The Group for Rescinding the Act of Synod has issued a press statement arguing that the Flying Bishops preparing to land in Rome should not be replaced. GRAS anticipates that the legislation, currently being considered by Dioceses, will get the necessary majorities in General Synod in 2012. However, this is by no means certain as to date the key votes have not obtained the necessary majorities for final approval. Moreover, some are reporting that the newly elected Synod is more conservative despite the many departures of evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics in the last 18 years.
Part of the argument put forward by GRAS is that the Flying Bishops only minister to 2.8% of the congregations of the Church of England and since those people really don’t matter there is no need to replace their Bishops. They don’t quite put it like that, but read between the lines and that is what they mean.
By the same logic some of our Dioceses are also too small to worry about as they too account for less than 2.8% of the Church of England. Would anyone notice, GRAS seem to be arguing, if the Bishops of the following Dioceses were not replaced:
Bath & Wells, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Canterbury, Carlisle, Coventry, Derby, Durham, Ely, Exeter, Gloucester, Guildford, Hereford, Leicester, Lichfield, Lincoln, Liverpool, Newcastle, Norwich, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Ripon & Leeds, Rochester, StEds & Ips, Sheffield, Sodor & Man, Southwell, Truro, Wakefield, Worcester, York and Europe.
GRAS may have inadvertently stumbled on a good way to save the Church of England lots of money.
David Phillips
General Secretary, Church Society
(Note: The statistics used to identify the Dioceses GRAS would apparently not miss are based on 2008 attendance rather than congregations, but you get the idea.)
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