The place of Christian leaders â?? chiefly within the Anglican tradition, of bishops â?? as teachers of scripture can hardly be over-emphasised. The â??authorityâ?? of bishops cannot reside solely or primarily in legal structures, but, as in Acts 6.4, in their ministry of â??prayer and the word of Godâ??. If this is ignored, the model of â??the authority of scriptureâ?? which scripture itself offers is failing to function as it should. The authoritative teaching of scripture cannot be left to academic researchers, vital though they are. The accredited leaders of the Church â?? within the diocese, the bishop(s); within the Communion, the primates â?? must be people through whose prayerful teaching ministry the authority of God vested in scripture is brought to bear – in mission within the world and in wise teaching to build up the Church.
Windsor Report on the future of the Anglican Communion paragraph 58
