For the first time, the Church of England now ordains more women than men to the priesthood. According to the BBC, 213 women and 210 men were ordained as Anglican priests last year. In another first, average Sunday attendance fell to just under a million people.
The General Synod is now locked in a contentious debate over whether women should be ordained as bishops. The Reverend Rosemary Lain-Priestley, secretary to the National Association of Diocesan Advisers in Women's Ministry, said, "Many women priests feel that until women can become bishops they will not be taken seriously and other senior roles, despite the success of women deans and Archdeacon's." It is feared that this issue may be as divisive as ordination of homosexuals.
CBMW Board of Reference member R. Albert Mohler Jr. commented on his blog, "The feminization of the ministry is one of the most significant trends of this generation. Acceptance of women in the pastoral role reverses centuries of Christian conviction and practice. It also leads to a redefinition of the church and its ministry. Once women begin to fill and represent roles of pastoral leadership men withdraw. This is true, not only in the pulpit, but in the pews. The evacuation of male worshippers from liberal churches is a noticeable phenomenon."
Mohler adds, "The issues of women's ordination and the normalization of homosexuality are closely linked. It is no accident that those churches that most eagerly embraced the ordination of women now either embrace the ordination of homosexuals or are seriously considering such a move. The reason for this is quite simple. The interpretive games one must play in order to get around the Bible's proscription of women in congregational preaching and teaching roles are precisely the games one must play in order to get around the Bible's clear condemnation of homosexuality."
Mohler poses a final challenge: The future course of the Church of England seems rather clear. What about your church?