Sad end to Rowan's reign?

Listening to a 'phone in' on the way back from a meeting today and some ditz was on the air wittering on about how Rowan was leaving the Archbishop of Canterbury's post as a 'failure'! The reason for this label was  down to the fact that he (personally and single-handed I assume) had failed to get the measure for the consecration of women passed! She went on to say that for him to have been 'successful' he would have needed to 'have gone out with something notable achieved!

Well insofar as 'going out with something notable'  I don't think there could have been anything more 'notable' than the media frenzy caused by yesterday's amazing General Synod! But apparently the vote negates completely not only Rowan as he leaves but shoots Justin down before he's even got in too!  (The reason being that Rowan has failed to deliver and the new man, condemned before he even starts, failed to win over 'his' church either - I can think of a word but I'm not allowed to use it!)

Let's step back from all the stupid comments that seek to vilify people for voting as their conscience demanded or demand that in future clergy and bishops make the decisions (as long of course they are the decisions they want!) or seek to find legal means or loopholes or whatever it takes to get the decision they desire make reality and look at Rowan and his time in office.

For as long as I can remember, the various blokes what have done the +Cantuar job have never been as intelligent as the outgoing incumbent. Suffice to say that the man is brilliant at som many levels and in so many ways and his theological mind is Premier League calibre.

When he took the job in 2002 there weren't many of us expecting to find the remarkably intact Anglican Communion (whatever that really is) or Church of England that we still have today. I assumed that Carey had passed over a ticking bomb to Rowan but he has managed to get out without the explosion that we assumed would come and pass the box on to JW! This has taken the amazingly gentle and humble man that RW is (RW, JW is a pattern emerging?).

I haven't always been a fan of RW but have always been in thrall of his ability to seek the right direction in the journeying of our denomination and have been humbled by his humility.

A failure? No on your nellie!

The man has run a good race and has been a good, if perhaps a little too quiet on some of the important issues, leader and spiritual example to the nation. I, for one, pray that the next phase of his life will be blessed and profitable for him and his family and for the Church as a whole.

He leaves bloodied, disappointed but unbroken and most certainly not a failure - may God bless him.

Pax