Women Clergy a Future Possibility for Nigeria, says Bishop

Leaders in the Church of Nigeria have stated that women’s orders should not be a cause of division within the Anglican Communion. They have noted that Nigeria itself, the Communion’s most populous province, plans are being forming to introduce women deacons.

Bishop Simon Bala of Kubwa, speaking to the media in Nigeria, said that the ordination of women was a legitimate doctrinal development for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. However he added that, “for now, we are not ready for that,” according to the Church of England Newspaper.

The Bishop was speaking in response to the support given to women in the episcopate by the General Synod.
Bishop Simon spoke of how the Nigerian Church could one day accept the Church of England’s views on women in the episcopate or priesthood. However, currently there is no such firm agreement.

In 2003 a survey of the Church of Nigeria revealed that only two dioceses were ready to ordain women.