More on Wycliffe Hall

A little more information on the Church Times. I hope it gets resolved. It is a pity that they cannot be more transparent and circumspect like Rowan Williams, for example, who when he was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury, made it clear that while he had particular (if tentative) opinions on particularly divisive issues (see A Ray of Darkness, for example), he believed that the role of a bishop is to be a focus of unity, not to push his own personal agenda, a position welcomed by Alistair McGraph (Church of England Newspaper (no. 5627).

So it would be nice if, for example, Simon Vibert, would say that while he held particular views about women priests, bishops etc, that he would not push that agenda in an unbalanced way as vice-Principle of Wycliffe Hall, but take into account the diversity of the Church of England, and note also that his views, while held honestly, were in a minority amongst those who - equally honestly - disagreed on the subject of women bishops (as evidenced by Synod resolutions); moreoever, it can be seen from Tom Wright's contribution that it is not just a matter of saying - if you look at the texts, scripture supports the Vibert position - as other equally scriptural arguments can be made to the contrary.

A case in point from the atheists. I've just been reading Michael Ruse on Christianity and Darwinism, and he gives a vey balanced and fair assessment, and engages with the history and variety in Christianity. That contrasts with Richard Dawkins, who is simply full of hot rhetorical air, and has about as much idea of what Christianity is about as thinking Easter is about the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs. One is balanced, one is not. A lesson for Wycliffe Hall, perhaps?

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From the Church Times (UK) --

WYCLIFFE HALL, Oxford, is the focus of a dispute involving allegations of a culture of bullying and intimidation, and of an ultra-conservative attitude to women. The governing Council of the theological college, a permanent private hall of the University, is chaired by the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones. This week it said that it had embarked on a review of the college's governance. The complaints centre on the management style of the Principal, the Revd Dr Richard Turnbull, and his appointment of the Revd Simon Vibert as Vice-Principal. Mr Vibert had made public his belief that women should not teach men. He co-wrote, with the Revd Dr Mark Burkill and the Revd Dr David Peterson, a Latimer Trust paper that argued that a woman on her own should not teach men about faith or lead a congregation (Ministry Work Group Statement concerning the ministry of women in the Church today). Since Dr Turnbull was appointed in 2005, six full-time or part-time academic staff have resigned posts. In a letter of resignation to Dr Turnbull in March, the former director of studies, Dr Philip Johnston, accused him of leadership "without significant regard for your staff colleagues". Dr Johnston wrote that the new Vice-Principal had been appointed despite a "very strong consensus" of staff and students in favour of a different candidate. Copies of emails suggest that staff and students were then ordered not to speak to the press. The former Principal, the Revd Professor Alister McGrath, said that it would be "quite inappropriate" for him to comment. But he now had no connection with the college. When the former Vice-Principal, the Revd Dr David Wenham, resigned last October, Dr Elaine Storkey, a broadcaster teaching at the college, is understood to have objected when she was told "under no circumstances" to speak to the media; and to have told Dr Turnbull that she reserved the right to speak on any matter not directly related to the college's "inner workings". Dr Storkey said on Tuesday: "A lot has happened since then." But she confirmed that she would not speak to the press. Dr Turnbull, it is understood, told staff that Dr Wenham resigned because of "disagreement with myself as Principal over matters of leadership and management". A further complaint is that the new leadership had signed Anglican Mainstream's "Covenant for the Church of England", which warns bishops to be "biblically orthodox" if they are to retain the convenanters' loyalty. The Revd Rob Merchant, an ex-president of the common room, now a lecturer at Staffordshire University, said on Wednesday that he was watching "the demise of a beloved theological college". "Under the guidance of people like Professor Alister McGrath, Wycliffe Hall was a place of generous orthodoxy able to encompass a spectrum of views and offer support and respect to students and staff alike," he said. He had watched, "bewildered", as excellent staff had left, one after another, with little or no communication from the current management. In one of the documents sent to the Church Times, two members of the governing Council are said to have visited the college and to have been "shocked by the hostility they found at every level of the community to Dr Turnbull". They also found many were dismayed by the Council's "laissez-faire attitude" to the issues, it says. Dr Turnbull said on Wednesday that women were welcome to train as priests at Wycliffe Hall, and that their numbers had increased "significantly". He said that, balancing Mr Vibert's appointment, he also appointed the Revd Will Donaldson, a Charismatic, who was in favour of women's ministry "at every level". Mr Donaldson, from the Willesden area in London diocese, has been appointed as director of Christian leadership. Both men start work on 1 August. Dr Turnbull said that the Council had reaffirmed his leadership of the college on Tuesday. He would not comment further, as disciplinary proceedings were under way. A Council statement on Tuesday said: "The Council has embarked on a major review of its governance and a new development strategy for the future of the Hall in the light of changing patterns of ministerial formation. This inevitably involves changes that are unsettling. "Wycliffe is committed to maintaining its Evangelical ethos and its international reputation for excellence in theological education, ministerial formation, and training for Christian leadership in the Church and the world. "At a meeting of the Council to consider the report of a specially commissioned 'listening process', the Council unanimously reiterated its support for the Principal and committed itself to facilitate the necessary changes."