Church of England has ‘deviated’ over women bishops – Nigerian bishop

The Anglican Bishop of Ngbo in Ebonyi State, Rt. Rev. Christian Ebisike, has described the decision of the Church of England to allow women to become bishops as a deviation from Bible’s teachings.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in a telephone interview in Abuja, Ebisike said the decision of England to admit women to the episcopate would further strain its relationship with the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
His comments came a day after the Church of England’s Synod voted in favour of measures that would pave the way for women to be ordained as bishops.
The synod voted 351 members in favour of the measures, 72 opposed and 10 abstained.
Ebisike said: “The Archbishop of Canterbury (Justin Welby) and by extension the Church of England did not do their homework very well and I do not think they consulted widely with other Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
“The Church of England should see itself as a role model for the Anglican Communion, but unfortunately it is not living up to that role.
“From the Bible and Church history, there was no woman apostle.
“Women served as evangelists and teachers in the early church.
“A bishop is a universal figure.
“Where a bishop is not recognized by some parts of the communion, that is not a bishop.
“When you ordain a bishop and he is not recognized by some parts of the communion, that is not a bishop.”
Ebisike hinted that the House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria, through the Primate, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, would likely issue a formal statement on the issue.
He, however, noted that the Church of Nigeria had maintained a consistent position on the issue of ordination of women over the years.
He said: “In 2005, the Standing Committee of the Church resolved that the Church of Nigeria was not ripe for the ordination of women.
“A pastoral letter issued same year by Archbishop Peter Akinola, the then Primate, strongly reaffirmed that.
“The Church arrived at this conclusion after a wide consultation with members of the House of bishops, clergy and laity and other ecumenical partners.
“What was interesting in Nigeria was that it was the womenfolk of the Church who were sternly opposed the ordination of women.
“The Church approved Diaconate Ordination, which allows women to come into the ‘ordained ministry’ but they would remain deacons as long as they wish to be part of the ministry.”
The Church of Nigeria, an offshoot of the Church of England, was inaugurated on February 24, 1979.
However, in September 2005, the Nigeria Church amended its constitution and “redefined” its relationship with the “Mother church”.
In the amended constitution of the Church of Nigeria, all former references to “communion with the See of Canterbury” were deleted.
It defined the Church of Nigeria as being “in communion with all Anglican Churches, Dioceses and Provinces that hold and maintain the Historic Faith, Doctrine, Sacrament and Discipline of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church”.