Church of England give staff ‘unconscious bias training’ to ensure half are female by 2030 

Church of England gives staff ‘unconscious bias training’ to help ensure that half of its leaders are female by 2030

  • Bishop Sarah Mullally hopes training will allow ‘different conversations’ in the Church
  • Church of England is to introduce ‘unconscious bias training’ to hire women 
  • Campaign group says church ‘needs to show it’s welcome’ especially to women
  • Training will show women ‘are taken seriously’ and ‘good enough for leadership’ 

The Church of England is to use ‘unconscious bias training’ to help ensure half of its leaders are female by 2030.

Bishop of London Sarah Mullally, 57, hopes the change will stop men hiring employees in their own image and create a ‘different’ kind of conversation in the Church.

Training has already been introduced in Church House in Westminster, London, and the London diocese will follow suit.  

The Church of England is to introduce ‘unconscious bias training’ to ensure half its leaders are female by 2030. Bishop of London Sarah Mullally (pictured at a vigil to honour victims of the London Bridge terror attack on December 2) said encouraging more female members is valuable for enabling ‘different types of conversations’

At present, 25 out of 115 bishops in the church are women in the UK.

Meanwhile Pope Francis has reaffirmed the ‘door is closed’ for women to become priests in the Roman Catholic Church.

Ms Mullally told The Times: ‘I certainly think that having women as priests enables different types of conversations that probably wouldn’t happen if you’re a man. My background as a nurse means people often talk to me in a different way.’

This comes just weeks after Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, 58, assumed the role of Bishop of Dover. She is the Church of England's first ever female black bishop in its near 500-year history

This comes just weeks after Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, 58, assumed the role of Bishop of Dover. She is the Church of England’s first ever female black bishop in its near 500-year history

People would seek her opinion on health-related issues such as varicose ulsers when they would only visit her clerics at Salisbury Cathedral for ‘deep theological conversations’.  

Emma Percy, a chairwoman of Women and the Church, said: ‘The Church of England needs to show that it is a church for all, where women are taken seriously, where women are good enough for leadership and, consequently, seen as good enough for God.’ 

Bishop Lane, from Glossop in Derbyshire, was one of the first females ordained in 1994 after the Church reduced barriers to entry for women (pictured at Chester Cathedral)

Bishop Lane, from Glossop in Derbyshire, was one of the first females ordained in 1994 after the Church reduced barriers to entry for women (pictured at Chester Cathedral)

Linda Woodhead, professor of sociology of religion at Lancaster University, has suggested the initiative is ‘too little too late’. 

The academic suggested female engagement with the Church has shrunk with only one wedding happening every year and the average congregation being 27. 

She slammed the training for not being enough to get the demographic reversed. 

This comes just weeks after the Queen’s chaplain Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, 58, became the Church of England’s first ever female black bishop in its near 500-year history. 

The Right Reverend Libby Lane, who was the first female bishop in the Church of England, became the new Bishop of Derby. 

Rachel Treweek became Bishop of Gloucester in 2015 and urged the church to stop calling God as ‘he’. 

She initially refused the title of ‘right reverend father’ when she was appointed bishop. 

General Synod of the Church of England voted to allow female bishops in 2014.

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