Church 'in need of women priests'

The Church of England would struggle in the future without women priests, researchers claim.

English Church Census figures show that half of priests ordained in recent years were women. There were 1,262 serving women priests in 2002.

University of Manchester researchers say that, without women priests, pulpits would become "depopulated". Is that necessarily a bad thing if the church might be teaching wrongly

The findings follow the Archbishop of Canterbury's suggestion that they had failed to transform the church. On the contrary I believe that the whole issue of women as prelates in the church have led many to expect homosexuals, by its very nature many woman who are motivated to become part of the establishment are coming with an agenda to change the situation and are also likely to be on the liberal side. Without the woman the CofE would be decidedly evangelical in nature!

Rowan Williams, in an interview with the Catholic Herald newspaper earlier this month, said he did not think women priests - first ordained in 1994 - had "transformed or renewed the Church in spectacular ways" nor had they "corrupted or ruined it". They corrupted or ruined it, NO but they and Mr Williams himself have given it a good try, but this is nothing that the King of Kings did not allow from the beginning of time.

Census findings

The University of Manchester's David Voas said: "Close to a quarter of male parish priests are 60 or older and their average age is 54.

"Without women, the pulpits would become as depopulated as the pews in the years to come." That will be fine, a church is not a building it is anywhere where Gods people meet. In fact the depopulation might be a good thing. The British church is in a great condition now, by and large where older generations thought they were followers of Christ because they were baptized and went to the church maybe on easter now, no one is under that delusion.

It was not surprising women clergy seemed not to have made an impact because the Church was "far from being an equal opportunity employer", he added. The "True" church is not one of hierarchy, glory and appearance, it is one of service. The Archbishop is supposed to be the chief servant, though one could not tell that.

"Women are not yet allowed to become bishops and they are far more likely to be 'second class' clergy. again this is not about class nd recognition from man but from God.

"Most of the men who became priests in 2005 went into paid 'stipendiary' ministry, while most of the women are in voluntary posts."

Other denominations were also more likely to favour male ministers over their female counterparts, he said.

The census found there were no women at all in churches which had congregations of 330 or more on a typical Sunday. Could it be that these were all Evangelical?

"Well over half of women ministers in all denominations serve in rural areas with very few found in the flagship city centre churches," Mr Voas said.

"The larger the church, the more likely it is that a man will be put in charge."

I find this an interesting time for the Anglican communion, it would appear that they did not have any problem with women leading a church, contrary to the bible.