THE P
RTAL
A Sad Affair
April 2017 Page 11 Anglican News
The Revd Paul Benfield gives a view on Bishop Philip North from within the Church of England
On 31st January the following announcement was made from 10 , Downing Street , ‘ The Queen has approved the nomination of the Right Reverend Philip John North , MA , Suffragan Bishop of Burnley , in the diocese of Blackburn , for election as Bishop of Sheffield in succession to the Right Reverend Steven John Lindsey Croft , MA , PhD , on his translation to the See of Oxford on 6th July 2016 .’
This announcement followed the usual process for appointing a diocesan bishop . The Vacancy in See Committee of the vacant diocese draws up a profile of the diocese and a person specification . It also elects six of its number to serve on the Crown Nominations Committee .
These six join with the central members of the CNC who are the two archbishops , three members elected by the House of Clergy of the General Synod and three members elected by the House of Laity of the General Synod . The Commission is staffed by the Archbishops ’ Secretary for Appointments and the Prime Minister ’ s Appointments Secretary .
The Commission meets on at least two occasions to consider each vacancy and its deliberations are interspersed with worship and prayer . After a shortlist has been drawn up , those who are on it are invited to a meeting where they are interviewed .
In order for a candidate to be nominated , he or she must secure at least two thirds of the votes . The name of the first choice is communicated to the Prime Minister , who submits the name to the Queen for approval .
The appointment of Bishop Philip was attacked by some within the Diocese of Sheffield and by others nationally , including the Dean of Christ Church Oxford , Professor Martyn Percy , and his wife Canon Emma Percy , who is chair of WATCH ( Women and the Church ).
They argued that a bishop who was a bishop of The Society , a member of Forward in Faith and who did not ordain women priests could not be a diocesan bishop . They argued that he could not be a focus of unity since he would not accept or receive the sacramental ministry of his women priests .
On 9th March , Downing Street announced that Bishop Philip has ‘ withdrawn , for personal reasons , acceptance of his nomination by the Crown Nominations Commission as the next Bishop of Sheffield . The Archbishop of York will in due course submit the name of an alternative candidate for this diocese .’
In his own statement , Bishop Philip said that the news of his nomination has elicited a strong reaction within the diocese and some areas of the wider Church . He went on :
‘ There is clearly much to be done on what it means to disagree well and to live with theological difference in the Church of England . The highly individualised nature of the attacks upon me have been extremely hard to bear ’.
The Archbishop of York said in his statement , ‘ This is a personal decision which I understand and sadly accept . However , what has happened to Bishop Philip clearly does not reflect the settlement under which , two and a half years ago , the Church of England joyfully and decisively opened up all orders of ministry to men and women .
It also made a commitment to mutual flourishing : that those who ‘ on grounds of theological conviction , are unable to receive the ministry of women bishops or priests , will continue to be within the spectrum of teaching and tradition of the Anglican Communion .
The Church of England remains committed to enabling them to flourish within its life and structures . There will be continuing debate in the coming days and weeks and lessons to be learned , how that learning might inform and inspire us to act as a Church in our dealings with one another and how , when we disagree , to disagree Christianly , remembering at all times that our identity is in Christ alone .’