Flying Bishop

and how to catch them

by a Parish Priest

(This file can be downloaded, in form printable as an 8-page A5 leaflet: I hope the pages are in the right order. JDH)

When the General Synod of the Church of England decided that women should be ordained, it also provided safeguards for parishes which conscientiously could not accept this innovation. Later an Act of Synod was also passed, providing for the appointment of bishops who should have pastoral care of such of these parishes which no longer felt quite at home with the diocesan bishops.
Our parish went through the legal procedure for banning woman priests from functioning within it, and further resolved to seek the care of the flying bishop. The interesting thing is, that although we took this action because of one particular issue, the results have gone far beyond what we could have foreseen. The issue of woman priests is only one of a whole parcel of issues which belong together.
After several years of experience of the new pastoral arrangements, I can make some general observations.

We now have a bishop who is not the managing director of the diocesan PLC, or a member of the House of Lords, or a prince of the Church. He is consequently more able to concentrate on looking after his clergy and people.

In the past whenever I stated the traditional teaching of the Church on some subject: marriage, homosexuality, abortion, &c. I would immediately be contradicted or undermined by some pronouncement from “higher” authority. We now have a bishop who gives straightforward biblical and traditional Church teaching.

The visit of a bishop to the parish used to be an occasion of immense strain. He would frequently refuse to follow local custom. For instance, if we wanted the Book of Common Prayer for a Confirmation we had to fight for it, usually unsuccessfully. Now we have a bishop who has no interest in imposing any particular fad of his own, only in seeing that all is done “decently and in order”.

This is what has happened in dozens of parishes I know: after many years of a particular tradition—Book of Common Prayer, or Catholic or Evangelical—the incumbent moves on. Then the bishop suspends presentation to the benefice and puts in a “curate in charge” who will serve, not as an incumbent, but during the “bishop's pleasure”. So the parish loses its distinctive character overnight. But we now have a bishop who, when I leave, will step in to preserve continuity by ensuring that the traditions of the parish are respected. He has the right to do this because the parish has put itself under his care. And a closely related matter is . . .

We all know what that harmless phrase means!—amalgamation of parishes, reduction in clergy, more control by the diocese. Whole deaneries have changed out of recognition. But our parish is under the flying bishop, so none of these new “teams” is likely to want us to join. And in any “reorganization” our bishop would have to be consulted and would make sure his own people were not swallowed up, or saddled with an unsuitable priest.

Many of my fellow clergy are utterly fed up, because what they constantly hear from the diocesan management is that their work could be done just as well by unpaid lay teams. They are made to feel that they are obstacles in the path of reform. Many of my friends have resigned or retired early. We now have a bishop who believes in his clergy. He visits them individually and in deanery chapters and in regional groups. The atmosphere at all of these gatherings is friendly and unstrained. We have a bishop who expects the best of us and will do whatever he can to enable us to give it. He believes in the traditional parish ministry, where pastoral work is personal and based on prayer, worship, reflection and study.

What is round the corner for the Church of England? The best place to look is the Episcopal Church in the USA, where changes happen first. We see there the relentless advance of “liberal” or secular theology, where right and wrong depends not on the teaching of the Bible or of the Church down the ages, but on what intelligent people of today think is best. Homosexual unions are achieving a status equal to marriage. “Practising” (try not to think what that means) homosexuals, male and female, are quite acceptable as priests. Masculine language must not be used of God. Divorce and remarriage are routine. As the Church completely failed to resist abortion it will find ways of accepting euthanasia also. At the forefront of these changes in the USA are the bishops, many of whom are also now women. But our bishop is one of a group of bishops utterly committed to uphold biblical morality and sound doctrine.

What in 1992 seemed a mortal blow to the traditional Church of England has created a fellowship of Christians who are true to their roots. Safeguards given grudgingly and intended to be temporary—until we fuddy-duddies died out—have actually brought about a revival. One vital statistic is the number of our ordinands in training. After almost disappearing during a period of uncertainty—“Will there even be a job for me?”—the ordinands are coming back. Across the whole country there is now a network of parishes under the flying bishops that is complete enough to offer a viable Church life, and, what is more we are not dying out but steadily increasing. And this is as it should be. The Church of England is our church, which has been hijacked. It is our task patiently to reclaim it.

The way for a PCC to put its parish under the flying bishop and enjoy all these advantages is simple. Because of the way the procedure was set up, you have to begin with the issue of woman priests. You may object, “I don't feel strongly about woman priests either way”. Well, just remember the whole package of benefits: Is it so important to allow a woman to act as a priest in your parish that you are willing to give up all these other advantages? Even if you are not quite sure, the PCC should at least have the chance to discuss the option.

That doesn’t matter a bit. You can take this action at any time. In a lot of places it is actually the priest who is the chief obstacle to change. If you go ahead now and put your parish under the flying bishop, your priest when he comes will be bound by your decision, and willingly bound, because the flying bishop will havehad a hand in his appointment.

STEP ONE. GIVE NOTICE.

Call a meeting of the PCC, giving at least 28 days notice, saying that the resolutions A and B are to be discussed, and that, if either is passed, a third resolution will also be discussed, to seek the care of the Provincial Episcopal Visitor. A notice of the meeting, signed by the chairman or conveners, must be posted near the main door of every building licensed for worship in the parish.
The agenda must include the text of the motions: the wording of Resolutions A and B should not be changed. They are:

A: “That this parochial church council would not accept a woman as the minister who presides at or celebrates the Holy Communion or pronounces the Absolution in the Parish.”

B: “That this parochial church council would not accept a woman as the incumbent or priest-in-charge of the benefice or as a team vicar of the benefice.”

There is no set form for the third Resolution (often called “Resolution C”) but the following would serve:
“That the parochial church council of ... hereby resolves to petition the Bishop of [diocese] to the effect that appropriate episcopal duties in the parish of ... should be carried out in accordance with the Episcopal Act of Synod 1993.”

Notes:
You cannot even consider A if there is a licensed woman priest already serving in any part of the benefice.

In benefices consisting of several parishes, passing B will bind all the parishes in the benefice.

STEP TWO. THE MEETING.

At least half of the members must attend.

A simple majority is all that is required.

If you have no priest, you can still pass the resolutions.

If you pass either or both A and B, you are entitled to consider “C”, seeking pastoral care from the flying bishop. If neither is passed, you can’t. Your best defence is to pass both.

For “Resolution C” to be binding on the bishop:
1. The meeting should be attended by at least half of the PCC members.
2. At least two thirds of members present and voting should vote in favour.
3. The incumbent or priest-charge, if you have one, is in favour—whether or not he was present and voted. If you have no priest you can still pass the resolution.
If the resolution is passed by a simple majority, the bishop has the discretion to comply.

STEP THREE. NOTIFYING THE AUTHORITIES.

If you have passed either or both resolutions A and B, copies must be sent to
1. The Bishop of the Diocese.
2. The Rural Dean.
3. The lay Chairman of the Deanery.
4. The Registrar of the Diocese.
5. The “Designated Officer” for the Diocese appointed under the Patronage Measure (your diocesan office will tell you who that is).
6. The registered Patron of the benefice.

STEP FOUR. APPLYING FOR THE FLYING BISHOP.

If, having passed either A or B, you have gone on to pass “C”, send a copy of the Resolution to the Bishop of the Diocese, saying whether it was passed by two thirds or a simple majority.

DOING IT IN TWO MEETINGS

There was some suggestion that “C” must be considered at a second, separate meeting after A and/or B had been passed, but there is no necessity for spinning the process out in this way. The only way to make sure that A and B are honoured by the diocesan management is to pass “C” as well; and of course it is “C”, as I have explained, that brings the real benefits.

When a parish has passed “C” and petitioned for the care of the flying bishop, the diocesan bishop is required to consult with the parish, either in person or through a representative, to ask what pastoral duties they wish the flying bishop to perform. (The short answer is “all of them”!) The purpose of this visit is not to persuade the parish to change its mind, or to frighten them with dire reprisals, though these approaches have been widely tried. Nor has the bishop any business to go beyond the PCC and seek the view of the “wider community”—and that has also been tried. The meeting ought to be a straightforward, short and friendly one at which the bishop officially acknowledges what has been decided.

OBSERVATIONS FROM EXPERIENCE

Pressure, often extreme and sometimes illegal pressure, has been used to make people change their minds. Sometimes an archdeacon, getting wind of the meeting before it happens, will ask to attend or even chair it. On no account agree to this kind suggestion, which is in any case unlawful. All sorts of dirty tricks have been tried on by bishops, archdeacons &c to prevent parishes from exercising their rights. Ignore bribes and threats alike. Disregard emotional appeals to your loyalty, or suggestions that you are “leaving the diocese”. Do not agree to postpone your discussion: delay is dangerous. Time and again, parishes have been outwitted or deceived, so anxious are the management to see their programme of “pastoral reorganization” roll on.
Experience has shown that by themselves resolutions A and B are not enough to protect a parish from malign influences. It is of the greatest importance to pass “Resolution C”. That is your only assurance of continuity. “Resolution C” is the one you need: A and B are only the means, and they are the only means, to that end.

Your priest may be quite satisfactory, indeed much loved. He himself may prefer not to discuss the resolutions because they are “divisive”. (And who started this division, we should like to know?) He may be well-intentioned but he is WRONG, and you are wrong if you think he is a safe bulwark. He can maintain this cosy safety only while he remains incumbent. Sooner or later he will have to go, and when he does, he will be absolutely powerless to influence events. So don't hold back just for the sake of giving your rector a quiet life. If he really wishes the parish to continue along the right lines, then he must be told that passing all the resolutions as soon as possible is by far the safest course. You can discuss A and/or B whether he approves or not, but you can't, of course pass “C” without his agreement, so that may be as far as you can go. Directly he leaves, however, pass “C” without delay, and the flying bishop will then be available to guide you during the vacancy.

The Flying Bishops are always happy to hear from clergy or parishioners who wish to know more about them. They are:

Province of Canterbury
Eastern area: The Right Revd Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough.
Richborough House, 6 Mellish Gardens, Woodford Green, Essex. IG8 0BH
Tel 020 8505 7259
pev@btinternet.com

Western Area (Ebbsfleet Apostolic District) The Right Revd Andrew Burnham, Bishop of Ebbsfleet.
Bishop's House, Dry Sandford, Abingdon, OXFORD. OX13 6JP
Tel 01865 390746
bishop.andrew@ebbsfleet.org.uk
www.ebbsfleet.org.uk

London & Southwark: The Right Revd John Broadhurst, Bishop of Fulham
26 Canonbury Park South, LONDON N1
Tel 0171 354 2334 Fax 0171 354 2335
www.bishopoffulham.co.uk

Province of York: The Right Revd Martyn Jarrett, Bishop of Beverley.
3 North Lane, Roundhay, LEEDS. LS8 2QJ
Tel 0113 265 4280 Fax 0113 265 4281
www.bishopofbeverley.co.uk