The new Bishop of Blackburn opposes female ordination. Is CofE unity at risk?

January 19, 2025 Sir Malu Uncategorized 0

The new Bishop of Blackburn opposes female ordination. Is CofE unity at risk?

In addition to potentially influencing future discussions on same-sex marriage, the selection of Rt Rev Philip North

as Bishop of Blackburn has rekindled the controversy surrounding female ordination within the CofE. As explained

by Heather Tomlinson

Is it possible for conservatives and liberals to coexist in the Church of England, or will they finally have to part ways?

One important sign would be how people react to the new Bishop of Blackburn’s appointment.

Notwithstanding his standing as a great preacher and a voice for the underprivileged, women’s advocacy

organisations within the Church of England have fiercely protested Rt Rev Philip North’s new position.

That’s because North is a traditionalist Anglo-Catholic who disagrees with the ordination of women, which angers

many feminists within the Church. Yet he has also been warmly welcomed to his new role as the Bishop of Blackburn

by many women who have worked with him.

MY DREAM IS TO BE PART OF A CHURCH IN WHICH I AM FULLY SUPPORTED BY MY BISHOP, AND IN WHICH I FULLY SUPPORT MY BISHOP

With this support, it could be possible to avoid a recurrence of the circumstances in 2017, when North was compelled

to turn down the position of Bishop of Sheffield due to a backlash from people who opposed his selection. Even while

not all female priests opposed his appointment, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Rev. Justin Welby, demanded

an independent inquiry because the situation had become so contentious.

In response to protests, North resigned from his initial position as a bishop in 2012 and took up the position of

suffragan (junior) in Whitby.

AN UNEASY COMPROMISE

The new appointment will, undoubtedly, put pressure on the uneasy compromise that exists across the Anglican

Communion regarding the issue of women in ministry.

Regarding social issues like gender and sexuality, the Anglican Church has a rather broad theological stance. The
2014 “House of Bishops Declaration,” which included the goal of “mutual flourishing” for clergy on both sides of the
dispute, was intended to resolve a dispute over female bishops.

But whether this was even feasible was called into doubt by the controversy surrounding North’s nomination for the

position of Bishop of Sheffield. A theologically conservative appointment like Bishop Philip’s was deemed to be in
line with the Declaration by the independent assessment; however, more research was required to see whether this
would actually be feasible.

If the opposition to his new role becomes severe, it may lead to a fundamental rethink of any agreement between the

liberal and conservative wings of the CofE.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS

Bur North’s appointment also has wider ramifications, particularly regarding the Anglican debate on same-sex

marriage. Clergy who are conservative on this topic hope they will be provided for in a similar way to clergy who

oppose female bishops. Yet, if traditionalists such as Bishop Philip are not able to act as senior bishops under such

arrangements, this could weaken the chance of agreement.

“My dream is to be part of a church in which I am fully supported by my bishop, and in which I fully support my

bishop,” said Rev Ed Shaw, who is a member of the CofE General Synod and well known for his conservative beliefs

about same-sex attraction. “The muddle the Church of England has got itself into on sexuality and gender means that

feels increasingly unlikely – unless we embrace new structures that allow this to happen.”

GREATER AUTHORITY

Bishop Philip’s new role is effectively a promotion, meaning he will now oversee the whole Diocese of Blackburn,

including all clergy. He has held the more junior suffragan role of Bishop of Burnley since 2015, but it is the new,

greater authority that feminist groups oppose.

Women and the Church (WATCH), a campaign group that works for “gender justice, equality and inclusion in the

Church”, said it could not support North’s new appointment. In a statement issued on their website, they said that

“some female clergy would struggle to flourish under his oversight.”

“When parishioners come to understand that their bishop is not personally confident that female priests can

undertake priestly roles, such as consecrating the bread and wine, this undermines the authority of their vicar, if she

is a woman,” they continued.

Several female priests have also publicly criticised the appointment, including Rev Naomi Nixon, chief executive of

the Student Christian Movement, who tweeted: “When I had a bishop who wouldn’t ordain women it felt like there

was a question mark lurking over us.”

IF CHRISTIANS CANNOT RELATE TO EACH OTHER WITH LOVE, HOW CAN WE TRANSFORM A NATION IN THE NAME OF CHRIST?

The Diocese of Blackburn has attempted to head off such criticism with a statement from Bishop Philip, in which he

states that: “female clergy in Blackburn diocese are fully and equally part of the Diocese and have a ministry that is

grace-filled and transformative.”

However, it remains the case that he opposed the ordination of women, to the extent that at his consecration, Lord

John Sentamu, then Archbishop of York, did not take part in certain parts of the service because he ordains women

himself, giving way to other bishops with more conservative convictions.

JUSTICE AND POVERTY

Although against female ordination, Bishop Philip has a strong track record on campaigning for the eradication of

poverty. He has repeatedly attacked trickle-down politics, tweeting that they “benefit only the rich” and has called for

“urgent and coherent government action” to prevent the current cost of living crisis turning into “a winter of

destitution” for the poorest in our society.

Earlier in the year, he accused the Conservative Party’s leadership elections of deteriorating “into a competition to

see who can be most spiteful to some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”

Speaking about his new role as Bishop of Blackburn, Bishop Philip said he has three priorities: growing the Church

to “build joyful Christian communities”; being an “ever-stronger voice for justice, especially for the poorest”; and

putting children and young people at the “very heart of all that we do”.

GARNERING SUPPORT

Some of his more liberal coworkers might have been won over by North’s constructive involvement with significant

social concerns. Anglicans from a wide range of theological backgrounds have embraced his new role. Lord Sentamu

tweeted, “This is such good news,” and the current Archbishop of York, Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, called Bishop

North a “evangelist” and a “friend of the poor,” expressing his excitement about his appointment.

Furthermore, not all women are against his appointment. Crucially, Bishop of Lancaster Rt Rev Dr Jill Duff, who

presided over the consultation on his appointment, stated: “I have enjoyed working with Philip for the past five years

as a fellow Suffragean bishop. He has immensely supported, motivated, and encouraged me..

Rev. Canon Fleur Green, who had collaborated with North in Blackburn, informed Premier that she had draughted a
letter endorsing his appointment in the wake of the 2017 events in Sheffield. Since Philip had been so helpful to them
both pastorally and in their vocation, she said, other female clergy members had also “emailed with personal stories
of why they wanted to support Philip.”

Bishop Philip claimed at the time that the personal assaults on him had been “very difficult to endure.”

“How can we as Christians expect to change a country in the name of Christ if we are unable to relate to one another in a loving manner?”

Read more news on https://sportupdates.co.uk/

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*