Episcopal church unravels as Forth Worth appeals for 'alternative oversight'

Bishop Jack Iker of Forth Worth diocese has appealed to Rowan Williams for "alternative primatial oversight" in the wake of "Hurrican Katharine" Schori's election as Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. I am indebted to a commentator, below, for this wonderful title given to the new PB on a BBC blog. This picture shows Iker addressing the American Anglican Council at a meeting on Monday. One reason Fort Worth has gone it alone on this, without the two other traditionalist dioceses of Quincy and San Joaquin, could be that Fort Worth was the only one to have the full quota of standing committee members at the Convention. Kendall Harmon has also written an interesting commentary on what conservatives are really after, while a commentator below has drawn attention to David Virtue's behind-the-scenes analysis of the election of Bishop Schori. My own commentary in the main paper (tues) appeals to Rowan Williams to offer the oversight that has been requested, while we are also running a leader today analysing his dilemma, along with a news story by myself and James Bone, who is in Columbus.

See Thinking Anglicans for links to how this is all being covered in the other papers. TA also has coverage and links from the General Synod briefing yesterday, which was rather overtaken by events in the US but which will be a controversial and interesting synod because of debates pending on women bishops, pensions, marriage and the reordering of parish and diocesan boundaries. Never mind the Anglican Communion becoming a federation, it is happening already in the Church of England.

The status of the crucial resolutions 160 and 161 is that 160 has been passed by the House of Deputies and now goes to the bishops. Debate was suspended on 161 at 7pm EST last night and resumes this morning. The final text of 160 is:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, mindful of  “the repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation enjoined on us by Christ” (Windsor Report, paragraph 134), express its regret for breaching the proper constraints of straining the bonds of affection in the events surrounding the General Convention of 2003 and the consequences which followed; offer its sincerest apology to those within our Anglican Communion who are offended by our failure to accord sufficient importance to the impact of our actions on our church and other parts of the Communion; and ask forgiveness as we seek to live into deeper levels of communion one with another." Fr Andy on Classical Anglican says: "It reads like we are simply sorry for something we did that unintentionally and inadvertently and others got hurt."

Terry Mattingley's analysis on GetReligion is really excellent: "For several years now, the worldwide Anglican Communion has been involved in a high-wire act involving two issues linked to moral theology. The first is the open, public ordination of gays and lesbians to the priesthood and, then, to the episcopate. The second is the open, public approval of sacramental church rites to bless same-sex unions, thus redefining the sacrament of marriage. Both of these issues threaten to shatter the worldwide Anglican Communion. Behind the scenes, Williams has been pondering another issue — how to handle the global Anglican tensions that will result, and the ecumenical bridges (think Rome and the Orthodox East) that will be burned — by the Church of England’s march toward female bishops."

And Susan Russell makes clear just how unrepentant The Episcopal Church truly is. Also, Susan, President of Integrity and Convenor of Claiming the Blessing, wrote on the election of Bishop Schori: "I am so proud of this church I could just burst. Proud that we were ready, willing and able to put everything else aside and select the person the Holy Spirit anointed to lead us with grace, with concord and with great joy. Proud that through the many dangers, toils and snares we have come over the divisive issue of the ordination of women we have emerged on the other side of those challenges stronger, bolder and more open to God's Holy Spirit. And convinced that this election is huge message of hope to those who fear these present challenges will be our undoing. We have history on our side -- we have hope on our side -- and most importantly we have the Holy Spirit on our side who leads us into all truth and into all knowing."

Sadly, not everyone feels the same.

This is the text of the Fort Worth appeal: "The bishop and the standing committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth appeal in good faith to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the primates of the Anglican Communion and the panel of reference for immediate alternative primatial oversight and pastoral care followng the election of Katharine Jefferts Schori as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

"This action is taken as a cooperative member of the Anglican Communion Network in light of the Windsor Report and its recommendations at a meeting convened on June 18, 8.53pm eastern daylight time, moved by the Very Rev Ryan Reed, seconded the Very Rev Christopher Cantrell. Vote: unanimous in favour."

There are 110 dioceses in episcopal church. Ten dioceses, along with Fort Worth, are members of the Network, of which the American Anglican Council is the secretariat. Three of these diocese, including Fort Worth, do not ordain women.  There are also individual parishes in the network, two of which are larger than Bishop Schori's current diocese of Nevada. What happens next is uncertain, but were Dr Williams to allow Bishop Iker's appeal, it is likely that some of not all of the network would follow Fort Worth to Lambeth. That could be more than ten per cent of The Episcopal Church.

Not a huge but a significant amount. And even more significant when it comes to Covenant crunch time at Lambeth 2008. If the AAC lot signed up, and TEC refused, then that would presumbably be it. Schism.

Meanwhile, at this moment of crisis the Lambeth Palace email has broken down, so by old-fashioned telephone the Archbishop of Canterbury has issued this response to the election of Katharine Schiori: "I send my greetings to Bishop Katharine and she has my prayers and good wishes as she takes up a deeply demanding position at a critical time. She will bring many intellectual and pastoral gifts to her new work and I am pleased to see the strength of her commitment to mission and to the millennium development goals. Her election will undoubtedly have an impact on the collegial life of the Anglican Primates and it also brings into focus some continuing issues in several of our ecumenical dialogues. We are continuing to pray for the General Convention of the Episcopal Church as it confronts a series of exceptional choices." Earlier, the Archbishop spoke to Bishop Schori by telephone to assure her of his prayers as she prepares to take up her post.

I understand Rowan Williams is unlikely to respond to Bishop Iker tonight because he's gone for a walk. In Lambeth.

And honestly, who can blame him.

Comments

[Malcolm Bowden]

First we had "flying bishops". Are we now to have "flying archbishops"? And, given that I don't much care for the churchmanship of my own diocesan, could Rowan let me choose another one just for me?

[Wilson Freeman]

It defies logic that Iker is seeking oversight from an Archbishop of a church that has a woman as Supreme Governor.

This is a power play to have an impact on the Church of England's upcoming decision on whether or not to permit women in its episcopate.

Iker is not showing spiritual or theological maturity. Yet he knows full well that if his diocese walks away from The Episcopal Church he'll have dished-out to him that which he has dished-out to others. That's why he stays.

The Archbishop of Canterbury should tell Iker that it's time for him to learn how to play nice in the sandbox or else go to his room and spend some quality time with himself.

[Rufus Green]

The beeb is calling the new Presiding Bishop "Hurricane Katherine"! its a great name - that will be the effect!

[Rufus Green]

forgot to give the url, oops, sorry ruth. here it is:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/

[In Dallas]

Fort Worth has refused to recognize women as priests since women began to be ordained 30 years ago. Bp. Iker's actions, I would guess, are more related to that than to the Gene Robinson-related issues. Most of the other Network dioceses (including Dallas, my diocese) recognize and actively ordain women.

If my Bishop, Bishop Stanton, tries to pull the Diocese of Dallas away in this fashion, I expect that from 1/3 to 1/2 of the parishes (including some large parishes) would not go along. Others may beat him to it.

[Marion R.]

"It defies logic that Iker is seeking oversight from an Archbishop of a church that has a woman as Supreme Governor." Wilson Freeman

On the contrary, Mr. Freeman: there is no clearer proof that the issues are indeed issues of sacramental theology-- as the diocese claims-- rather than issues of bigotry and civil rights, as their detractors claim.

The idolization of civil rights, group identity and "social justice" now holds such a grip on ECUSA's national organization that few if any of the faithful view the national organization as in any way relevant to the Church, which in practice has become congregational.

[Craig Goodrich]

Some of us here in the Diocese of Nevada were extremely surprised when +Katherine was elected. Here's an explanation:

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/print.php?storyid=4287

This story, by the way, is indirectly confirmed by Canon Harmon during the course of his tv interview at ctsix.org

Hello, London, this is Columbus. We have clarity, repeat, we have clarity....

[Fr. Greg Blevins]

"Hurricane Katherine," eh? Stonking!

[Jill Woodliff]

I support the ordination of women, but I respect the consciences of those who are opposed. Fort Worth's stand is well known. Bp. Schori's election strains the bonds of affection within TEC due to this issue and within the Anglican Communion due to her gender and her public record on sexuality/Windsor Report issues. In service to her calling as a reconciler, she can modify her stand on sexuality/Windsor Report issues. However, she cannot change her gender.

[Terry Hoyland]

I hope Bishop Iker takes time to reread Romans 12:16, the last part of which says, "do not claim to be wiser than you are."

[Clay from Dallas TX]

I applaud Bp. Iker, and I hop Bp. Stanton follows suit. Someone, somewhere, has to make an effective stand against the post-modernist relativism that has RUINED the ECUSA. If Bp. Stanton does not follow suit, then ECUSA will have lost YET ANOTHER parishoner. The ECUSA, as it stands today, and I are not compatible. And that's truly painful for me - I am a 7th generation Episcopalian.

Some quick numbers of what this cabal has done to ECUSA in the last decades:

Impaired communion with 22 provinces
caused a loss of 38% of overall membership since 1965
caused a loss of 700 members per week since 2003
caused a 3.3% decline in attendance of remaining members
pushed giving down 12%
caused 200 parishes since 2003 to disassociate from ECUSA

more stats:
39% of churches have shrinking membership
46% of churches have shrinking attendance
54% of churches have rolls of 200 or fewer
the average membership is 177
the average attendance is 75
our clergy over here is 91% over the age of 40.

The "revisionists" are literally killing off the ECUSA.

Thanks for nothing.

[Alan Marsh]

It is rather telling that Wilson Freeman is unable to distinguish between the head of the English legal system ("Supreme Governor") and the sacramental ministry of the archbishop at the head of the Anglican Communion.

[Deacon John M. Bresnahan]

What difference does all this make. According to American statistics the churches which have adopted all the poltically correct morality (pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, etc.) are committing self-genocide. In only one or two generations the mostly geriatric Episcopal Church will cease to exist except as an historic tribal memory.

[William Rolf]

A fitting fate might be for +Iker and other reasserters to get what they want -- episcopal oversight from a conservative African prelate. Accustomed as they are to very democratically-run Episcopal Church, the reasserters might be a bit surprised at how seriously some primates take their role as "princes of the Church".

[R Barrett]

The role of Primate in the Episcopal Church carries no authoritative/jurisdictional oversight. The only authority 'above' the diocese level is General Convention. Why does Iker feel that Ft. Worth needs an alternative?

One of Ruth's news columns refered to Bishop Gene Robinson as "Vicky Imogene 'Gene' Robinson". Even in a blog, that's not nice. But in a newspaper column?

(rg writes: sorry, I won't do it again.)

[Frank Salmon]

Following this logic, are progressive non-elitist-social-club CofE parishes to be allowed their own flying bishops, archbishops and primate (hehe) and to affiliate with the American Episcopalians, thus allowing their moribund conservative brethren to die out?

[Frank Salmon]

I meant to say, 'following this illogic'. Sorry

[Frank Salmon]

The Episcopal Church is no more unravelling now than it did several decades ago when various misogynist clergy opposed to female ordination effected the withdrawal of their parishes or parishioners to form a plethora of small breakaway denominations. Like Jesus himself. those who are inspired by Him to engage in courageous decisions usually do so knowing that, just as His led to his crucifixion, theirs might well involve loss and sacrifice, but that hesitation to do so would be morally wrong and spiritually destructive.

Polemics here appear to be tarnishing the veneer of journalism: the medium seems to be dangerously close to being misused, not to disseminate information but to advance one cause over another.

British reactionaries (and I believe that they are Reactionaries rather than Conservatives) reacting to the Episcopal Church's election of a female Presiding Bishop would do well to consider that the liberal clergy and parishes in the C of E, tired of the manipulations of an unelected, appointed episcopacy might well clamour themselves for 'alternative archiepiscopal oversight from a' more acceptable primate, namely someone such as the Episcopal Church's Katherine Schorri, particularly if there is any further CofE obstruction/delay in consecrating female bishops.

[Nersen]

What are you talking about Frank Salmon?
"...allowing their moribund conservative brethren to die out?"

Look at the facts. All the growth in Anglican churches, not just in Africa, even in England, is in evangelcal (conservative and charismatic) churches.

The only churches which are disappearing are the "liberal" churches with shrinking congregations, sustained by money given by the evangelical churches to the centre!

Look at ECUSA with its strong "liberal" stance - it is losing over 35,000 people per year so it really will disappear in the next few decades if it does not realise that its "believe what you like as long as you are nice" message has no power or credibility in the eyes of most people - secular or religious.

[Rupert Standring]

Sorry I'm confused now! What is the Bishop of New Hampshire's REAL, FULL name?

(rg writes: well, in fact it is Vicky Imogene Robison. I think I read somewhere that his parents wanted a girl... but I think the commentator who took me to task over this perhaps feels it was a bit, well, girlish to point this out to Times readers. So I have resolved not to do it again.)

[Frank Salmon]

From my travels in the USA I have seen evidence of numerical church growth in progressive Episcopal Church parishes who actually reach out to the formerly unchurched; by contrast much of the 'growth' in Church of England evangelical, conservative and charismatic churches merely involves attracting Christians disaffected by other evangelical, conservative and charismatic churches.

Whatever decline does occur is more a matter of demographics, specifically aging. Progressive parishes, by raising uncomfortable moral issues (such as the widening gap between the rich and the working poor, the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, our ecological stewardship of God's Creation, or the marginalisation of minorities be they ethnic [i.e. immigration for illegal alien workers] or sexual) are actually succeeding in attracting into their folds the previously unchurched and enabling the process of regeneration.

[John]

Erm, Ruth - quoting David Virtue as a reliable source seems an odd choice. Leaving his polemic to one side (which doesn't leave much behind), he says only that there is politics involved in such elections (big surprise there). The rest is raking over old muck with a staggering bias, and casting aspersions. Oddly, he even paints the conservatives in a bad light, for they apparently voted deceptively for Schori to show that TECUSA was headed to hell in a handbasket. Basically, no one ever seems to emerge untainted from Virtue's writings, not even himself.

As for +Iker's request, he's basically asking ++Rowan to sanction the creation of an independent church in Fort Worth - by separating from the head of TECUSA, how can they be "episcopal" in any sense at all? This mindset of "I won't play with you, and I'm taking my toys with me" is really, really irritating, and is (I believe) the root of the problem. The basic Anglican assumption that we are together in Christ has been completely forgotten in favour of dogmatic schismatism.

pax et bonum

[Nersen]

Very interesting to hear about these growing "liberal" churches from Frank Salmon. Hopefully they will take away the growing financial burden of all the declining "liberal" churches which has been on evangelical shoulders for years now! (no sign of this!)

ECUSA loses 35,000+ people p.a. This is not because they are too conservative and out of touch with modern society.....

[Mike Homfray]

Of course Susan Russell doesn't feel the need to repent. There is precisely nothing to repent for. Repent for treating people equally and knocking the nose of the premodern fundamentalist interlopers out of joint - congratulations are required, not repentance!

ECUSA are stepping out and standing up for what they believe.
The sooner that there is a split, the better.

[Alan Marsh]

John, "the basic Anglican assumption" is that we share a common understanding of holy orders and who may be admitted to them.

It is not Fort Worth, but ECUSA's General Convention which has proved itself to be schismatic, in approving the election of Gene Robinson in 2003, and in electing in 2006 a presiding bishop who is not accepted as ordained in most of the Anglican Communion.

Once might be regarded by tolerant Anglicans as careless, but twice indicates a deliberate intention to go it alone.

[Rupert Standring]

Ruth, Are you pulling my leg?! Are you really telling me that the first practicising gay bishop in the Anglican Communion is really called "Vicky Imogene" becuse his parents wanted a girl?! Do you think they also made him wear dresses? Poor guy - he didn't stand a chance with parents like that - he was raised to be a gay bishop!

(rg comments: I think I haven't got it quite right. See Wikkipedia: 'When he was born, there were concerns that he would not survive the delivery, so the physician asked Robinson's father for a name for the baby's birth and death certificates. Charles and Imogene Robinson had counted on a girl, thus explaining Robinson's feminine given name.'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Robinson )

[Alistair McBay]

Is the Holy Spirit directing the Episcopal Church the same one that was claimed to be guiding the cardinals over the election of Ratzinger to Pope? I thought it stnage at the time the cardinals needed two go's at it, but presumably the Holy Spirit is allowed to be unsure him/her/itself sometimes.

God on the winning side again, so it is claimed. It reminds me of Squire's famous WW1 verse:

God heard the embattled nations sing and shout
“Gott strafe England” and “God save the King”
God this, God that, God the other thing –
“Good God” said God “ I’ve got my work cut out!”

[John]

Alan,
"It is not Fort Worth, but ECUSA's General Convention which has proved itself to be schismatic ... in electing in 2006 a presiding bishop who is not accepted as ordained in most of the Anglican Communion."

The member churches of the Anglican Communion are independent; there's no requirement that all have the same policy on (for example) ordination. The Church of England now ordains women - does that mean that it should also be cast out of the Communion? Or are you saying that no part of the Communion can change anything unless all parts agree?

The Anglican Communion is not defined by doctrine but by common heritage. Any attempt to define a particular "Anglican theology" is doomed to fail, and to fail messily, because it is impossible to draw the lines so as to include everyone. It's probably impossible to draw the lines so as to include even most people.

Once we start judging who we'll share communion with based on theology rather than simply because we're brothers and sisters in Christ, we've lost the Anglican spirit.

pax et bonum

[James]

I was in one of the main Episcopal churches the other day in New York City. Barely a single family with children was there for services.

You have to wonder at these people. "We're teaching your children that sodomy and abortion and divorce and fornication are good and wonderful and gifts from God - and that the Bible means nothing! Why aren't you bringing the little ones to church?"

Hard to figure out. Truly. A real Sherlock moment.

James

[Malcolm Bowden]

This blog does seem to be generating more light than heat. Positions are taken and defended, points scored, names called. But surely we're all part of the body of Christ. We come from different cultures and backgrounds; we have diferent perceptions and understandings of the Church, Orders, Scripture and so on and on. But dare I suggest that all these things are secondary and we should think about what we have in common rather than what divides us? Isn't that what Anglicanism's about?

I would commend to anyone who is interested in the debate about sexuality a thoughtful presidential address by the Bishop of St.Edmundsbury & Ipswich that can be read on the diocesan website - he says it far better than I could.

[James]

"Once we start judging who we'll share communion with based on theology rather than simply because we're brothers and sisters in Christ, we've lost the Anglican spirit."

---

This is simply the 'church as a social club' idea. Might as well get together with my poker buds.

James

[James]

"But surely we're all part of the body of Christ."

---

No, that's not true, Malcolm. Not at all. You're part of the body of Christ when you become a Christian - which refers to someone who's baptised, someone who loves God and Christ (which includes following His and Christ's commands [as both God and Christ tell us], and someone who willingly repents of his sins.

Christianity is inclusive, in that it is open to all - no matter what degradations and sins and evils they've engaged in (if they truly and fully repent). It is exclusive of people of live in and glorify unrepentant sin. (Though God's loving invitation is always there...) Christ himself tells us that he came to divide. God tells us that we are to be 'a people apart.'

Oh how the world wants the imprimatur of Christ - without having to believe he really died for our sins, and that we really have to repent of them. And oh how the world wants to believe that God loves us, but puts no demands on us (something which, obviously, could never be love).

Same old, same old.

James

[Arthur Pendennis]

It seems to me that Rowan has an opportunity to arrange for a two track system, one liberal and one orthodox, where each can operate independently, join for common mission, but still call the Anglican Communion home. The legal hurdles, at least in the litigation-happy US, are significant, though I think he underestimates the value of speaking from the pulpit. However, assuming that the primates of the global south take the American General Convention to have chosen to "walk apart", which is likely to be the case, if Rowan does not act quickly, I tend to think that the primates of the global south may well facilitate a de facto province in the US and present him with a fait accompli. Leadership on the part of Lambeth is very necessary right now.

[Alan Marsh]

John, the churches of the Anglican Communion are by definition not independent - they are part of a Communion based on agreed principles. I suggest you look up "Lambeth Quadrilateral", for example. They share a common heritage derived from the missionary work of the Church of England over several centuries, of which a common holy order (until now) was an integral part, along with an affirmation of the authority of Scripture.

The fragmentation of the Communion is hardly surprising given the jettisoning of the Articles of Religion and the Book of Common Prayer almost everywhere. It ia harder to maintain a doctrinal consensus than it is to maintain the institution, as expressed by shared holy orders, but now even that has been broken in ECUSA, as it is about to be in England. It will not be surprising if in fact the Church of England itself ends up out of fellowship with most of the Anglican Communion.

I believe that God's will for the Church is unity. But when the plain sense and meaning of the Bible is discarded by local churches and provinces so that sodomy becomes a virtue, and the Father becomes a God(dess) one ought not to be surprised that provinces which subscribe to such notions are viewed elsewhere as having ceased to be Christian, let alone Anglican. In those circumstances it makes little difference who their ministers or chief ministers are. They will be left to pursue their own agenda.

[Mike Homfray]

How many families with children live in central NYC? Go out to the suburbs and you see a different story. It is logical that a city centre church in NYC would be largely young professionals, childless couples, singles, and older retirees.

[John]

"This is simply the 'church as a social club' idea. Might as well get together with my poker buds."

It's exactly the opposite, James. If we meet only with the people with whom we agree theologically, we are choosing to associate with "people like me". The "doctrinally sound" church is self-selected and is in permanent danger of becoming a club.

If, by contrast, we insist that we should remain in communion with people we disagree with and perhaps don't even like, that's far more similar to real life. The Anglican genius was to keep together radically opposed viewpoints in the same church, even the same congregation. We don't need to have the same theology to accept one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Or, at least, we shouldn't need to.

pax et bonum

[James]

Well John - there's this guy in my poker club who cheats on his wife, and thinks that's OK. And there's a guy in my poker club whose brother goes out on the weekends to public bathrooms and sodomizes strangers, and thinks that's OK for his brother (because we musn't be judgmental!). And there's a guy in my poker club who rakes money from his boss, and thinks that's OK, and there's a guy in my poker club who left his wife a couple of years back for another, prettier woman.

Must be a church!

James

[Ray Pierce]

For all of you orthodox Episcopalians in the US fed up with the apostasy in ECUSA, let me remind you that there is a viable alternative: the Reformed Episcopal Church. http://www.st-thomaslr.org/main.html

[Gerry Lynch]

Alan Marsh says that Katharine Schori is "a presiding bishop who is not accepted as ordained in most of the Anglican Communion".

This is simply not true. The following provinces ordain women to the priesthood - Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Central America, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, North India, Philippines, Rwanda, Scotland, South India, Southern Africa, Sudan, Uganda, USA, Wales, West Indies.

The following provinces ordain women to the diaconate only - Congo, Indian Ocean, Pakistan, Southern Cone.

The following provinces do not ordain women at all - Central Africa, Korea, Melanesia, Middle East, Nigeria, PNG, SE Asia, Tanzania.

Funny definition of 'overwhelming majority'.

[Alan Marsh]

I am happy to split hairs with you, Gerry. Dr Schori's ordination as a bishop (which is what the dispute is about) is not accepted in the overwhelming majority of the Anglican Communion. The only serving women bishops are in ECUSA and Canada (with one retired in New Zealand). The departure of ECUSA leaves one province with serving women bishops, and that one is far advanced down the same path as ECUSA. After its General Synod next year there may be no provinces left in the Anglican Communion with serving women bishops.

[John]

Alan,
Except, of course, that the CofE may well be ordaining women as bishops soon...

pax et bonum

[Alan Marsh]

That too looks increasingly unlikely, thanks to ECUSA jumping the gun.

Et cum spiritu tuo.

Alan

[Gerry Lynch]

Alan - sigh.....

As well as Canada, New Zealand and the United States, there is no legal or theological objection to the ordination of women in Bangladesh, Brazil, Central America, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, North India, the Philippines, Scotland, Southern Africa and the Sudan. Yes, all those nasty Western liberals in Bangladesh and the Sudan...

It's also unlikely that many provinces will stay in the theologically confused camp of ordaining women to the priesthood but not the episcopate for all that long.

[Alan Marsh]

Gerry, You do not seem to recognise the significance of what ECUSA has just done. The ordination of women can as easily be reversed as fast-forwarded, and many provinces which have either been waiting to decide, or testing the arguments by ordaining women as priests but not yet as bishops, are now likely to restore the status quo ante, having seen for themselves the consequences for ECUSA of letting go of the authority of Scripture.