The Rt Revd Tony Robinson, Bishop for the Wakefield Area, has been elected as Chairman of Forward in Faith (the movement within the Church of England which opposes the ordination of women to the priesthood). He succeeds the Bishop of Fulham, the Rt Revd Jonathan Baker.
In his address to the National Assembly, Bishop Tony called on members of Forward in Faith to respond to the invitation and challenge to flourish within the life and structures of the Church of England. Catholic Anglicans, he said, needed to be open to, and engaged with, the rest of the Church of England. He called on the Catholic Movement to be 'tolerant of the diversity of views that exists among us' and to 'work harder at unity amongst ourselves'.
He adds, “Even though we don’t agree about everything we must now move into a different phase where we work together with our fellow brothers and sisters in Church of England in our outreach to the people of England proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. We need to rediscover the strength to proclaim the importance of a catholic heart in our church which is fully engaged and flourishing.”