In this tense climate of the debate about the General Synod
vote on women bishops, in which MPs and the general public are
using the vote to question the place of bishops in the House of
Lords, I find myself agreeing about the need for the principle of
equality in the Second Chamber, but not always for the same
reasons.
To have bishops in the Lords affirms the importance of a
spiritual view at the heart of the development of the laws that
govern us. I understand that all individuals can bring that
perspective, and the Lords Spiritual do not have a monopoly on a
moral view; but to have this enshrined into our constitution is a
philosophy I can respect deeply.
It shows that, as a nation, we are serious about building
towards the bigger picture, the greater good, and the spiritual
health of our people. A constitution is designed to symbolise the
beliefs of those it serves, and the Queen's being supreme governor
of both Church and State, bringing them together under one anointed
leader, and the 26 seats in the House of Lords are symbols to be
proud of.
Yet, after many conversations over the years, and particularly
over the past week, I appreciate the strong secular voice, which
demands that for the Church to serve in this capacity, it must
adhere to the fundamental ethics of our society, and the laws that
have been passed by the very governmental process in which these 26
seats participate.
The day after the Synod vote last week, a petition was put on
the Government website by Lee Chalmers, a leadership consultant and
trustee of the Fawcett Society, calling for the abolition of seats
for the Lords Spiritual, if they can be only for men. Being aware
that many will be using the vote against women bishops to promote
their argument (which would still have been opposed to bishops in
the Lords, even if the vote had gone the other way), I contacted
her.
She said: "I didn't give too much thought in the past to bishops
being in the House of Lords, to be honest. I am aware that there
are many people who argue against their having seats at all, but it
was not an issue that moved me. I'm interested in equality, in
particular for women, so I was watching the Church's vote
carefully. When I saw a 'No', I was so demoralised, so utterly
shocked and dismayed that I felt I had to do something.
"Myunderstanding of the Church is that it's a force for good,
and with these seats reserved for men only, and so recently
sanctioned, albeit by a small minority, it risks becoming quite the
opposite force for women."
The discrepancy between majority view in society and the view of
those who voted against women bishops in the Synod is not the
reason why I agree with many of these secular conversations. Our
duty is to not be swayed by media or popularity, but to keep our
eyes on God and service.
It is, however, our duty to listen to people, as God speaks
through them. All of us who have questioned our vocation are aware
that we discern whether it has come out of the people we serve, as
well as from deep within. And it is clear that in the vote, we
heard a majority who were in favour from our dioceses and synod,
which I believe is God speaking through a large number of
people.
In addition, it has become clearer than ever in the past week
that a further large number of "secular Christians" still believe
that this is their Church. They wish their voice to be heard and
represented by bishops in the Lords, even if they attend church
only for weddings, christenings, funerals, and Christmas. These
people have pulled away from regular attendance, but still clearly
look to us from a distance, and seem to be waiting to find God in
us, and for us to find God in them again.
To keep our bigger picture, our overview and ministry to the
spiritual health of our people, we must recognise that we are their
home, and as history continues to move forward, we must continue to
minister to them.
The Church is not a democracy, but it uses a democratic process
to discern its calling. Every generation has a duty to listen to
what may be coming through. Through my work on leadership training
programmes at Said Business School in the University of Oxford, and
with Olivier Mythodrama Associates, I am aware that there is a new
wave of people in the business world seeing the need for a
spiritual perspective.
Many of these dedicate long days of work, battling with their
work/life balance, and often feel so much pressure that they are in
danger of derailment. They see the need for more meaning and the
inspiration to change things for the better. And the companies
themselves are looking for a vision of the greater good in how they
govern their employees and in their contribution to society.
Questions such as "What do you serve?" and "When you look back,
what would you like to have contributed?" are being asked. I see
people looking for something in their heritage that they are proud
of, to stand in line with their ancestors, and make a difference.
This view is being expressed in many aspects of work and life in
the country: it is a good example of the Spirit working in new
ways.
In the current debate, I agree with the need for the principle
of equality in the Second Chamber because so many hear it as our
calling - a ministry of men and women working together as Lords
Spiritual in the heart of the nation it serves. I believe that our
archbishops and bishops in the Lords are, and will continue,
working in deep discernment to follow this call.
The Revd Marie-Elsa Bragg is Assistant Curate at St Mary's,
Kilburn, and St James's, West Hampstead, and a Duty Chaplain at
Westminster Abbey.