Australian archbishop - approval of female bishops 'shaky'

Sydney Anglican Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen has made clear his disappointment in the highest legal authority in the Australian Anglican Church, calling its recent decision to allow the ordination of women as bishops "shaky".

The Appellate Tribunal's 4-3 decision late September, which did not address whether the ordination of women is compatible with the Bible, is being challenged by Dr Jensen, who said the majority ruling was "scarcely" based on a sound basis for such a big change.

In his monthly column for the Southern Cross publication, Dr Jensen said the decision should have been made by the General Synod rather than the tribunal.

Adelaide Anglican Archbishop Jeffrey Driver concurred with Dr Jensen, though he welcomed the decision.

To address those who are aggrieved about the issue, a new organisation, known as the Association for the Apostolic Ministry, was set up jointly by both the Bishop of Ballarat and the Sydney Anglican Archbishop in October to help them.

Some of the activities the new ministry will undertake include locating people who have objections, representing their interests, and educating the Church about the biblical teachings on this issue, reported the Sydney Anglican media portal.

Meanwhile, Dr Jensen is negotiating a national protocol to protect congregations that do not recognise female bishops as representatives of their diocese, and is following the footsteps of his predecessor, Archbishop Harry Goodhew, in declining to recognise women's Episcopal bishop orders and their priestly duties.