Church of England votes overwhelmingly for women bishops!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10462311/Church-of-England-votes-overwhelmingly-for-women-bishops.html

Women bishops: Today I'm proud to be a member of the Church of England


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10462932/Women-bishops-Today-Im-proud-to-be-a-member-of-the-Church-of-England.html

Australia gets its first chick in a pointy hat!

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/anglicans-elect-first-woman-bishop/story-fni0xqrc-1226762165287

The Reverend Dr Sarah Macneil has been elected unanimously as the 11th Bishop of the Anglican diocese of Grafton.

The Sunday night announcement comes a day before the Anglican church and the Grafton diocese in particular is due to appear before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which will open in Sydney on Monday.

Dr Macneil replaces Keith Slater.

He resigned in May this year, apologising for his failings in handling complaints about sexual abuse and brutal beatings that took place at the North Coast Children's Home in Lismore, which was run by the Grafton diocese of the Anglican church.

Mr Slater is expected to be called before the Royal Commission.

The inquiry will also look at the diocese's handling of a group compensation claim brought by victims of abuse.

Dr Macneil said she was surprised and humbled by her appointment.

"The Diocesan Appointment Board is keen to have a bishop with a heart for mission in the 21st century, a respect for the diversity of Anglicanism and with administrative experience, all of which are part of my story," she said in a statement.

Dr Macneil was previously the Dean of Adelaide and archdeacon in the Diocese of Canberra-Goulburn.

She will leave her role as a senior associate priest at Holy Covenant in Jamison, ACT to take charge of the Grafton diocese.

Church of England could have female bishops by 2014, says committee

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/25/church-england-female-bishops-2014-committee-synod

The group given the task of ending the Church of England's impasse over female bishops believes legislation to bring women into the episcopate could be approved as early as 2014 – a year sooner than expected.

Last November the General Synod rejected draft legislation that would have allowed female clergy to become bishops by six votes, leaving the church fractured and facing criticism from parliament.

Fears of an enduring standoff deepened in July this year, following a synod vote that suggested traditionalist members of the house of laity remained deeply opposed to female bishops.

But in a report published on Friday , the 15-strong steering committee for the draft legislation on women in the episcopate said that if its proposals found favour at the synod's next two meetings, final approval could be given next year.

Among its recommendations is the creation of an ombudsman who could rule on any complaints from traditionalists who are against women bishops.

The synod's general secretary, William Fittall, said he was optimistic the deadlock could be broken but warned once again that another failure to resolve the issue would prove "very serious" for the church.

Fittall said the steering group – which comprises five synod members who voted against the introduction of female bishops last November – had agreed that their proposals were the best way forward for the church.

"Where we go from here is entirely dependent on what happens [at the next synod meeting] in November," he said.

"What we've got today are proposals that have been worked on by 15 members of the synod and it's now for the other 455 to make up their mind. But … this is the first time since discussion of women bishops started 13 years ago that a complete package of proposals has been agreed by people with such a wide range of views." Sam Jones

Although Fittall said he believed the church was at the beginning of "a new and a hopeful phase", the committee's members did not unanimously vote to commend their report to the synod and the house of bishops.

Thirteen did, but the Rev Paul Benfield of the synod's Anglo-Catholic wing and Susie Leafe, director of the conservative evangelical Reform group, abstained from the vote.

In a joint statement, the archbishops of Canterbury and York said they hoped the matter of female bishops would be resolved as soon as possible.

"It is significant that the 15 members of the steering committee … who represent the widest possible range of opinion on the matter, have been able to reach substantial agreement on a package of proposals to put to general synod in November," they said.

"For this we thank God, and we pray in hope that this will help general synod debate and decide on the necessary next steps to enable women to become bishops."

Antje Jackelen Is Sweden's First Female Archbishop

Antje Jackelen, Bishop of Lund, won 55.9% of the vote from the ecclesiastical college of the Church of Sweden, which has 324 members. She will be the first female bishop of the Lutheran church that calls about 2/3 of Sweden's population members.

She told news agency TT, "I'm a little dazed and grateful for the support I got."

Ordained in 1980, Jackelen noted that it wasn't that shocking for the Church of Sweden to elect a woman to lead, as "We have had female priests for over 50 years." She's married to a priest, and has two children.

"I've been out on the international scene a lot and I can see that there is a curiosity about female church leaders. I have confidence and that is also an asset," she told the BBC. The new Swedish Bishop will have good company in the United States as in August the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) elected Rev. Elizabeth Eaton as the first female Presiding Bishop.

Bishop Antje Jackelen will replace the current archbishop Anders Wejryd, who told TT, "It was about time."