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.

According to Atherstone, those ordained will not be able to exercise functions reserved for clergy in the Church of England but will be able to serve “in a lay capacity” in their respective parishes.

In a report published to the Church of England Evangelical Council’s (CEEC) website, Atherstone quoted a letter from Morrison to Archbishop Cottrell and Archbishop Mullally ahead of the ordinations. “This decision has been made with the aim of sustaining and advancing faithful Anglican evangelical witness and to ensure we do not lose a generation of gifted gospel workers to ordained ministry,” Morrison wrote.

Responding to the letter, Cottrell and Mullally told Morrison that the “course of action you describe would not be a helpful act at a time when we are in the process of discernment in the Church of England.

“At the very least we would consider your proceeding in that way ecumenically discourteous. It could also be inflammatory and we consider it to be unnecessary. In the Church of England we are keen to keep all shades of Anglican church tradition valued and active within the Church, and are exploring how we can do that within our own Church.”