In 1969 Gärtner became provost of Gothenburg cathedral and on 24 July 1970 bishop of the Lutheran diocese of Gothenburg. Like his predecessor Bo Giertz, Gärtner was theologically conservative and High Church. He was the writer of a number of books about the ministry of the Church as well as on New Testament subjects and one of the Swedish church leaders opposing the ordination of women in the Church of Sweden, an episcopal Visitor of
Societas Sanctae Birgittae from 1972-,
Pro Ecclesia[2] from 1990-1997,
Laurentiistiftelsen from 1997-
and Markusstiftelsen from 1998-2009.
Bibliography
The Temple and the Community in Qumran and the New Testament
The Areopagus Speech and Natural Revelation
John 6 and the Jewish Passover
The Theology of the Gospel According to Thomas
Iscariot
Das Amt, der Mann und die Frau im Neuen Testament (Didaskolos: The Office, Man and Woman in the New Testament)
The Experience of the Church of Sweden by Bertil E. Gärtner and Carl Strandberg from Man, Woman, and Priesthood, pp. 123-133, edited by Peter Moore, SPCK London, 1978