A revolutionary five-point plan to prevent the Church of England splitting when women become bishops has been unveiled by a clergy member of the General Synod.
The blueprint comes from the Rev John Hartley, vicar of St Luke's, Eccleshill, Bradford, who has been an Anglican "MP" since 2004.
At the crux of the 52-year-old ecclesiastical legislator's "solution" to the fear of schism when females don mitres is abolition of the word "bishop".
Dr Hartley outlines his plan in the latest issue of his parish magazine in an article headed "Let's collectivise the bishop". His scheme provides for:
* Reorganisation of all the dioceses to a size that could comfortably be led by one bishop and two suffragans;
* Abolition of the word "bishop";
* Each diocese being headed by a "College of Oversight" consisting of three people, including at least one man and one woman;
* At every confirmation and ordination, all three people being present, each of them laying hands on all the candidates;
* In appointing the college, all of its members receiving the laying-on of hands from all the members of at least three other diocesan colleges of oversight.
Dr Harley, a supporter of women bishops, says: "I do not want to see the Church of England torn apart as another chunk of people leave - as will surely happen if we decide to proceed with the present draft legislation. So I'm looking for alternatives which might keep both sides on board."
More here-
http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=4313
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