 against, 1 abstention
Laity: 18 for, 23 against

In Coventry the voting was:
Bishops 2 for, 0 against
Clergy: 22 for, 7 against
Laity: 26 for, 2 against


These results take the running total to 17 dioceses against and 10 in favour. Rejection by 22 diocesan synods means that the Covenant will not come back to the General Synod, and can’t be approved by the Church of England.

What strikes me immediately from these six results is how much the Bishops seem out of tune with their clergy and people over this issue. With the exception of Southwark and Bath & Wells, where there were 2 abstentions and one for and one against, the other diocesan bishops held the party line and voted for the proposed Covenant.

That in itself speaks volumes.