Episcopal Church Ultimatum: Bishops Must Start Ordaining Women or Face Disciplinary Action
By Fred Jackson
AFR News
July 25, 2000
(AgapePress) – Three conservative bishops in the Episcopal Church have been given an ultimatum. They have been ordered to start ordaining women into the priesthood or face disciplinary action.
The issue of ordaining women has been in the news quite often lately. During the recent Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, delegates voted to reaffirm the Biblical teaching that women cannot be senior pastors. On the other hand, the Episcopal Church has been ordaining women for the past 30 years. The fact that three of their bishops are taking a stand against the practice has angered leaders within the church.
The trio, who are bishops in California, Texas, and Illinois, say Christ did not choose women as apostles; therefore, today’s churches have no right to ordain women.
Religion Today quotes a spokesman for one of the bishops who says, “You can’t legislate matters of faith and we’ll go to the wall on that.â€
They also note that other bishops in the Episcopal Church are going against official policy by performing so-called “same-sex unions.†Ironically, they say, no one is stopping them from going against church policy.
Copyright 2000, Agape Press.