Canon Maggie Swinson, the Church of England's Independent Reviewer, has recommended extra support for two bishops who provide extended episcopal oversight to parishes with a conservative stance on the ordination of women.
The report revealed that the provision of episcopal care in the northern province has been potentially inadequate since the retirement of the Bishop of Wakefield, who used to share the load with the Bishop of Beverley. Canon Maggie suggested that a part-time bishop was needed to assist him in his work.
It also found that the workload expected of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet was unsustainable.
Figures referenced in the report suggest that the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Rob Munro, is currently looking after 152 conservative evangelical parishes, with a usual Sunday attendance of about 25,000 people. That is more parishes and people than many dioceses in the Church of England - and the majority of dioceses have more than one bishop.
The Bishop of Ebbsfleet's job is made even more difficult because his parishes are spread out over the whole country - from Plymouth to Newcastle - and he even cares for a chaplaincy in Leipzig, Germany.
The Independent reviewer noted that as Bishop Munro is the only bishop in the Church of England who holds a complementarian theological position on the ministry of men and women, there is no one who could deputise for him should he fall ill.
The controversy over same-sex blessings is also having an impact on the ministry of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Some new parishes have passed resolutions to access his ministry, while others are, according to the report, "experiencing strained relationships with both local churches and the wider Church of England.”
“This has had a noticeable effect on parish finances, and although the number is still relatively small, some congregations have either left or are considering leaving the Church of England,” the report said.
It was perhaps unsurprising that Bishop Munro was driving between meetings when he responded to the report, saying, "The report is fair and I hope that the challenge it represents to the Church will be listened to."
Susie Leafe is director of Anglican Futures, an organisation that provides pastoral and practical support to orthodox Anglicans.
