There are bishops and bishops. You may be interested in this piece on Anglican Polity or Governance
I am constantly surprised that people are interested in this – deeply interested. It seems to be a real desire to know how things fit together and work together. And it’s good for the church – misunderstandings about authority do great damage to relationships.
Then we had a session on the Ministry Division Report on TISEC [Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopal Church. They have raised serious questions about two aspects of our training – the governance structures and the formation of future clergy. Training matters greatly in every church because people perceive it as carrying the ethos and culture of the church in the next generation. I ask the simple question about whether ‘the quality of our training can match the strength of our missional aspirations.’
This is what I said
And then we considered the Next Steps Group Report on the Whole Church Mission and Ministry Policy. This is about trying to combine a recognition that the missional energy of the church is in the dioceses – encouraged by the ministry of our bishops as Leaders of Mission. But of course we need coherence and unity – so that we do not become seven churches.
So this is what I said