Dear Bishop John
thank-you for meeting
with us this afternoon. I am really hoping that the House of Bishops
will see fit to take some concrete and definitive action in light of
the cynical manipulation of the General Synod by those oppposed to
women in the episcopate.
Since the Ordination of
Women to the Priesthood measure in 1993 those (in the vast majority
in the Church of England) have shown both compromise and hospitality
to those who, although in the minority, wish to remain within her
fold.
In my own ministry this
minority have cause significant hurt – epsecially during my initial
training. However, I have borne this with good grace as I believed in
the idea of having a church open to all.
This inclusive attitude
is apparently not reciprocated and being a priest in the Church of
England feels like living in a house which is supposedly my home, but
in which there are locked doors and rooms in which I may only sit in
silence. The atmosphere in this house is sometimes quite bearable and
even enjoyable but then as I move about it I realize that I am more
of a stranger here than might be obvious and the whole atmosphere of
the place becomes almost unbearable.
The Church of England has
ordained women to the priesthood for twenty years – it is simply a
legislative, not theological, nicety that it does not allow their
consecration. But if we are real priests then we must be able to take
the real and full authority of Episcopal function – de facto by
this imprisonment in legislation you cast doubt on the very essence
of who we are in Christ and in His Church.
The time has come for the
Church of England to say “We ordain women.” and stop the sentence
at that point. Generous provision might be in order for those who
rely on the Church for their living in a transition period but
without mutual respect and hospitality the respect and hospitality
which we are currently offering under the guidance of our Bishops
becomes a place of belittling and abuse.
I would urge you and the
House of Bishops to act in all ways possible to end the life of this
Synod in all its houses and recommence the legislation quickly. The
mission implications of the recent vote are deep and will leave those
of us on the ground with even more land to cover in teaching and
preaching the Gospel. I would also urge you to very seriously
reconsider the idea of Dual Integrity whose usefulness may well have
come to an end.
Rev. Caroline Kramer
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