We knew that the vote on 20th November would be very close and we also knew that whatever the outcome, the mission of the Church would be damaged. However, before the vote, there were a couple of opportunities to state publicly that a vote for final approval of the Women Bishops Measure would be much more damaging for our unity in the long run than a vote against (see http://reform.org.uk/news/src/archive/11-2012/page/3). Through God's mercy, the more disastrous course has been avoided. We must now make every effort to help the Church of England find an agreed way forward that resolves the issue within the lifetime of the present General Synod.
Where Now?
There is a lot of speculation at the moment about what is likely to happen next, but in terms of process, we won't know until the House of Bishops has met on 10th - 11th December. Together with the Chair of the Catholic Group in General Synod, I have written to the two Archbishops as well as the Archbishop-designate and the General Secretary at Church House, to urge them to convene early talks with representatives of all the key groups involved in the debate in order to find a better way forward. We have said that there is no reason that fresh, agreed, proposals could not be put to the General Synod next July. The legislative process could then be fast-tracked to ensure that a new Measure is passed in 2014. Read more
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