Female clergy opponent encourages women, Bishop of Lancaster says

The Right Reverend Dr Jill Duff says she is "delighted" by the appointment of Right Reverend Philip North

A Church of England diocese's decision to promote a bishop who has opposed the ordination of women was "absolutely right", the Bishop of Lancaster said.

The Right Reverend Philip North has been named as the Bishop of Blackburn.

Gender equality campaign group, Women and the Church, said his appointment made women feel "second-class".

But the Right Reverend Dr Jill Duff said Bishop North had "promoted and encouraged women" and helped her "find her voice".

Bishop North, who has served as the Bishop of Burnley for eight years, was nominated to become Bishop of Sheffield in 2017, but withdrew from the process after protests by female clergy and other churchgoers.

At the time, it was revealed that he was a member of a traditionalist Anglican institution which does not accept the ministry of women priests or male priests ordained by female bishops.

'Undermining'

However, the Bishop of Lancaster said she had flourished working with him.

"I absolutely think this is the right appointment," Dr Duff told BBC North West Tonight.

She added: "The murmurings seem to come from outside and we would love to have conversations with those from outside to meet our women.

"Over the time Philip North has been at the Blackburn diocese, he has sponsored equal numbers of men and women for ordination... we have more women coming through than men."

Dr Duff said that he had helped her "find her voice".

Dean of Women's Ministry, the Reverend Anne Beverley, said the majority of women in the diocese were "very supportive" of his appointment but she "absolutely understood" those who took umbrage.

"There are one or two who are finding this difficult, but we are working with them to support them."

Reverend Martine Oborne describes the appointment as "undermining" for women

Reverend Martine Oborne, from Women and the Church, whose own diocesan bishop had refused to ordain her, said it made women feel "a bit second-class".

"Whether their bishop won't ordain women or whether he won't receive bread and wine from a female priest, all these things are undermining and what we really want is full equality for women in the church," she added.

The campaign group told the BBC it had heard from two female clergy who were considering leaving the diocese.

In a statement, Bishop North said he was "hugely appreciative of the ministry of my female clergy colleagues".

He said female clergy in the Blackburn diocese were "fully and equally part of the diocese and have a ministry that is grace-filled and transformative".

"As in every Church of England diocese, there are provisions in place for an exercise of conscience for those who hold different views on the ordination of women," he added.

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