C of E report on same-sex marriage

Written by David Fletcher 03 Feb 2017
C of E report on same-sex marriage

A new report by the House of Bishops has said that the Church of England should adopt a ‘fresh tone and culture of welcome and support’ for gay people, but that there was little support for changing the Church's teaching that marriage was between one man and one woman. The report said the Church needed to repent of homophobic attitudes. It also said all potential clergy - straight and gay - will be asked about their sexual conduct and lifestyle., The Bishop of Norwich, Graham Jones, felt that present arrangements for asking ordinands and clergy about their relationships and lifestyle are not really working very well. He said, ‘All clergy are asked at their ordination whether they will fashion their lives after the way of Christ. We believe we should revisit how this is explored beforehand, so the same questions are addressed to everyone without distinction.’ But Andrew Foreshaw-Cain, a parish priest in north London who is in a same-sex marriage, told the BBC that the report was ‘a failure of leadership’. He added: ‘The LGBT community is going to be extremely hurt by this. We were asked to trust our leaders. Many of us made ourselves vulnerable during the shared conversations, and none of that has been heard. The bishops have gone ahead and talked as if we didn't take part in it and as if we are not there.’

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  • Pray: for the impact of this report, particularly on those in the LGBT community who were hoping for a softening of attitude. (Matt. 10:16b)