A NEW diocese of West Yorkshire & the Dales (Leeds) was
approved by the General Synod on Monday afternoon, despite
opposition from Wakefield diocese, one of three that will be
superseded.
The Bishop of Ripon & Leeds, the Rt Revd John Packer, said
that it was "a great day for the mission of the Church of England
in West Yorkshire and the Dales".
Although just six members of the Synod voted against the scheme
in the final vote, speeches warned of the consequences for the
wider Church. The Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Revd Stephen Platten,
said that it meant that a diocese "can find itself being closed
down over its own head. . . This sort of process will not stop
here. We are making this decision without having had a debate
across the Church on what sort of dioceses and bishops we
want."
Clive Scowen of London argued that it was "wrong in principle to
abolish a diocese against its will". If Wakefield was "carried in
kicking and screaming or even mildly resistant", it would be a
"disastrous start".
Canon Cllr James Allison (Wakefield) said that he would abstain
with an "incredibly heavy heart" because, although it was a good
scheme, he had to consider the opposition of both his bishop and
diocesan synod: "It is a basic principle in all marriages, and this
is a marriage, that we seek the consent of those who are going to
be married."
The Draft Diocese of Bradford, Ripon & Leeds and Wakefield
Reorganisation Scheme was brought to the Synod for approval after
it had been rejected by the Wakefield diocesan synod by 76 votes to
40 (
News, 8 March).
The scheme, published last October (
News, 2 November), proposes that the dioceses of Bradford,
Ripon & Leeds, and Wakefield be abolished and replaced by a new
diocese of Leeds, to be presided over by a diocesan Bishop of
Leeds. It predicted that "significant financial savings" could be
made, and reinvested in mission. It is proposed that the three
existing cathedrals will retain their status, and that five areas
(Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds, Ripon, and Wakefield) will each
have their own area bishop.
On Monday, the Archbishop of York, Dr Sentamu, warned the Synod:
"We cannot and must not assume that the ways which served us well
in the past are automatically appropriate now."
The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, said that the
scheme required a definite decision to "bring an end to more than
three years of uncertainty". If the scheme were approved, he and
the other diocesan bishops would lose their jobs: "This is not a
comfortable place to be, but it is the right place to be."
After the vote, Bishop Platten said: "I am grateful for the
generous and understanding debate today in General Synod, and thank
all those who spoke. Wakefield diocese will work together with
Ripon & Leeds and Bradford to make sure of a good outcome,
despite our reservations before the vote."
A timeline will now be set out in order to begin the process of
reorganisation. It is expected that this process will lead to an
"Appointed Day" some time in January or February 2014, after which
the new legal entity will exist and the three old entities
cease.