A sad story, IMO … especially since the failure to make it happened came from the laity, not the clergy or bishops themselves. An interesting glimpse into the polity of the CoE, in terms of what it takes to vote such things in, as well as some of the potential pitfalls of being an Established church.
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Crisis as Church of England votes against women bishops – Telegraph
The Church of England has been plunged into its biggest crisis for decades after the General Synod rejected women bishops despite overwhelming support for the change.
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If I were still in a church, it would be the episcopal church. They've managed to shed most of their reactionary elements. Unfortunately, those same elements seem to have taken over a great deal of the Anglican Communion.
Sadness.
And how much you wanna bet those laity reps had an average age above 50 and are all or mostly all men?
I would bet a fair amount that was the case, +Derrick Mims. Though I know of a number of women who weren't (and still aren't) thrilled with the Episcopal Church's ordination of women to the priesthood, let alone to the episcopacy.
We Episcopalians still struggle on a number of social issues (gay rights being the current one), but we're working on it (as is the Church of Canada). Unfortunately, much of the Communion is much more conservative, and the CoE sort of splits (or spans) the difference.
All they were doing is voting in favour of the New Testament, which is very clear about a woman’s role in the Church. You can be the head of it though.