Women in Holy Orders: A Response
Embryo Parson Posted on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 04:25PM A paper just published by the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word (ACNA), refuting the recent work of ACNA theologians Grant LeMarquand and William Witt on the question of women's ordination. Having only given the paper a cursory glance, it appears to be yet another instance of the kind of exegetical wars we've witnessed between Protestant innovator and Protestant defender of the status quo. That is to say, it is a debate centered on biblical interpretation, with scant interest in the Church's tradition. This is to be expected. Dr. Witt justifies his innovation on the fact that he is a "Reformation Christian" who is simply discovering new light breaking forth from Scripture, while Bishop Dobbs and his Canon theologian are responding with biblical arguments refuting those set forth by LeMarquand and Witt.
While I am always happy to see Protestant defenders of the status quo go up against the innovators on this question, it always seems to me to be a case of a frantic Dr. Frankenstein trying to outmanuever his own monster. Witt is right to see his argument for women's ordination as "Reformational", for the Protestant Reformation effectively untethered biblical interpretation from Catholic faith and practice, resulting in wave after wave of innovation on all sorts of matters of faith and practice since the 16th century.
I will add this article to my right sidebar list of anti-WO works and sources below.
Reader Comments (2)
I am a long time reader of your blog. I recently began attending one of the few faithful Episcopal Churches left, only because there is no ACNA, ACC, or comparable church in my vicinity. The Church is solid and historically Anglo-Catholic. Or I thought it was. The priest recently retired, the Church is in discernment, and there is talk of bringing on a woman to be the new priest. And the response was generally positive from the reaction of the room when the search committee suggested this. I only recently began attending the Church, so recently that I am not an official member yet, and have no standing there. There are no solid Anglican churches nearby, and I don't know what to do if this comes to pass. The outbreak of the COVID 19 has put things on hold for now, but I still have this sinking feeling about the Church. It is seeming like it was really the priest that held the orthodoxy, and indeed he is why I began attending. I assume that I should leave if they do bring on a woman, but my options are limited. There is an LCMS Lutheran Church, and a PNCC that I would be able to get to. There is possible a Greek Orthodox Church as well, but that's stretching it. I wonder if you have any advice.
Yes I feel your pain. LCMS could be a solid choice, but not guaranteed! It depends on the particular congregation. The worship style and hymns will feel awkward for a while. I recently went through the same discernment about 2 months ago and have landed in an ACNA chhurch that is in a diocese that is notorius for pushing WO but currently has no female pastors and rather has a healthy quantity of male clergy. To be fair it is one of the largest, if not the largest, Anglican churches in the US and I’m sure they would lose a large amount of the congregation if they hired on female pastors.