“WOMEN’S voices proceed to not be heard” within the Church of England due to institutional barriers, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, has said.
During a fractious debate on the General Synod on Friday on proposed changes to make-up of the vacancy-in-see committee, she said that ladies “proceed to experience micro-aggression”.
Each diocese is required to have a vacancy-in-see committee, which meets only when the Bishop of that diocese has vacated the post, whether within the event of translation to a different see, retirement, resignation, or death.
The committee holds at the least two meetings, the primary of which is held as soon as practicable after the emptiness has been announced. At its second meeting, the committee discusses the needs of the diocese before preparing an announcement setting out those needs, which is distributed to the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), which is accountable for the appointment of the following Bishop. The committee elects by ballot from amongst its members individuals to be members of the CNC.
The changes being put to the Synod last week were brought forward as regards to a review, published last yr, of the appointment of the Rt Revd Philip North as Bishop of Blackburn (News, 19 April 2024). The reviewer, Maggie Swinson, had found that the method had been followed appropriately, but advisable that the appropriateness of a suffragan bishop within the diocese chairing the vacancy-in-see committee be reviewed.
In accordance with this, one in every of the changes that Bishop Mullally proposed was to mandate that the chair be elected from among the many lay members of the committee. This, she told the Synod, would avoid the danger of other members feeling unable to talk their mind since the chair was their line manager, or in one other position of authority.
Other proposals were aimed toward ensuring “higher representation of the diocese as a complete” on the eventual CNC, Bishop Mullally said. This included a requirement that at the least one woman was chosen to be among the many six diocesan representatives on the CNC, and that two members of the vacancy-in-see committee couldn’t be connected with the identical parish.
During the talk, many spoke in support of the motion, including Nadine Daniel (Liverpool). She also, nevertheless, that her diocese “has an issue” with its CNC, and that this might not be addressed by the proposed changes.
“That problem is that there’s anyone who can’t be trusted to keep up their oath of confidentiality,” she said, referring to a recent leak in regards to the appointment means of Dr John Perumbalath to the see of Liverpool (News, 7 February).
Several amendments to the primary motion were brought, including one from Jennifer Fellows (Gloucester) that sought to remove the requirement for at the least one lay person and at the least one cleric from those elected from a vacancy-in-see committee to the CNC to be female. While she wished to see female clergy higher represented, and more in the highest jobs, the proposed change failed to handle issues of ladies not being listened to, she argued. “We can still enthusiastically pursue and empower women to grow to be a part of the method.”
In a key intervention, Bishop Mullally reminded the Synod that there had been no women on the vacancy-in-see committees in Durham, Exeter, and Coventry, and just one in Winchester, Sodor & Man, and Ely.
“Women’s voices proceed to not be heard,” she said in growing frustration. “Why are we not ensuring that our members are 50 per cent men and 50 per cent women? Even if we only have two possibilities, we still have 4 who’re men.
“There proceed to be institutional barriers. We proceed to experience micro-aggression,” Bishop Mullally said, before, visibly emotional, she turned away from the rostrum. This was met with prolonged applause and a standing ovation. “People will say I even have manipulated you,” she continued. “I even have not manipulated you. . . Reject this amendment.”
The Revd Kate Massey (Coventry), said: “Women aren’t one other minority within the Church. We are a majority. We are subject to legal discrimination due to the bodies we inhabit. You need the voice of local women in your discernment. Every CNC features a male priest, but not an ordained woman.”
The Revd Jo Winn-Smith (Guildford) said: “Here we’re today debasing women. We are a majority within the Church’s congregations. I urge you to reject this.”
The Revd Kate Wharton (Liverpool) supported the amendment at one level: “I’m a feminist and an egalitarian.” She was in favour of equal representation for men and girls on all committees, but said: “We needs to be beyond a time of reserving places for one gender. I would like this clause not to want to exist. I would like us to be higher about changing our culture.”
The Archbishop of York also wished this conversation was not needed. “I wish we didn’t need any of those things, but we do, for the greater reason for unity and representation, and everybody feeling they’ve a spot across the table.”
The amendment was lost in a counted vote by Houses. Bishops 1-18, with two recorded abstentions; Clergy 55-79, with nine recorded abstentions; Laity 68-90, with 4 recorded abstentions.
Other amendments lapsed as a consequence.
Returning to the primary motion, the Revd Dr Charlie Bell (Southwark) said: “Show the Bishop of London just a little more respect than comparing what she’s attempting to do with Mugabe or South Africa. There has been a lot speak about being attentive to power. This is being a bit ludicrous — we aren’t listening to the voices of those that don’t imagine they’re being heard. Just vote the thing.”
Kenson Li (co-opted) was visibly impatient, too. He had been co-opted as one coming from a GMH background, he said. “Synod, if you happen to think the system is working, don’t be surprised in the event that they [young people] leave us. They could have made their minds up that this Church will not be value their time.”
The motion was carried in all three Houses. Bishops 16-3, with three recorded abstentions; Clergy 83-64, with 4 recorded abstentions; Laity 93-64, with no recorded abstentions.
Archbishop Cottrell moved: ‘That the Vacancy in See Committees Regulation 2024 (Amendment) Regulation 2025, be solemnly affirmed and proclaimed in an Act of Synod.’
