AUSTRALIA     |     25 OCTOBER 2006 



Sydney Synod has spoken decisively on ordaining women
as priests, with a clear majority of members voting to
move forward and not revisit the debate. 

In a secret ballot last night after an hour of
speeches, approximately 70 per cent of lay members
(235) voted no to introduce the General Synod canon,
while 85 per cent of clergy (165) also voted no. 

The ‘yes’ vote was 114 in the house of laity and 31 in
the house of clergy. 

The ‘no’ vote increased from the last ballot in 1996
and also from 1992, the first time the Synod held the
debate. 

The primary question centred on the decision to
revisit the debate, with a secondary question debating
the Synod’s mind on the issue of women as presbyters
(priests). 

It was a godly and gracious debate, with 10 speakers
from both genders giving passionate arguments for
their point of view. 

Mover of the motion, the Rev Chris Albany, rector of
South Hurstville in his closing address thanked the
Synod for the debate, saying members had conducted
themselves ‘as graciously as I’d hoped’. 

Mr Albany said he joined in prayer with Archbishop
Peter Jensen prior to the debate. 

Rector of St Andrew’s, Wahroonga the Rev Philip
Griffin moved to hold a vote by house, which would
make the vote open. 

However a successful move by layman Ian Miller meant
that the Synod had a secret ballot, delaying the
results until after the dinner break. 

It was the end to an exhausting and stressful lead up
to Synod for many members, who put hours into
preparing speeches and talking to fellow Anglicans
about the issue. 

One of them was Archdeacon Narelle Jarrett, Principal
of Mary Andrew’s College, who opposed the introduction
of the bill on biblical grounds. 

She spoke of the past 14 debates on the issue that
polarised the Diocese and fractured friendships. 

She says following the Archbishop’s election in 2001
and his announcement that he would not ordain women as
presbyters, ‘trust was regained and we laughed in
Synod and most importantly we regained a vision’. 

Archdeacon Jarrett says the 120 women working mainly
in full-time ministry in Sydney are ‘probably the best
paid women in ministry in the world’ and the current
enrolment of women into theological training has never
been higher. 

‘People keep saying to me there are no positions for
women. There are,’ Archdeacon Jarrett says. 

The issue of the ordination of women as presbyters has
been debated worldwide for many years and at the
Sydney Synod on a regular basis since 1977. 

Synod agreed to the ordaining of women as deacons in
Sydney in 1987 following legislation by the national
church, and the first woman was ordained in 1989. 

Sydney Anglican women’s group Equal But Different
received 600 letters or emails from women opposing the
legislation in the lead up to this year’s Synod. 

Divisive issue causes some to walk away, says
proponent 

In moving the bill, Mr Albany said he rejoices at the
opportunities for women in Sydney Diocese, but
believes that God is calling some women and gifting
them for the priesthood who are leaving the Diocese
for ordination elsewhere. 

‘It becomes the issue for some people so they walk
away from this Diocese,’ Mr Albany says. “We also at
times lose people to the church because this becomes
an issue that closes them to the gospel.” 

Mr Albany says the debate needed to be held for three
reasons - firstly because it has been ten years since
it has been raised in Synod, secondly the issue of
women as bishops is currently being discussed at the
church’s court of appeal, the Appellate Tribunal, and
thirdly because it was an appropriate forum for
dissenting voices to be heard. 

Responding to arguments from the Scriptures against
women as presbyters, Mr Albany says some parts of
Scripture are not meant to be ‘universally applied to
all situations’ but are meant to be read in the
cultural context of the time. 

Conservative evangelicals who oppose women’s
ordination draw on the supreme authority of Scripture
and the Bible’s view of godly male leadership as
Christ loved the church. They draw on the Apostle
Paul’s letters in the New Testament where he outlines
a view of family and church life with men at the head.


Those with more liberal views argue that Jesus offers
a more inclusive equality for women in leadership
roles in the gospels. They say Paul’s letters should
be read in light of the culture of the time. 

In his opening address Mr Albany says he stands by the
‘plain reading of Scripture and core theological
truth’ and says people should be allowed to ‘agree on
the authority of the text but disagree about the
meaning of it’. 

Seconder of the motion, Caroline Bowyer, a parishioner
of St Peter’s, Cremorne, said restricting the debate
might be regarded as censorship. 

Drawing on a theme of ‘change’ from the Archbishop’s
Presidential Address, Ms Bowyer says ordaining women
as presbyters could be a ‘new and exciting’ way to
enact change for the revitalisation of ministry in the
Diocese. 

Others who spoke in favour of debating the canon
included the rector of St Mark’s, Granville Canon
James McPherson and senior assistant minister of St
Andrew’s, Abbotsford, the Rev Jacinth Myles. 

Synod won’t revisit debate 

Solicitor Robert Tong opposed the motion, arguing that
the Synod has consistently rejected this issue and the
fresh debate has ‘enflamed some old hurts’. 

He said there was no point in having another long
debate that was unlikely to see the legislation
approved. 

Joining him was Louisa Pftizner, a lecturer at
Youthworks College and staff member at Naremburn
Cammeray parish. 

The new Synod member said current members should not
be drawn back into decisions that were made by
previous Synods. 

‘Nothing of significance has changed since the last
Synod’s rejection of the canon,’ Ms Pftizner said. 

‘God’s word has not changed in the last 10 years. It
is not necessary for every generation to revisit every
decision.’ 

She added that Anglican women in Sydney are committed
to ‘proclaiming Christ in a way that’s appropriate for
God’s family and they do not need or welcome this
distraction’. 

Academic Dean of Moore College Mark Thompson said he
and others at Synod have ‘made up our minds’ on the
issue and ‘we are not turning back’. 

Dr Thompson disagreed with arguments that the meaning
of God’s word was unclear or could be interpreted
differently on this issue. 

‘We have been told the Bible is unclear on this
matter…but God has not left us alone to guess what any
part of Scripture is saying,’ he said. 

‘We have been given the whole of Scripture so we may
test one part against another. It does not mean every
interpretation is just our opinion. 

‘God is a very good communicator -he is a good and
generous God who loves his people…we have been
convinced that the teaching of Scripture is
authoritative. We rejoice in the word God has given
us.’

Bishop of North Sydney Dr Glenn Davies closed the
debate, asking those members who were in favour of
women as presbyters to be prepared to put aside their
preferences for the sake of unity. 

‘We need to work together - the gospel unites us,’ Dr
Davies said. 

Source: www.sydneyanglicans.net

 
 
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