Archbishops call alternative ordinations 'unnecessary'

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have called a set of alternative ordinations performed in May “unnecessary” and “ecumenically discourteous.”

Martin Morrison, a bishop in the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA) ordained seven deacons at a service in east London.

The ordinations were first reported in the Law & Religion UK blog by Andrew Atherstone, Professor of Modern Anglicanism at the University of Oxford. “Following the commendation of the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) in December 2023 by the Church of England’s House of Bishops, these young leaders found themselves unable ‘in good conscience’ to pursue ordination through the normal channels,” Atherstone wrote.