"Therefore we think the historic, reasoned reflection of Christians down the ages (including the historic position of the Church of England) has been correct; we fear that the current pressure to overturn it comes not for biblical reasons but because we are losing our nerve in the face of pressure from society.

The REFORM leaders say they are not viewing women as less valuable than men, and nor does the Scripture. "We are not 'anti-women'. On the contrary, it is both possible and right to affirm that we are 'all one in Christ Jesus', while at the same time affirming different roles. For the Bible separates roles and worth: our Lord Jesus himself submitted to the Father, but is, of course, no less God than he is.

"As matters stand, it seems likely that General Synod will be invited to vote on legislative proposals that threaten our ministries."

ORDINANDS

The REFORM leaders said that if the measure fails to provide adequate safeguards for future ordinands and they are discriminated against over male headship they will encourage them to develop their ministries outside "formal structures, although hopefully still within an Anglican tradition."

"Our congregations will inevitably start asking questions about their own place within the Church of England if they see us encouraging people into training for alternative ministries. This will come into sharp focus when the issue of succession to an incumbency arises. Since we cannot take an oath of canonical obedience to a female bishop, we are unlikely to be appointed to future incumbencies. We see nothing but difficulty facing us."

The REFORM leaders will have to discuss with their congregations how to foster and protect the ministry they wish to receive. "This is likely to generate a need for the creation of new independent charitable trusts whose purpose will be to finance our future ministries, when the need arises.

"These twin developments will need to be financed from current congregational giving. This will inevitably put a severe strain on our ability to continue to contribute financially to Diocesan funds. Where we are unable to contribute as before some will see this as a form of retaliation. However, that could not be further from the truth. We long to contribute to the well being of the Church of England. Over the last ten years we have encouraged more than 180 young men into the ordained ministry, over 50% of whom were under the age of 30. We have together contributed a gross figure of more than 22 million pounds ($34 million) to Diocesan funds."

"For those of us ordained since 1992, our understanding, in good faith, was that proper legal provision would be made for those who did not agree that women should have the overall leadership of a church. It seems to us a matter of simple integrity that Synod should now keep its word to us in this and not force us down a road none of us wish to tread."

Reform has more than 1,300 members, of whom more than 350 are ordained clergy. Many others are known to be sympathetic to its concerns.

The letter was signed by the following persons

Rev'd Rod Thomas, St. Matthew's Elburton, Exeter (Chairman of Reform) and 49 other signatories, which follow

Rev'd Michael Andreyev St Peter's Stapenhill, Derby

Rev'd Nigel Atkinson St John's Knutsford, Chester

Rev'd Simon Austen St John's and St Peter's, Carlisle

Rev'd Martin Bailey All Saints Riseley, Peterborough

Rev'd Iain Baker St Thomas Kidsgrove, Lichfield

Rev'd Hugh Balfour Christ Church Peckham, Southwark

Rev'd David Banting St Peter's Harold Wood, Chelmsford

Rev'd Neil Barber St Giles Normanton, Derby

Rev'd Robert Bashford St James Westgate,Canterbury

Rev'd John Birchall Christ Church Surbiton Hill, Southwark

Rev'd Iain Broomfield Christ Church Bromley, Rochester

Rev'd Mark Burkill Christ Church Leytonstone, Chelmsford

Rev'd John Cheeseman Holy Trinity Eastbourne, Chichester

Rev'd CJ Davis St NicholasTooting, Southwark

Rev'd Steve Donald St John the Evangelist, Carlisle

Rev'd Richard Espin-Bradley St Luke's Wolverhampton, Birmingham

Rev'd Jonathan Fletcher Emmanuel Church Wimbledon,Southwark

Rev'd Simon Gales St John s Lindow, Chester

Rev'd David Gibb St Andrews Leyland, Blackburn

Rev'd David Harris St Leonards, Exeter

Rev'd Clive Hawkins St Mary's Eastrop, Winchester

Rev'd Chris Hobbs St Stephen's Selly Park, Birmingham

Rev'd Christopher Hobbs St Thomas Oakwood, London

Rev'd Jonathan Juckes St Andrew's Kirk Ella, York

Rev'd Jeremy Leffler St Ambrose Widnes, Liverpool

Rev'd James Leggett St James, Ryde, Portsmouth

Rev'd Ian Lewis St Bartholomews, Bath

Rev'd Angus MacLeay St Nicholas Sevenoaks, Rochester

Rev'd Julian Mann Oughtibridge Parish Church, Sheffield

Rev'd Ed Moll St George's Wembdon, Bath

Rev'd Darren Moore St Catherine's Tranmere, Chester

Rev'd Ken Moulder St Oswalds, Newcastle

Rev'd Robert Munro Cheadle Parish Church, Chester

Rev'd Alasdair Paine Christ Church Westbourne, Winchester

Rev'd Andrew Raynes Christ Church, Blackburn

Rev'd Mike Reith Dagenham Parish Church, Chelmsford

Rev'd Vaughan Roberts St Ebbe's, Oxford

Rev'd Simon Scott All Saints Little Shelford, Cambridge

Rev'd John Simmons Christ Church Chadderton, Manchester

Rev'd Simon Smallwood St George's Dagenahm, Chelmsford

Rev'd Will Stileman St Mary's Maidenhead, Oxford

Rev'd William Taylor St Helen's Bishopsgate, London

Rev'd Melvin Tinker St John's Newlands, York

Rev'd Alistair Tresidder St Luke's Hampstead, London

Rev'd Philip Venables St Andrew's Bebington,Chester

Rev'd Stephen Walton St Michaels's Marbury, Chester

Rev'd Tim Ward Holy Trinity Hinkley, Leicester

Rev'd Mike Warren St Peters Tunbridge Wells, Rochester

Rev'd Gordon Warren St Anne's Limehouse, London

(The Bishop of Lewes, the Rt Rev'd Wallace Benn, also wishes to be associated with this letter)

END