The Rev Martine Oborne (The next archbishop of Canterbury has no time to waste in making change – this is what she will be up against, 5 October) points out that the Church of England is allowed to teach that men should have authority over women. The provision of alternative leadership for churches that hold to this view is a bit like having a football team where players are not only permitted to disagree with the manager’s preferred system, but can also expect a second manager to be appointed to meet their needs.
For those frustrated by the six months we have to wait for Sarah Mullally to start work as the next archbishop of Canterbury, might it be worthwhile for the Church of England to use the time to move beyond its endless tangles over matters involving gender, sexuality and race, and consider what it really wants to offer?
