Forward in Faith UK
The London Plan
Introduction
Bishop David Hope devised the London Plan while he was Bishop of London. The Document ‘The London Plan’ issued in May 1993 said, "The Bishop of Fulham would assume a non-geographical jurisdiction". It uses the term ‘Fulham jurisdiction’ many times. This plan was a pre-cursor to the Act of Synod presented to the Diocese before the Manchester Bishops meeting which devised the Act of Synod. It was originally signed on the 24th February 1994. The signatories were the Diocesan Bishop, the Area Bishops, the Bishop of Fulham and the Archbishop of Canterbury together with the Diocesan and Provincial Registrars. The scheme has been changed slightly since the original drafting but it grants to the Bishop of Fulham considerably more than is granted by the Act of Synod. "The Bishop of Fulham as of right shall be entitled to visit and enter those parishes and be responsible for confirmations, ordinations, presentation, institutions, licensings and permissions to officiate and the selection of candidates for ordination and such other Episcopal duties as shall be assigned to him by the ordinary." In practice the Bishop of Fulham functions as the Area Bishop in parishes that petition and the duties of the ordinary are exercised by him in those parishes. This is not without its complications because many of the duties of the ordinary are already delegated to the Area Bishops.
Because the London Plan is between six bishops, the original deeds stated that the declaration was intended to bind successors in title until rescinded by the Bishop of London and a majority of the suffragan bishops. The consequence is that the deed is re-drafted and re-signed every time that there is a new Episcopal appointment in the Diocese.
There are other agreements signed between the Bishop of London and the Bishops of Southwark and Rochester. These deeds are a contract involving the Bishop of Fulham who functions as a ‘local arrangement’ under the Act of Synod in those Dioceses. He is, however, a full member of the Staff meetings of both Dioceses and regularly attends them. He is also a member of the Diocesan Synod and participates fully in the life of those Dioceses.
What has developed in the Fulham Jurisdiction is a strong sense of ecclesial identity amongst clergy and laity and a real commitment to each other. The clergy meet regularly and support each other. These parishes have developed a good common life and sense of mission.
Declaration
by the Bishops of London, Stepney, Kensington, Willesden, Edmonton, and Fulham relating to the Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure 1993 THE EPISCOPAL MINISTRY ACT OF SYNOD 1993 and THE CODE OF PRACTICE, JANUARY 1994
THIS DECLARATION
is made this NINTH day of JUNE 2001 AD by RICHARD The Right Reverend and Right Honourable the LORD BISHOP OF LONDON (hereinafter referred to as "the Bishop of London") the Right Reverend JOHN SENTAMU the Area Bishop of STEPNEY (hereinafter referred to as "the Bishop of Stepney") the Right Reverend MICHAEL COLCLOUGH the Area Bishop of KENSINGTON (hereinafter referred to as "the Bishop of Kensington") the Right Reverend PETER BROADBENT the Area Bishop of WILLESDEN (hereinafter referred to as "the Bishop of Willesden) the Right Reverend PETER WHEATLEY the Area Bishop of EDMONTON (hereinafter referred to as "the Bishop of Edmonton") and the Right Reverend JOHN BROADHURST the Suffragan Bishop of FULHAM (hereinafter referred to as "the Bishop of Fulham") hereinafter collectively referred to as "the Bishops".
WHEREAS
This Deed is intended to rescind and replace a Deed dated the 30th day of May 1997 and made between The Bishop of London, the Bishop of Stepney, the Bishop of Kensington, the Right Reverend Graham Dow (the then Bishop of Willesden), the Right Reverend Brian Masters (the then Bishop of Edmonton) and the Bishop of Fulham. The said RICHARD CHARTRES remains the Bishop of London. The said JOHN SENTAMU remains the Bishop of Stepney. The said MICHAEL COLCLOUGH remains the Bishop of Kensington. The said GRAHAM DOW has been translated to the Bishopric of Carlisle. The said PETER BROADBENT has been appointed Bishop of Willesden in the place of the said GRAHAM DOW. The said BRIAN MASTERS has died and has been succeeded as Bishop of Edmonton by the said PETER WHEATLEY. The said JOHN BROADHURST remains the Bishop of Fulham. The Bishop of London is (inter alia) primarily responsible for ordaining, instituting and licensing clergy in the Diocese of London. By virtue of a Scheme made under the Dioceses Measure 1978 the Area Bishops are (inter alia) entitled to ordain, institute and license clergy), in those areas for which they have Episcopal Oversight (the Bishop of Fulham having no such area) and the Bishop of London is entitled to ordain, institute and license clergy in any area. The Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure (hereinafter called "the Measure") was approved by the General Synod on the eleventh day of November 1992 and received the Royal Assent on the fifth day of November 1993) and came into effect on the first day of February 1994. The Bishops recognise that the Measure is effective de jure within the Diocese of London and that women, according to the Canons of the Church of England, may be ordained, instituted or licensed to Parishes which have not made any of the Declarations referred to in Section 3 of the Measure and/or to which they may have been presented. The Bishop of London, as the Ordinary in the Diocese in order to continue to be the focus of unity for the whole Diocese, has determined to declare in this Deed that he will not ordain any man or woman to the Office of Priest. The Bishops of Edmonton and Fulham have determined to declare in this Deed that they are not willing to ordain any woman to the office of Priest. The Bishops of Stepney, Kensington and Willesden have determined to declare in this Deed that they are willing, according to the Canons of the Church of England, to ordain women to the office of Priest. The Bishop of Edmonton has determined to declare in this Deed that he is not willing to institute or license any woman priest within the Edmonton Episcopal Area, or within the Diocese of London. The Bishop of Fulham, acting as Commissary for the Bishop of London, has determined to declare in this Deed that he is not willing to institute, or license any woman priest within the Diocese of London. In accordance with Sections 2 and 3 of the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod 1993 the Bishop of London has determined that certain arrangements shall have effect in the Diocese of London as set out hereafter.
NOW THE BISHOPS BY THIS DEED DECLARE
The said Deed of the 30th day of May 1997 is hereby rescinded and replaced by this Deed. In the continuing and dynamic process of reception, which should be as open a process as possible, the integrity of differing beliefs and positions concerning the ordination of women to the priesthood will continue to be recognised and respected throughout the Diocese and the practical arrangements which follow give effect to this recognition and respect. The Bishops will seek to maintain the highest possible degree of communion throughout the Diocese. The Bishop of London
The Bishops acknowledge the function of the Bishop of London as Ordinary and as the focus of unity within the Diocese. The Bishop of Fulham
Saving always the right of the Area Bishop where: in any area a Parochial Church Council has exercised its rights under Section 3 of the Measure and has passed either or both of the said Resolutions A and B and a Petition has been made to the Bishop of London by the Incumbent and Parochial Church Council as a result of a resolution passed by two thirds of the Parochial Church Council present and voting at a meeting duly convened for the purpose on at least four weeks notice which petition has been accepted by the Bishop of London after further consultation with the Parish then the Bishop of Fulham, acting as Commissary for the Bishop of London, shall, pursuant to the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod 1993, visit and enter those Parishes and be responsible for confirmations, ordinations, presentations, institutions, licensings, and permissions to officiate and the selection of candidates for ordination, and such other Episcopal duties as shall be assigned to him by the Ordinary from time to time such arrangements to be reviewed every three years unless determined earlier as a result of a further Petition to the Bishop of London made in a similar way and with the same majority
It is acknowledged:
that women have the right according to the law of this realm and the Canons of the Church of England to be ordained and where Parishes concerned so consent to be instituted, licensed or granted permission to officiate within title Diocese of London that it may be necessary in order to make the proper provision for the priesthood in the Diocese for a person who is female to be ordained to the priesthood and to a title in the Diocese of London and that where a Parish has not made the Declaration it is entitled to make under Section 3 of the said Measure then a Patron may therefore determine to appoint a woman priest to a Parish and it might not then be lawful for a Bishop to refuse such an appointment on grounds of gender
PROVIDED that all ordinations, institutions, licensings and permissions to officiate must be in strict conformity within any guidelines laid down by the Diocesan and Area Bishops and the Board of Finance and with any Diocesan policy as to establishment and any instruction from a decision of the Diocesan Pastoral Committee
As far as the process of ordination and the testing of a woman's vocation to the Priesthood are concerned the process will begin in the usual way in each of the Episcopal Areas. Episcopal oversight shall be exercised by the said Bishop of London or Stepney, or Kensington, or Willesden, or Edmonton and the Bishops pledge themselves to exercise such Episcopal oversight fairly and justly regardless of gender, or of the differing beliefs and positions concerning the ordination of women to the priesthood. Any oaths to be taken to the Bishops of Stepney, Kensington, Willesden, Edmonton and Fulham at ordination to the priesthood, institution or licensings will also be taken to the Bishop of London as Ordinary. This declaration is intended to bind successors in title until such time as it is rescinded by the Bishop of London and a majority of the Bishops of Stepney, Kensington, Willesden, Edmonton and Fulham.
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