Forward in Faith International wholeheartedly welcomes the response of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference to the Appeal of the Diocese of Fort Worth.

The response recommends that the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Presiding Bishop of TEC and the primates ‘should publicly commend the adequacy of the Dallas Plan’. It clearly affirms that, despite the 1997 Canons, opposition to the ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate should not be grounds for refusing consent to a bishop duly elected by the diocese. It also affirms that opposition to the ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate is ‘a recognised theological position’ and that ‘…no diocese or parish should be compelled to accept the ministry of word or sacrament from an ordained woman’. We note that that wording clearly includes the ministry of the Presiding Bishop.

Forward in Faith looks now for a gracious response from Dr Jefferts Schori, which would include a full recognition of the ‘Dallas Plan’ as an adequate provision for those women in the diocese of Fort Worth who are seeking ordination, and Primatial oversight for the diocese alternative to her own.