§ 19. Chris Bryant (Rhondda)(Lab)How many (a) women and (b) men are in training for ordination. [187916]
§ Second Church Estates Commissioner (Sir Stuart Bell)For the year 2003–04, there were 641 women and 659 men in training for ordination.
§ Chris BryantBearing in mind the fact that the number of women in ordination training is now almost catching up with the number of men, is it not about time that the Church of England woke up to the fact that there are women who are performing very good jobs in cathedrals and parishes up and down the land, and that it is time we had some on the Bench of Bishops as well?
§ Sir Stuart BellI am always grateful to my hon. Friend for his questions, and I did, of course, anticipate that one. He will be happy to know that I recently enjoyed a midday service at the Trinity church in New York and an eventide service at Westminster abbey—both were officiated at by women priests, and I enjoyed them both immensely.
On my hon. Friend's latter point, he will be aware that a working group, chaired by the Bishop of Rochester, the Right Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali, has been giving serious consideration to the question of women in the 980 episcopate and to the theology behind such a question. We must wait for the group to report to the General Synod before drawing conclusions, but my hon. Friend's voice will be heard.