This post represents a personal opinion.
The Church of England seems to have a bishop problem...
Following the Makin report, the reputation of Anglican leaders has reached an all time low. Campaigners are calling for resignations following a series of safeguarding scandals. Perhaps a new generation of bishops can do better...
I fear this is wishful thinking. The problems may be deeper than the failings of a few individuals. Can we really be sure that anyone else could do better? What if the issue is more fundamental?
The current Anglican model of episopacy is hierarchical, with an emphasis on status, power, management and individual leadership. We have merged the medieval concept of "monarchical" bishops with twentieth century cult of “managerialism” - the belief that mangers are uniquely placed to make decisions and solve problems. This gives us an elevated expectation of episcopal competence - which inevitably leads to disappointment. No real-world human being can be as brilliant as we now require our bishops to be.
The concept of "lead bishops" is particularly unhelpful. It turns the college of bishops from mutually supportive colleagues into a national "cabinet". It requires bishops to pretend expertise in areas where others may have greater knowledge and experience. The Anglican Church has no shortage of experts in every issue under the sun - but these people are mostly lay. Why don't we use them more?
Let's not pretend that a monarchical/managerial episcopacy is an inevitable consequence of Anglican polity. There are other ways we could have chosen to govern ourselves…
There are strands of our history that are fiercely congregationalist. I have often felt that we Anglicans love our bishops - as long as they don't tell us what to do. Recent arguments about the parish system reflect this side of our identity.
We also value Councils and Synods - from the Council of Jerusalem and Nicea to the Synod of Whitby and the General Synod as it is today. We inherently recognise that the best decisions are made by diverse groups of people working things out together. These people may disagree, but they offer our best hope if we are to discern the mind of Christ together. As Churchill once said of democracy, it is “the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…”
So what is the way forward?
I would suggest that we start with what we need bishops to do…
Firstly, we need them to stand in the line of the apostles - those who were sent as witnesses to the Resurrection. We need them to teach us about Jesus - preferably from personal experience. What does the Gospel say to us in our time.
And yes, this is risky because they may teach things we disagree with. If bishops say or do something controversial, as Peter did in Acts 11:1-18 and Paul in Acts 15:1-35, we need to ask the entire Church to decide what is acceptable. General Synod must be the place where we make our decisions - including the ultimate sanction of dismissal.
Secondly, we need our bishops to be pastors, which primarily means acting as pastors to our clergy given the huge numbers involved. Being a pastor means caring for our people as children of God - not just getting your secretary to send a Christmas card.
It also means disciplining them when necessary. Bishops need to remove clergy and other ministers who cause harm to others - but there must always be the option of appeal to the wider church so that this power can't be abused.
Thirdly, we need our bishops to be the glue that holds the Church together. I am an Anglican because I know my local vicar. She knows the bishop. He knows the Archbishop, and the Archbishop knows similar people all around the world. I belong to the Church, both as an Anglican and as an ecumenical Christian, because of this mysterious network which binds the people of God together. This is priceless and bishops play a key role!
So what of bishops as leaders, I hear you ask? I'm not opposed, but their leadership needs to emerge from the truth of their teaching, the goodness of their care, and the love they give to their brothers and sisters. In this way, they earn the right to show us the way.
It is through Christ-like service, not hard-earned power, that our bishops will discover their place in the Church once again.
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