As reported earlier in ‘So What,’ the Church of England national assembly met to discuss whether women clergy should be permitted to become bishops. On Monday, they decided that definite steps should be taken forward in this regard, and in the process they made only minor concessions to theological conservatives who were threatening a church split over the issue.
"The decision to consecrate women as bishops has been taken," said church spokesman Lou Henderson. "Everybody recognized the importance of offering safeguards and assurances to those who find it very difficult (to accept women bishops), but in the end Synod as a whole was not prepared to go as far as the traditionalists would have liked."
However, the decision is not final and still faces many obstacles.
Local dioceses will now discuss the draft law, which will allow individual bishops to arrange alternative oversight for those conservatives who object to serving under women bishops. The dioceses will need to report back by 2012 and then the issue will be put to a final vote by the General Synod.
If approved, the first women bishops could be appointed in 2014.
While campaigners in favour of women bishops were celebrating, some of their conservative opponents felt they were slowly being forced out of the Church of England.
"The scope for remaining in the Church of England is getting more and more narrow and the options are rapidly closing," the Rev. David Houlding, a leading member of the Catholic Group on the General Synod, told the Press Association.
"I am staying in the Church of England for the time being until I am driven out. I am not going willingly, I will only go if forced," he said.
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