A leading Church
of England cleric has called on Anglicans in that country to follow the example
of the church in Africa by consecrating women
bishops.
Canon John Ford was representing the Archbishop of York at the consecration and installation of the Right Reverend Margaret Vertue as bishop of the diocese ofFalse
Bay .
Canon John Ford was representing the Archbishop of York at the consecration and installation of the Right Reverend Margaret Vertue as bishop of the diocese of
She is the second
woman to be consecrated as bishop in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa,
following Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya of Swaziland , who was consecrated last
year.
Bishop Vertue was
consecrated by the Archbishop of Cape Town and
metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Most Reverend Thabo
Makgoba, at a service at the University
of Stellenbosch .
The consecration
of Bishop Wamukoya and now Bishop Vertue signals a progressive moment for the
church in Africa , in the face of a decision by
the Church of England last year not to approve the consecration of women
bishops.
The difference in
policy on women bishops was the subject of comments by speakers at Bishop
Vertue's installation, with Methodist bishop Michel Hansrod saying the
ordination of women was a privilege not shared by all.
In his comments,
Canon Ford expressed the hope that the Church of England may shortly follow the
example of Anglicans in Africa .
"Where
Africa leads, England may
follow," he told Bishop Vertue, asking her to "pray for us in England in our
brokenness that we soon may celebrate this day".
Bishop Vertue,
who succeeds retired Bishop Merwyn Castle ,
was one of the first two women ordained as priests at St
George's Cathedral in Cape
Town in September 1992, shortly after the Anglican
Church of Southern Africa revoked its law banning women from being ordained.
In comments
following the consecration of Bishop Vertue, Archbishop Makgoba said that there
are 38 independent provinces within the Anglican communion worldwide.
“The debate in
the Church of England was not lost because the majority of people don’t want to
arrive there (but) it was about the numbers game. But we should look at our
journey: We are at this stage in terms of our journey and witness in terms of
the ordination of women bishops; they are at that stage.
“We just need to
do what God has called us to do in a Godly manner and, hopefully, some will
follow. There are areas where we follow and there are areas where we have to
lead. That is the joy of the Anglican church.”
Asked if there is
a space for Anglicans in Africa to be ministering to the church in the
developed world, Makgoba said the Global Christian Forum presented an
opportunity to ensure that Africa’s understanding of God was communicated in
the development of theology globally. - Ray Hartle