I have never been to Australia, and probably never will get there, but I read enough to know that the Diocese of Sydney is a very strange place. It is known for its evangelical slant (read low church) which is often taken to extremes. For example, no vestments in some places, and rare celebrations of the Eucharist. Supposedly its archbishop has told incoming clergy they must sign an agreement not to wear a chasuble when celebrating the Eucharist. In recent years, Sydney has been making news for its push for lay presidency of the Eucharist. In other words, a large number of the members of that diocese want lay persons to be able to be the celebrant for the Eucharist.

This is not all that unusual. A recent Bishop of Maine proposed it at General Convention, and some diocesan conventions have dealt with the matter as a way of having more frequent celebrations when a priest is not present. That doesn't seem to be the case in Sydney. It was proposed there in order to get around the concept of having women priests. When the diocese held its synod (convention) last month, it adopted a motion requesting the standing committee to bring to the next synod "such legislation as would enable a five-year experimentation of lay and diaconal administration of the Lord's Supper." The mover of the motion said the proposal is part of the process of finding a "way forward" for the diocese on the issue of women's ministry. The resolution itself states it is "a principled means by which we may reduce the tensions and synodical divisions over the ordination of women to the priesthood."

The Diocese of Sydney has voted on more than one occasion not to approve the idea of ordination of women to the priesthood, but, like in many dioceses, the matter has become contentious and dragged out. It has become further complicated by the pronouncements of its archbishop, the Most Rev. R. Harry Goodhew. During his address to the synod, Archbishop Goodhew, long an opponent of the ordination of women, said he felt "challenged to be open to consider a different approach" to the matter of women priests. "If you ask me whether I would withhold my consent if [synod decided to approve women priests], my reply would be tentative but I would not withhold consent." In other words, while Archbishop Goodhew did not endorse the concept of ordaining women to the priesthood, he said he wouldn't stand in the way if that was what his diocese wanted.

If that wasn't enough of a surprise to the Diocese of Sydney, the archbishop had more. After the synod had adopted the resolution on lay presidency, Archbishop Goodhew prevented a third and final reading of the legislation at that session by upholding a rule of the synod's standing orders. He said the legislation could not be heard because the earlier motion on lay presidency had dealt with the same subject matter. That means the third reading of that legislation was deferred until 1999.

But that's not all. Earlier in that meeting, the diocese adopted a resolution distancing itself from the primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, the Most Rev. Keith Rayner. It seems that Archbishop Rayner's comments following the Lambeth Conference were offensive to a majority of the synod. That resolution said, in part, that the synod "expresses its concern about, and distances itself from, public statements by the Primate" in a sermon and a press release, "to the effect that Anglicans should reconsider the received tradition of the church teaching on homosexuality ..."

The next time you think your diocese has troubles, consider the Diocese of Sydney. Compared to Sydney, your diocese may look progressive!

David Kalvelage, editor