Published: Friday, 18th July, 2008 13:00
Women bishops praised by visiting American cleric
By Rebecca Johnson
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AN AMERICAN bishop attending the Lambeth Conference has described female bishops as 'a gift’ to the Anglican church.
The Right Reverend Henry Parsley and his wife Rebecca flew into Heathrow from Georgia on Friday and spent the weekend with worshippers and church leaders in Wokingham before heading to the historic Anglican church conference on Monday.
An ordained priest for 35 years, Bishop Henry has been Bishop of Alabama in the United States of America for 12 years.
He was one of 16 Anglican bishops from across the world to visit the Thames Valley and churches under the Diocese of Oxford before joining over 600 others at the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury.
On Sunday, Bishop Henry attended All Saints Church in Wiltshire Road, Wokingham – his host parish.
He said: “We have had female bishops in our country for nearly 25 years and they have been a gift to our church. It’s been wonderful to see how women have become deans, then priests, then bishops. They serve with graciousness, faith and good solid leadership. They bring a unique gift to the church and the ministry.”
The topic of female bishops in the Anglican church will be one of the many debates to be discussed at this year’s Lambeth Conference.
Held only every 10 years, it is a chance for church leaders from around the world to gather and discuss ideas, form relationships with other countries and build links in the church.
The General Synod passed a motion for women to become bishops earlier this month. The ruling still has to be sanctioned and passed by Government.
The Rev David Hodgson and his wife Lorraine welcomed Bishop Henry and Rebecca to Wokingham.
Bishop Henry added: “Wokingham is a lovely town and this is a beautiful church. David Hodgson and his wife Lorraine have been very generous and we are most grateful for their hospitality.”
Bishop Henry said the Lambeth Conference, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, was a chance to express the diversity there is in the Anglican Church.
He said: “There is great diversity in the church, but it also creates some tension and misunderstanding and it’s important to talk about this to know where we are and who we are and allow us to help each other.”
The conference has been held every 10 years since 1867 and this year is held at the University of Kent until August 3. The conference has already created much debate after nearly a third of those invited rejected the offer in protest against the decision to allow gay priests the right to become bishops.
Bishop of Oxford the Rt Rev John Pritchard said: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to welcome these visitors from around the world.
“The weekend in the diocese offers the bishops and their spouses a chance to recover from their journeys and enjoy some English hospitality before they travel on to Canterbury and what will be a demanding Lambeth Conference. We look forward to welcoming old friends and making new ones.”
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