THE heavy workloads of the Bishops of Beverley and Ebbsfleet, who provide episcopal ministry to parishes with a conservative stance on the ordination of girls, require extra support, an independent review has concluded.
After the retirement of the Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Revd Tony Robinson, in August last 12 months (News, 12 April 2024), 30 traditionalist Catholic parishes have been added to the workload of the Bishop of Beverley, the Rt Revd Stephen Race. He is the Provincial Episcopal Visitor (PEV) for the Northern Province, and covers 11 dioceses and 140 parishes, across 11,890 square miles. The diocesan average across the Church is 116 parishes across 482 square miles.
The Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Revd Rob Munro, covers the complete Church of England because the Bishop to conservative Evangelical parishes. In the 12 months to September 2024, he provided advice and support to 44 churches along with ministering to the 152 with lively resolutions under the Measure.
A review carried out by the Independent Reviewer, Maggie Swinson, published on Tuesday, was prompted by concerns raised by each the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Philip North, and the Dioceses Commission. The Independent Reviewer rules on concerns and disputes over the operation of the House of Bishops Declaration that accompanied the women-bishops Measure.
In a letter sent in February, Bishop North questioned the episcopal capability available to Resolution parishes within the Northern Province, and the impact on each Bishop Race and the parishes under his care. He cited paragraph 16 of the Declaration, which expresses a commitment to all parishes’ receiving “broadly comparable and consistent arrangements”, wherever they’re situated. There was an inequity with the Southern Province, he argued.
His concerns were echoed in a letter to Ms Swinson from Dame Caroline Spelman, who chairs the Dioceses Commission, sent in March. This had raised a particular concern that Bishop Munro’s workload was unsustainable owing to each the variety of parishes under his care and their geographical spread.
Bishop Munro told Ms Swinson that many parishes were experiencing “strained relationships” with local churches and the broader Church within the wake of the introduction of the Prayers of Love and Faith. Some congregations had left or were considering leaving the Church. Some had recently chosen to pass resolutions under the Declaration out of a desire to guard their complementarian Evangelical position.
The Makin report and other safeguarding issues had had a selected impact on Evangelical churches, highlighting a “disconnect” with diocesan systems, he said.
Ms Swinson concluded that Bishop Race’s ministry was now not comparable with the PEVs within the Southern Province; and, subsequently, the commitment in paragraph 16 was not being met.
She really useful that part-time provision be secured for the Northern Province: a male bishop who was a member of a diocesan House of Bishops. Ms Swinson said that meeting this requirement might be “difficult”, provided that retired bishops weren’t often members of the House, and there was no precedent for part-time area or suffragan sees. As an interim measure, administrative or other support ought to be provided, she said.
Bishop Munro’s ministry was “unsustainable within the medium and long run”, she said. The increase in needed travel and time away from home was “potentially prejudicial” to his well-being and a few “deputisable support” ought to be put in place (again, a male bishop who was a serving member of a diocesan House of Bishops).
As bishops for the entire Church, those holding special portfolios — resembling the PEVs and the Bishop of Ebbsfleet — ought to be “contributing to the national and diocesan life” of the Church, Ms Swinson said. They had spoken through the review of their “lack of capability to contribute to the broader considering” of the Church.
