[Labhaoise]

Hi! I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, or if I have done the right thing by putting in the link, if I haven't done the right thing, I apologise.
I found this article this morning and thought it was very interesting.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=567867
What do you think about it? I'm not really sure but I am sortof of the opinion, that if anyone wants to spread the Word, and share Jesus' love with others, then nothing should prevent them. As long as they are stating the truth and not spreading lies etc, they should not be stopped.
I'm not anglican and so I do not understand the issues they have with it? If anyone can help me understand why there is so much controversy around this appointment, I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks

[mcmama]

I used to be an Episcopalian. Ordaining women is hardly new in Anglicanism. Women have been ordained in various branches of the Anglican communion since the 1970s. This was a bit slow in coming to Australia. The Anglican churches are controlled locally, so it is not like in Roman Catholicism where the Pope, the head of the church, makes a decision and everyone around the globe makes it so. The head of the Anglican communion, the Archbishop of Canturbury, has considerable influence, but he does not have the authority to tell local branches who to ordain. This is why the whole controversy in the USA about consecrating homosexual bishops has such an impact. The rest of the Anglican world can decide to not be in communion with the church in the United states and Canada.

Where you have women priests, you have women bishops. And in the United States, the head of the Episcopal Church, (the "Presiding Bishop") is female. This is the first time that a woman has been primate of any of the Anglican or Catholic churches (primate means top bishop in the church). Some of the other Anglican organizations are having a hissy fit accepting her as a primate. Others don't have a problem with her being a woman, but take issue with her positions on some issues.

There is a lot of local control in Anglicanism, and there are still dioceses that do not ordain women to the priesthood - and no one can order them to do so, not even the Archbishop of Canturbury or the presiding bishop of their individual country. There are a few dioceses in the USA that still don't ordain women, and Australia is experiencing the same thing. So now that there is a female bishop in the Australian church, there are opponents of women's ordination who will not recognize the legitimacy of her ministry or authority - and will not invite her to participate as a bishop in any services held in their diocese. And in Anglicanism, that is perfectly legal. Not happy, but legal.

There are a number of women bishops in the USA, and after a while, this will not be too much of a problem in Australia. It's been tried in some areas to ordain women but only allow them to do some things and not others, and that really does not work - it redefines the priesthood and is really contrary to what a priest or bishop does.

There's a lot of power play going on there as well. Some of those bishops are just flexing their muscles.

[Labhaoise]

Thanks for the info, it helps alot!

[mcmama]

Hope so. Anglicanism gets more confusing every day!!!! At least to me. Keeping it all straight is a bit of a challenge, especially when they get mad about something.

[AussieD]

I can only answer from an Aussie point of view. Sydney diocese, which is more evangelical in outlook, has always stood against female priests and therefore bishops, because they believe it goes against the teaching of Scripture. Other areas in Australia do not share this view. Two of the best three speakers I have ever heard have been women. One was my first bible study leader and you could not ask for a more godly, powerful speaker. That was to an all female audience she spoke. But I was for a time in a church outside of Sydney with a female minister. It was not a good experience. Sometimes those who are advocates of women in the priesthood can (not always, but can) have the wrong outlook and be pushing the wrong agenda. I've heard the case for and against women priests debated in one church I was part of and from both sides, both using arguments from Scripture but this was a long time ago and I can't remember much of the debate now. That particular church which was not Anglican had a team of men and women who preached and led the church at that time. I think the problem is sometimes we can be caught up in issues like this and lose sight of the main focus which is to spread the gospel message and uphold and encourage Christians.