Bishop election sparks big row

Press, 28 September 1988, Page 8

Bishop election sparks big row

NZPA-Reuter London A black woman divorcee’s election as a bishop in the United States has sparked a big row in the Anglican Communion, threatening to split the world’s'second largest Christian community. The Rev. Barbara Harris, aged 58, is likely to become the first woman bishop in the 70-million Anglican Communion after being elected at the week-end to become the next Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts. She must still be consecrated, a process which could take up to five months. “The Episcopal (Anglican) Church of the United States is splitting from the Anglican Communion by having a woman bishop,” a spokesman for the Church Union, a conservative group in the Church of England, said yesterday. The Association for the Apostolic Ministry, a world-wide Anglican group opposed to women clergy, called on the Episcopal Church to withdraw from the Communion. “We’re calling on the American Episcopal Church to withdraw,” a spokesman said. The association is jointly headed by the Archbishop of Sydney, Donald Robinson, and the Bishop of London, Graham Leonard, who has already declared that he will be unable to recognise Ms Harris

as a bishop. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, who is the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, has appealed for unity, respect and a spirit of courtesy. “I renew the pledge I made in Canterbury to do all in my power to serve this unity as we begin to work out the implications of the Massachusetts election,” Dr Runcie said, adding that the election would have far-reaching consequences. “There will be some in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion who feel they will not be able to recognise a woman as a bishop, or those ordained by her,” he said. "But for the moment it is not for individuals to make declarations about whether they are in or out of communion with her or the Episcopal Church. Such a matter is determined by the due processes of the Church, not by private judgment, even by the Archbishop of Canterbury." Most churches in the communion’s 164 countries have not yet decided whether they are in favour of women priests and bishops. Some have rejected the idea, while churches in Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and Hong Kong have already ordained women priests.