Church announces working group on women bishops

Legislation to allow women bishops was narrowly defeated in the Church of England General Synod in NovemberPA

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have announced the members a new working group established to look again at legislation on women bishops.

The group includes members of all three houses of the General Synod - Bishops, Clergy and Laity - and a senior member of clergy who is no longer on the Synod.

They are:
The Right Reverend Nigel Stock, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich (chair)
The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry
The Right Reverend James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester
The Right Reverend Dr Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester
The Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, Dean of York
The Ven Christine Hardman
The Rev Dr Rosemarie Mallett
Dr Philip Giddings
Dr Paula Gooder
Mrs Margaret Swinson

The group has been set up following the defeat of legislation on women bishops in the Church of England General Synod last month.

It is tasked with arranging facilitated discussions in the week beginning 4 February, when the General Synod had been due to have its next meeting. The February Synod is now to take place in July to allow time to work on a new legislative package.

Once draft legislation is ready for introduction to the Synod there will be a separate decision about the membership of a new Steering Committee, which will have responsibility for the management of the legislation through Synod.

Steering Committees are always composed of members of Synod who support the legislation.

The membership of a Revision Committee will be settled after first consideration of the legislation.