Thread by @Steeplekeeper

🧵 Summary of the transparency issue that is affecting women in the @churchofengland:

1 In the 8 years since women were finally ‘allowed’ to be bishops, a problem has developed in the church.

2 When the legislation was passed in 2014, an exemption was agreed by Parliament, allowing those clergy/churches who don’t believe women should have equality with men in church ministry to carry on excluding women from being priests/vicars & bishops, etc.

3 Numbers aren’t made readily accessible, but it seems there’re 100s of these churches/clergy - perhaps 5% of the @churchofengland - in these 2 groups:

A #MaleHeadship #Complementarian #ConservativeEvangelical

B #MaleOnlyPriesthood #TraditionalAngloCatholic #ForwardinFaith

4 The rules that were agreed in 2014 say that women can only be excluded from ministry leadership if a church’s PCC passes a resolution which signals the parish’s wish for that. The PCC then sends a request to the bishop for that to be allowed in their church.

5 The rules also say that, as this has a significant impact on the parish, there should be church consultation, & that the views of the wider church community should be sought. Once the PCC knows the wishes of the parish, it can signal that wish fairly by passing a resolution.

6 Once a PCC resolution is passed, the overwhelming majority of these churches have not been putting a statement with this information on their website, or in their written communications like service sheets, notices, etc.

They are keeping quiet about it.

7 Newcomers subsequently joining the church have had no way of discovering that they are joining a church whose leaders (PCC & vicar) have a quiet but active policy of excluding women & sometimes girls from various ministry & other opportunities.

8 Church leaders nationally know about this but have not done anything to solve it.

This is in spite of many requests, over the last 8 years.

#ChurchToo

9 It’s not difficult: next to the required Safeguarding statement on church websites, churches with resolutions affecting women should be required to have an honestly & comprehensibly worded statement which explains the existence & purpose of their PCC resolution.

@synod

10 It should say when the next church consultation & review of the resolution will happen, & have a link to the statement of their theological conviction about it, which was sent to their diocesan bishop. Then parishioners & churchgoers can know what type of church it is.

11 In addition, the church nationally should hold & publish a list of parishes with PCC resolutions in place, so that this information is readily available to all churchgoers, clergy & the wider parishes/public.

@JustinWelby @CottrellStephen

12 It is churchgoers who largely finance the ministry of @churchofengland churches.

We have a right to know:

A. What policies & practices our financial giving is funding

B. What policies & practices we & our families being subjected to.

13 Nothing like this should be concealed from us.

Congregations entrust our service, giving & families to our churches. We trust our clergy.

Nothing underhand should be done to us.

14 Endnote: it’s been really disappointing that Twitter & the @churchtimes have been the only places where lay & clergy women can be heard, get light thrown on the extent of this problem & move for it to be solved.

#ListentoWomen

We ask for #TransparencyAboutPCCResolutions

15 More info: to see the basic code of practice on this, that was the basis on which Parliament agreed to pass the women bishops’ legislation, search for the Church of England documents titled
GS Misc 1076 & GS Misc 1077, the Declaration & Guidance.