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Woman bishop likely for New Zealand diocese

The Christchurch, New Zealand, diocese of the Anglican Churchlooks set to provide New Zealand with its second woman bishop, reports John McNeil, special to ASSIST News Service.

In an election to choose a successor to retiring Bishop David Coles, a special synod of the church has settled on a retired Canadian woman bishop, Victoria Matthews, who has yet to visit New Zealand.

Although the vote was confidential, news of the choice was leaked by The Guardian newspaper in England. Church officials in Christchurch are refusing to confirm the reports, which are regarded as accurate.

Before the name is released publicly, the nomination has to be approved by all the country’s remaining bishops, who have the power to turn it down.

This has only happened once previously, so is thought to be unlikely, especially given that they approved the appointment of Penny Jamieson, the world’s first woman diocesan bishop, to Dunedin in 1989.

The election was seen at the time as being highly political, particularly as Dr Jamieson had only been a parish priest for five years at the time. She retired in 2004.

The nomination of Bishop Matthews may also prove to be controversial.

The Guardian reported that she is a theological conservative who nevertheless voted that homosexual partnerships do not violate core church doctrines.

Conservative or evangelical groups within the diocese will be watching closely to see how the appointment pans out. Commentators overseas have noted that she can be someone who “plays her cards” close to her chest.

When Bishop Matthews was elected Bishop of Edmonton in 1997, she was the first woman bishop in Canada.

Aside from heading her diocese, she sat on many important Anglican committees which have helped to decide the church’s stance on issues.

She is perceived by some to be a skilful theologian on the Anglo-Catholic wing of the church, and is doctrinally orthodox when it comes to a matter such as the divinity of Christ. However, she became known particularly for chairing a high-level task force which studied the issue of same-sex marriage.

At Canada’s general synod last year, she spoke favourably about same-sex blessings and voted in favour of a resolution acknowledging that “the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with the core doctrine of the Anglican Church of Canada", while voting against permitting such blessings.

Bishop Matthews was twice a candidate for Archbishop of Canada. However, she pulled out of the running on the first occasion, in 2004, because of breast cancer, and she narrowly lost out in 2007. She retired as a diocesan bishop last November.

At the time of her resignation, she said she had no job waiting for her after she left Edmonton.

She announced that following two years of prayerful reflection, “most recently I have become convinced that I am meant to resign as your Bishop before knowing what comes next. God is now calling me in a different direction.”

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[03/06/2008]

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