Over There: Church of England

From Richmond-

The Episcopal Church of the United States traces its roots to the Church of England. The English parent confronts many of the challenges confronting its colonial progeny.

Episcopalians have taken first steps that the C of E later has followed. Recent days have seen breaking-news contention in the mother country regarding women's role. The Episcopal Church boasts not only women priests but women bishops. Women serve as priests in the Church of England, but not as bishops.

The other day a compromise regarding women clergy in the Church of England promoted by Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, failed. The Williams proposal would have authorized women bishops but would have created male-only options for dioceses resistant to the idea. The Church of England soon will have women bishops, as the compromise was intended to soothe opponents of women bishops, not to placate supporters. Moreover, reports predict that bishops and priests hostile to the change will cross the mountain -- i.e., join the Roman Church.

One of the beauties and frustrations of the Bible is that its passages can be interpreted in diverse ways (many will scorn that proposition, thereby proving the point). Texts occasionally seem to contradict themselves. We (the regal pronoun refers to an editor who is an Episcopal communicant happily in accord with his church's precedents) find Romans 16:1 of great comfort: "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well."

These battles and similar ones are not unique to Anglicans. Every edifice, religious or secular, erected by fallen beings is subject to division. It is easy to understand why good people of no faith find all this confounding, and a reason for rejection. The persistent silliness seems far distant from realms as sacred as Iona and Galilee as well.

More here-

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/jul/15/ed-cofe15-ar-291818/