OUR bishop has welcomed the historic vote that will allow the first women to become bishops in the Church of England.

Bishop Christopher

Bishop Christopher was among those who voted in favour of legislation that will pave the way for women bishops. The legislation was passed by all three of the General Synod’s houses – the House of Bishops, House of Clergy and House of Laity – by the required two-thirds majority.

He said: “I welcome the vote that women as well as men can be called to be bishops in the Church of England. This decision is later than many had hoped, but it is made now with substantial support across the church and with trust and understanding of the differences that there have been.

“It opens all ministry to everyone and will enable all God's gifts to his people and church to be used in the service of the Gospel. The Diocese of Portsmouth is well served by lay and ordained Christians, among them both men and women priests, bringing compassion, insight and creativity to their work in communities, parishes and chaplaincies.

“As we look forward I am committed to all of us, whatever our view on the principle of this decision, being respected partners in witness and service to the people of this area.”

The voting results of the General Synod, meeting in York, were as follows:

House of Bishops: Yes 37  No 2  Abstentions 1
House of Clergy: Yes 162  No 25  Abstentions 4
House of Laity: Yes 152  No 45  Abstentions 5

This means the first woman bishop could potentially be appointed by the end of the year. Today’s vote comes just 18 months after the proposal was last voted upon in November 2012, when it failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority in the House of Laity.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “Today is the completion of what was begun over 20 years with the ordination of women as priests. I am delighted with today's result. Today marks the start of a great adventure of seeking mutual flourishing while still, in some cases disagreeing.

“The challenge for us will be for the church to model good disagreement and to continue to demonstrate love for those who disagree on theological grounds. Very few institutions achieve this, but if we manage this we will be living our more fully the call of Jesus Christ to love one another. As delighted as I am for the outcome of this vote I am also mindful of those within the Church for whom the result will be difficult and a cause of sorrow.

“My aim, and I believe the aim of the whole church, should be to be able to offer a place of welcome and growth for all. Today is a time of blessing and gift from God and thus of generosity. It is not winner take all, but in love a time for the family to move on together.“

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said: “This is a momentous day. Generations of women have served the Lord faithfully in the Church of England for centuries. It is a moment of joy today: the office of Bishop is open to them.

“To those who ask ‘what took you so long?’ my answer is that every decision has a cost and there will be those within our body who will be hurting as a result of this decision. Our answer to the hurting should not be ‘get over it’ but rather ‘we will not let go until you have blessed us.’

“We move slowly because we move together. But in moving together we achieve not only what is just but also model what is right. As the African Proverb says: ‘Whoever walks fast, travels alone. Whoever walks far, walks in the company of others’.”

The legislation approved today includes a House of Bishops declaration, underpinned by five guiding principles and a disputes resolution procedure. Following the vote on the measure which enables women to become Bishops, the synod voted on enabling legislation and also rescinded existing legislation as part of a package of measures being proposed.

Following today’s vote, the measure moves to the Legislative Committee of General Synod and then to the Ecclesiastical Committee of the Houses of Parliament where the legislation will be considered. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the measure will return to the General Synod in November of this year where it will come into force after it has been formally announced.

Today’s vote follows a process which began at the 2013 July Synod  which created a steering committee on women bishops, chaired by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev James Langstaff, with a mandate to draw up a package of new proposals. Bishop James opened the debate on behalf of the steering committee and responded to the debate urging synod members to vote for the proposals.