The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of his desire to see women ordained as bishops in the Church of England in a way that does not ‘violently disrupt’ the common life of the Church. At their Conference in Portsmouth, Dr Rowan Williams asked Methodists to pray for the Church of England ahead of key debates on women bishops in its General Synod in York next week. ‘My hope and prayer is that we shall see women ordained as bishops in the Church of England. My hope and prayer is also that we shall do that in a way that does not violently disrupt some of the features of our common life, causing us actually to lose one another in a sense.’ Further ‘I am quite prepared to be 'Petrine' for quite a long time on that one’ [a reference to the leadership style of Peter who compromised on certain principles in order to preserve order and hierarchy within the church]. Pray: that a wise resolution to this debate will result equitable/agreeable/fair to all parties. (Jn. 8:16)