Church of England may allow women to become bishops

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Church of England General Synod is to meet this week to vote on whether to allow women to become bishops, according to BBC News.

The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury and his successor the Rt Rev Justin Welby are in favor of the move. A majority of church members also support the measure, but strong opposition from traditionalists and a complicated voting system means the outcome is uncertain.

It comes 20 years after the Church decided to ordain women as priests.

The Church of England's national assembly, meeting in Church House, London, will hold a series of votes in what is being seen as the first major test for the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Bishop of Durham Justin Welby is expected to speak in Tuesday's debate, urging the Synod to support the change.

Among the initial group of women to be ordained in 1994 was Frances Ward, who is now Dean of St Edmundsbury Cathedral and one of the most senior women in the Church of England. She is impatient for change.

The Church of England has been at this stage before. It was due to vote on the change in July, but the discussion was adjourned without a vote after supporters of women bishops objected to the concession being proposed for opponents.

They feared the proposal would create two tiers of bishops within the church, with opponents allowed access to a male bishop who agreed with their objections to women bishops.

A new amendment has now been drawn up.

Meanwhile, opposition groups, a coalition of traditionalists, evangelicals and Catholics within the Church, have sent a booklet to all 468 members of the Synod arguing the draft measure falls short of what they need.