Women Bishops Legislative Drafting Group

The report of the drafting group has now been published and is available to view/download at www.cofe.anglican.org/info/papers/womenbishopsreport
Go to Press Releases to see the WATCH Press Release in response

First woman bishop appointed in Victoria
Canon Barbara Darling is appointed assistant bishop in the Diocese of Melbourne. Go to News for more details.

CHASTE (Churches Alert to Sex Traffiking Across Europe)
is asking all churches to observe NOT FOR SALE Sunday on 18 May 2008. Please do your best to get your local church to mark this Sunday in some way so that more people can be alerted to sex trafficking. Go to Spring 2008 Book Reviews to read more.

Australia's first female Anglican bishop to be consecrated
Archdeacon Kay Goldsworthy to be consecrated in May. Go to News for more details.

WATCH STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH CHURCH IN WALES as the vote on women bishops fails. Go to News for more details.

Another woman appointed Bishop
Jane Alexander, who is English, has been elected as the next Bishop of the Diocese of Edmonton in Canada. Go to Recent Appointments for more details.

Women bishops "highly unlikely" for another five years
At the last meeting of the General Synod members heard this depressing news. Go to Press Releases for the WATCH Press Release in response to this news.

WATCH Ripon and Leeds host lunch with Ann Cryer on women challenging injustice
See in Press Releases

Canon Lucy Winkett's Keynote Address to our AGM in November 2007 is now available to download. You will find it under News & Events at the top of Reports.

Women Bishops for Australia!
Go to News for more details.

Bishop Christina Odenberg's visit to July 2007 General Synod in York
See News

New Dahlia to be named after Li Tim Oi
The Sunday programme on BBC4 has had a competition for the naming of a new Dahlia. And Florence Li Tim Oi is the winner! As this is the centenary of her birth and since her name, Florence – which she specially chose – means flowers, it is doubly appropriate that she is the winner!|
In 1944 Florence Li Tim Oi was the very first woman to be ordained priest in the Anglican Communion. To find out more go to Our Story on this site to read about her or go to her website www.litim-oi.org.

Proposed Covenant
General Synod debated the principle at the Synod meeting on Sunday 8 July. WATCH is opposed to the whole concept of the Covenant. Go to News to see about the proposed Covenant and the WATCH response.

WATCH Submission to Legislative Group
See The Campaign for WATCH submission text.

Good Friday 6 April the Gender Equality Duty became law in England
But the Church of England is still dragging its feet on the equal treatment of women.
See WATCH Press Release on this.

Join WATCH NOW if you want women to be bishops without strings attached. Yes, the Church has agreed to women bishops, but we don't want their ministry to be fenced around with restrictions in order to 'protect' those who will not accept them. WATCH is campaigning for women to be bishops on a par with their male colleagues, and for any arrangements for those who will not accept them to be local and informal. We are working closely with various groups, including Parliamentary colleagues, to make this a reality. Now is the time to join WATCH, and to get a friend to join as well: the more members, the more effectively we campaign, and the sooner we will all belong to a Church that values women and men equally.

WATCH (Women and the Church) is campaigning to see women take their place alongside men as bishops and at every level in the Church of England. This requires the removal of current legal obstacles to the consecration of women as bishops. WATCH believes that the full equality of women and men in the Church is part of God's will for his people, and reflects the inclusive heart of the Christian scripture and tradition.

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What you can do

• join WATCH via “Join”, to receive regular updates on the campaign

• get involved in a local WATCH network, via “Regional Contacts” on the homepage

• write to your Member of Parliament - go to "Campaign" for a sample letter to MPs