wfn.org | LWI 2008-047 LWF Welcomes Ecumenical Consequences of Church of England Vote for Women Bishops

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LWF Welcomes Ecumenical Consequences of Church of England Vote
for Women Bishops 

General Secretary Noko Commends “Fuller Recognition of the
Gifts of Women Called to Ministry”

GENEVA, 25 July 2008 (LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
welcomes the recent decision by the Church of England General
Synod to consecrate women as bishops, for its potential to enrich
the life of the Church and in particular "for its immediate
consequences in ecumenical relations" among Lutheran and Anglican
churches.

In a statement issued on 21 July, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr
Ishmael Noko commended the Church of England for opening the way
to "the fuller recognition and celebration of the gifts of women
called to ministry." Pointing to the experience of Lutheran
churches with women bishops, he expressed the hope that women who
would become bishops in the Church of England would "bring gifts
of leadership for the enrichment of the entire Anglican
Communion." 

At its General Synod in early July, the Church of England voted
to consecrate women as bishops. Some of the provinces of the
Anglican Communion, including churches in Scotland, the United
States of America, Canada, New Zealand and more recently
Australia, have already approved the ordination of women as
bishops.

Noko noted that involvement of women bishops within the LWF is
relatively recent: the first women bishops in the Lutheran
communion were elected only in 1992. It is, he said, "already
clear that the leadership of women in all the roles of ordained
ministry has been a blessing to those churches which have
experienced it."

The general secretary reiterated the LWF's own affirmation of
women’s ordination and service in the episcopal ministry
through formal statements of its governing bodies. He cited the
statement "Episcopal Ministry within the Apostolicity of the
Church," from the March 2007 Council meeting in Lund, Sweden,
which built upon the action of the 1990 Eighth Assembly in
Curitiba, Brazil.

However, he noted that, as is the case in the Anglican
Communion, some members of the Lutheran communion are not
convinced on grounds of faith that God calls women as well as men
to be bishops. 

"Discerning the ways of faithfulness is a road we must walk
together. On this issue, as on others which remain controversial
in our communions, no one has yet articulated the insights which
can be convincing to all other positions. We accompany
prayerfully the Church of England as she seeks pastoral means to
embrace those who remain of an opinion different than the synod's
decision," added Noko.

He also pointed to the immediate consequences of this decision
for ecumenical relations between Anglican and Lutheran churches.
He cited the potential impact on the Porvoo Communion, which
links Nordic and Baltic Lutheran churches and Anglican churches
in Britain and Ireland as signatories to the 1993 Porvoo Common
Statement. This agreement allows mutual recognition of ordained
ministry, including at the episcopal level, and opens up closer
church relations and cooperation. 

Noko noted that there had been limits to the implementation of
the Porvoo Common Statement because the Church of England did not
recognize the ministry of women bishops in the Lutheran churches.
"The Porvoo Communion is an inspiration for relations between
Lutherans and Anglicans in many places around the globe, and we
are very pleased that this obstacle to the fullness of its life
in communion can now be removed," he said. 

The LWF statement echoed the affirmation of a number of member
churches, including the Church of Norway. A statement issued by
Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of its Council on
Ecumenical and International Relations, praised the "significant
step in the consolidation of the Porvoo Communion." Tveit
described the Church of England vote as a "bold and mature
action, knowing well the immediate costs involved." He noted that
the Norwegian church, having already experienced a similar
process some years ago and "having been much blessed by its
fruits," would accompany the Church of England with prayers for
God's blessing and guidance in the time to come. (666 words)

The LWF statement is available on the LWF Web site at:
www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/LWF-Church_of_England_Women_bishops.pdf

>*        *          *

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF
currently has 141 member churches in 79 countries all over the
world, with a total membership of over 68.3 million. The LWF acts
on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such
as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects
of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

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