Pt2.
."The Conference recognized "the autonomy of each of its member Churches, acknowledging the legal right of each Church to make its own decision about the appropriateness of admitting women to Holy Orders."The Conference accepted both those provinces and dioceses which ordain women and those who don't, and urged that each respect the convictions of the other side.The resolution stated that: "...the holding together of diversity within a unity of faith and worship is part of the Anglican heritage." 2Resolution 22 recommended against the consecration of women as bishops unless "overwhelming support" existed in the province and diocese concerned, and then only after consultation with the other primates.1980s: Additional provinces started to ordain qualified women to the priesthood. Debate intensified within some provinces over whether female bishops should be consecrated as bishops.1988 Lambeth Conference: This was a critical time for the Anglican Communion. Female ordination remained a hot topic. There was a concern that the Episcopal Church, USA might shortly consecrate a woman as bishop. Resolution 1 was adopted by a vote of 423 to 28, with 19 abstentions. It begins: "That each province respect the decision and attitudes of other provinces in the ordination or consecration of women to the episcopate, without such respect necessarily indicating acceptance of the principles involved, maintaining the highest possible degree of communion with the provinces which differ." This resolution recognizes that each province is autonomous and has the authority to decide for itself whether to ordain women or to consecrate female priests as bishops. 3Part "c" of the resolution also recommended that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, appoint a commission to monitor female ordination. The main purpose of the group was to preserve the unity of the church during this critical time. There was considerable concern that one or more provinces would break away from the Anglican Communion. None ever did. The commission's formal name was the "Archbishop of Canterbury's Commission on Communion and Women in the Episcopate" It became generally known as the Eames Commission because it was chaired by the Most Reverend Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland.1989: The fear of the first female Anglican bishop materialized when the Anglican Church of New Zealand consecrated Penny Jamieson as the seventh Bishop of Dunedin. Later that year, the Episcopal Church, USA consecrated Barbara Harris, an African-American woman, as bishop.1994: Three official reports of the Eames Commission were published in one volume, "The Eames Commission, The Official Reports." The Commission was disbanded, but was replaced by the Eames Monitoring Group which continued to observe the female ordination issue in the Communion. 1997: Eames Monitoring Group report: The Eaves Monitoring Group issued a report. It said that the Communion wanted to "...uphold legitimate provincial autonomy while at the same time fostering a care and consideration for those ...." who opposed female ordination. The commission felt that their "...guidelines ...have helped Anglicans maintain the highest degree of communion with those who, with integrity, hold quite opposite views about the ordination of women." They estimated that there were "well over 4,000" female priests in the Communion, as well as "10 women bishops of which 6 are diocesan bishops." The provinces of Australia, Burundi, England, Kenya, Philippines, Scotland, Uganda, Wales, West Africa, and West Indies accepted women as deacons or priests. Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, and Southern Africa had accepted, in principle, women to all three ministries of the church: as deacons, priests and bishops.. The province of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia had joined Canada and the US by actually having women functioning in all three levels.
They reported that some English groups which are: "...opposed to women's ordination continue to feel marginalized. Others believe the Church of England went too far in accommodating conscientious dissent....The reports from the Provinces indicate occasional or even more general attitudes of contempt for opponents on both sides of the continuing debate. Communion in diversity requires charity and respect." The Province of the Anglican Church in South East Asia continued its opposition to ordaining women. They said, "It is wrong to consider the open process of reception where the principle is wrong and not accepted...there is no debate where scripture, tradition and common sense are clear." 41998: By this date, a slim majority of the provinces had decided to ordain women. There was little controversy at that year's Lambeth Commission concerning female deacons and priests. Female ordination had become almost a non-issue. In South Africa, for example, Bishop Duncan Buchanan of Johannesburg noted that of the two bishops in that province who strongly opposed women priests, one has retired and the other is about to retire. "On the whole it has been a huge and wonderful non-issue and I mean that in the best way. It is not that people have gone the same way, but that people have respected each other's point of view...Those of us who have ordained women to the priesthood have done so supported by an enormously loving brethren also in the episcopate who have disagreed with us." Eleven female bishops attended the 1998 Lambeth Conference. 8 were from the US, 2 from Canada, 1 from New Zealand. All but one had been ordained as priests between 1978 and 1984. They were thus pioneers from the beginning of their ordained ministries as deacons and priests. "Nearly all can tell tales of painful marginalization, even, in a few cases, of being spat upon, shouted at, verbally abused...With each bishop, however, such tales are told only rarely and then reluctantly, and usually, only to illustrate how much progress has been made." 3
A few conservative bishops protested. Almost 50 bishops planned to hold a parallel meeting. Others decided to attend the main conference, but not participate in liturgies or Bible studies where female bishops are present. At least one decided to not pose for the official group photograph if female bishops are included. Most of the protesting bishops were members of the Episcopal Synod of America (ESA), a conservative-reform group which has serious theological concerns over female ordination.
Barbara Harris, an African-American, is the bishop suffragan of Massachusetts (USA) and the first female bishop consecrated in the Anglican Communion. She had received death threats during her consent process. At the 1998 Lambeth Conference, she commented: "The people who are unappreciative of our presence here are probably just avoiding us...People have been very solicitous and kind."
A group of women bishops and conservative male bishops prepared a resolution on female ordination. It stated that bishops should not be compelled to act against their conscience by ordaining or licensing female priests. It was moved by Bishop Penny Jamieson of Dunedin (Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia). She commented: "During our discussions there were deep and real disagreements. Our small group began by being suspicious of each other, but as trust between us began to grow it became our prayer that we could agree on an amendment that we could offer to this Communion as a way of deepening our communion in the heart of God while and because of our respect for our differences." The resolution was approved by the conference on 1998-AUG-6.
Included in the resolution was a call to the provinces that they allow "appropriate Episcopal ministry" as needed. This apparently refers to a practice in which a parish that was opposed to women priests could "declare themselves out of communion with ordained women and those who recognize their orders." 4 These congregations could then be cared for by a second bishop who is male -- often called a "flying bishop" -- rather than by their own diocesan bishop. He would serve congregations upon request, either in addition to or as an alternative to the diocesan bishop. This is a radical departure from Anglican tradition which had always recognized the authority of only a single bishop within each diocese.
2004: There are still many provinces in the world which do not permit female ordination. Religious groups tend to follow -- rather than lead -- secular trends towards women's rights. Anglican provinces in much of the far East, for example, will probably refuse to accept women for ordination until firm cultural beliefs about the roles of women are overturned. This could take many decades.Bishops in three dioceses in the U.S. also refuse to ordain women. However, this position will probably not survive the retirement or death of their present bishop. More details.Many more provinces refuse to consecrate women as bishops. As of 2004-OCT, the Church of England still refuses to consecrate priests as bishops if they happen to be female. It may well take generations -- conceivable even a century -- before sexism is totally abolished in the Anglican Communion, and women are allowed to fully serve in all positions within the church.
