Church under pressure to highlight discrimination against women
by Harry Farley, Christian Today:
Pressure has come on the Church of England to highlight any discrimination against women within its hierarchy and leadership structures.
Women and the Church (WATCH), a fringe group on the Church’s synod, has called for a wholesale “gender audit” to expose “any under-representation” at all levels of the Church hierarchy. The systematic review of all committees and bodies that make behind-the-scenes decisions within the Church aims to promote the “full inclusion of all women in Church life”.
Rev Stephen France, a member of the national synod and vice-chair of WATCH, told Christian Today: “We’re far from having any realistic representation across the Church bodies.”
He added: “By no means is there full equality.”
The group launched a “gender justice policy for the Church of England” at the synod meeting in York on Saturday. It says the “concept of gender justice is rooted in the biblical vision” and says it “aims to…heal the scars of centuries of discrimination and oppression.
The policy also calls for the theology of gender, which often advocates for God to be referred to as “she” rather than “he”, to inform Church practice.
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