Editing Forward in Faith (section)

==History==
FiF was formed in 1992 in response to approval by the [[General Synod of the Church of England]] of the ordination of women to the priesthood, initially an umbrella body for a number of Catholically oriented societies and campaigning groups.{{Failed verification|date=October 2020}} It became a membership organisation in 1994 and was registered as a charity in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.forwardinfaith.com/aboutus.php|title=Forward in Faith - About Us|website=www.forwardinfaith.com|access-date=2016-12-15}}</ref> The traditionalist group in the Scottish Episcopal Church joined forces with Forward in Faith in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.forwardinfaith.com/Scotland.php|title=Forward in Faith - Scotland|website=www.forwardinfaith.com|access-date=2016-12-15}}</ref> Credo Cymru, the traditionalist body in the Church in Wales, established formal links with Forward in Faith in 2003;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.forwardinfaith.com/Wales.php|title=Forward in Faith - Credo Cymru|website=www.forwardinfaith.com|access-date=2017-03-06}}</ref> the two remain separate organisations.<ref>{{cite web|title=About us...|url=http://www.credocymru.com/|website=Credo Cymru|access-date=27 January 2017|quote=Credo Cymru was founded in July 1993 ... In 2003, Credo Cymru established formal links with Forward in Faith}}</ref>

For its first two decades, Forward in Faith's main role was to campaign for provision by the Church of England for those of its members who would be unwilling to receive the ministry of women priests and the bishops who ordained them.

In 2000, FIF held a Mass to mark the turn of the millennium which filled the 10,000-capacity [[London Arena]]. The Eucharist was concelebrated by the Archbishop of York, David Hope, with more than 35 other bishops and 750 priests, and the preacher was the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allsaintsbrisbane.com/rector_clergy_and_preachers/recent_articles_and_sermons/christ_our_future_-_london_2000|title=Christ Our Future - London 2000|website=www.allsaintsbrisbane.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-06|archive-date=2018-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629074338/http://www.allsaintsbrisbane.com/rector_clergy_and_preachers/recent_articles_and_sermons/christ_our_future_-_london_2000|url-status=dead}}</ref>

''Consecrated Women'' (Canterbury Press, 2004), the report of a Forward in Faith working party, was published as a contribution to the debate on women in the episcopate. Its theological section was later republished, together with other material, in ''Fathers in God?'' (Canterbury Press, 2015).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.forwardinfaith.com/WomenBishops.php|title=Forward in Faith - Women Bishops|website=www.forwardinfaith.com|access-date=2017-03-06}}</ref>

Following the ordination of women to the episcopate, Forward in Faith's main role is as the democratically structured membership organisation and registered charity which supports, finances and administers [[The Society (Church of England)|The Society]] under the patronage of S. Wilfrid and S. Hilda.

Especially in its early years, Forward in Faith had a number of Evangelical members, but today its membership is overwhelmingly Anglo-Catholic.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

===Relations with the Roman Catholic Church===
In 2009, there were reports that Cardinal [[Christoph Schönborn]], the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vienna, had met with the Forward in Faith chairman, [[John Broadhurst]], Anglican [[Bishop of Fulham]], at the suggestion of the Pope.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=10920|title=ENGLAND: Forward in Faith 'in talks with Vatican' - Virtueonline – The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism|website=www.virtueonline.org|access-date=2009-07-29|archive-date=2021-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025074755/https://virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=10920|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 20 October 2009, in a document called {{lang|la|[[Anglicanorum Coetibus]]}}, the [[Holy See]] announced that its intention to create [[personal ordinariates]] for groups of former Anglicans within the [[Roman Catholic Church]] similar to the existing [[military ordinariate]]s in that their jurisdiction is exercised on a personal basis rather than a territorial basis, as is the case with normal dioceses.

In October 2010, John Broadhurst announced his intention to join the Roman Catholic Church, although he said that he would not at that point resign as Chairman of Forward in Faith, saying "it is not a Church of England organisation".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Paflin|first1=Glyn|title=Synod fight to go on, though FiF wooed by Rome|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2010/22-october/news/synod-fight-to-go-on,-though-fif-wooed-by-rome|access-date=22 January 2017|work=Church Times|date=21 October 2010|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202071749/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2010/22-october/news/synod-fight-to-go-on,-though-fif-wooed-by-rome|url-status=dead}}</ref> He resigned from the position in November 2010 before being received into the Roman Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bishop Broadhurst resigns as Chairman of FiF UK|url=http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/004758.html|website=Thinking Anglicans|access-date=27 January 2017|date=2 December 2010}}</ref>