CHURCH OF ENGLAND CONSULTATIONS ON
HUMAN SEXUALITY
Further reaction is given elsewhere.
Letter from the Archbishops of
Canterbury and York followinhg the rejection of the Bishop's Reflection
Group Sexuality Report
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Following the vote in
General Synod not to take note of the paper on Marriage and Same Sex
Relationships after the Shared Conversations (GS 2055) we are writing to
set out the way forward in the next few months.
First, we want to be clear about some underlying principles.
In these discussions no person is a problem, or an issue. People are
made in the image of God. All of us, without exception, are loved and
called in Christ. There are no ‘problems’, there are simply people
called to redeemed humanity in Christ.
How we deal with the real and profound disagreement - put so
passionately and so clearly by many at the debate - is the challenge we
face as people who all belong to Christ.
To deal with that disagreement and to find ways forward, we
need a radical new Christian inclusion in the Church. This must be
founded in scripture, in reason, in tradition, in theology and the
Christian faith as the Church of England has received it; it must be
based on good, healthy, flourishing relationships, and in a proper 21st
century understanding of being human and of being sexual.
We need to work together - not just the bishops but the whole
Church, not excluding anyone - to move forward with confidence.
The way forward needs to be about love, joy and celebration
of our common humanity; of our creation in the image of God, of our
belonging to Christ - all of us, without exception, without exclusion.
Nevertheless while the principles are straightforward,
putting them into practice, as we all know, is not, given the deep
disagreements among us.
We are therefore asking first for every Diocesan Bishop to
meet with their General Synod members for an extended conversation in
order to establish clearly the desires of every member of Synod for the
way forward.
As Archbishops we will be establishing a Pastoral Oversight
group led by the Bishop of Newcastle, with the task of supporting and
advising Dioceses on pastoral actions with regard to our current
pastoral approach to human sexuality. The group will be inclusive, and
will seek to discern the development of pastoral practices, within
current arrangements. Secondly, we, with others, will be formulating
proposals for the May House of Bishops for a large scale teaching
document around the subject of human sexuality. In an episcopal church a
principal responsibility of Bishops is the teaching ministry of the
church, and the guarding of the deposit of faith that we have all
inherited. The teaching document must thus ultimately come from the
Bishops. However, all episcopal ministry must be exercised with all the
people of God, lay and ordained, and thus our proposals will ensure a
wide ranging and fully inclusive approach, both in subject matter and in
those who work on it.
We will also be suggesting to the Business Committee a debate
in general terms on the issues of marriage and human sexuality. We wish
to give the General Synod an opportunity to consider together those
things we do affirm.
In the meantime, we commend to your prayers our common
concern for every member of this church, of all views, and most
especially our concern for the mission of God to which we are called by
the Father, for which we are made ready by the Son, and in which we are
equipped by the Holy Spirit.
Church of England, 2017: “Letter
from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York following General Synod”.
https://staging.churchofengland.org/media/3878263/abc-and-aby-joint-letter.pdf.
See also:
https://churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2017/02/letter-from-the-archbishops-of-canterbury-and-york-followinggeneral-synod.aspx
Bishop's Reflection Group Sexuality
Report
This report can be found on the following
link:
http://www.tgdr.co.uk/documents/229P-GS2055.pdf
General Synod Press Conference 27
January 2017
The Church of England's law and guidance on marriage should be
interpreted to provide "maximum freedom" for gay and lesbian people
without changing the Church's doctrine of marriage itself, bishops are
recommending. A report from the House of Bishops to be discussed by the
Church's General Synod next month upholds the teaching, recognised by
canon law, that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman.
But it also concludes that the current advice on pastoral provision for
same-sex couples - which allows clergy to provide informal prayers for
those marrying or forming a civil partnership - is not clear enough and
should be revisited.It also calls for a "fresh tone and culture of
welcome and support" for lesbian and gay people and those attracted to
people of the same sex throughout the Church of England.
The paper recommends that bishops prepare a substantial new teaching
document on marriage and relationships to replace or expand upon
documents drawn up in the 1990s.And it calls for new guidance to be
prepared about the kind of questions put to candidates for ordination -
irrespective of their sexual orientation - about their lifestyle. It
also speaks of the need for the Church to repent of the homophobic
attitudes it has sometimes failed to rebuke and affirm the need to stand
against homophobia wherever and whenever it is to be found. The report
from the House of Bishops attempts to sum up the Church's position after
a two-year process of shared conversations on the subject of human
sexuality, involving clergy and laity. It acknowledges that it
represents the consensus of opinion among the bishops rather than a
unanimous view and sets out a process rather than attempting a final
resolution. The General Synod will discuss the paper in a "Take Note"
debate on the afternoon of Wednesday February 15. Members will have an
opportunity to consider it in small groups immediately before the
debate.In a foreword to the document, the bishops explain: "We recognise
our deficiencies and offer this paper with humility.
"We know that this report may prove challenging or difficult reading.
"We are confident, however, that the commitment that has been shown to
listening to one another, not least through the Shared Conversations, in
dioceses and in the General Synod, will have helped prepare us all as
members of Synod to address together the challenges we face as a part of
the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
"We would ask for it to be read as a whole."
Presenting the paper at a press conference this morning the Bishop of
Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James said: "This isn't the end of a process
but we are somewhere in the middle of it. "We are sharing where we have
reached in order to be as transparent as possible, and open to other
voices. "We hope that the tone and register of this report will help to
commend it, though we recognise it will be challenging reading for some.
"This is no last word on this subject. For there are very
different views on same sex relationships within the Church, and within
the House of Bishops, mainly based on different understandings of how to
read scripture." The Bishop of Willesden, the Rt Rev Pete Broadbent,
said: "The report will be the subject of a 'take note' debate. Such a
debate is a neutral motion. "It allows Synod to discuss the content and
recommendations contained in the report, but a vote in favour of the
motion does not commit the Synod to the acceptance of any matter in the
report. The House of Bishops will listen carefully to the debate, and to
any subsequent matters raised by members in correspondence, to inform
their further work." The report is contained among papers circulated to
members of the Church of England's General Synod which meets in
Westminster next month. Other newly released papers include background
papers ahead of debates on the reading of banns of marriage and fixed
odds betting terminals.
Papers sent out in an earlier circulation last week included further
updates on the process of simplification of Church regulations as well
as material on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and a background
document on clergy risk assessment regulations which will be debated on
Thursday February 16. The General Synod will meet at the Assembly Hall,
Church House, 27 Great Smith Street, Westminster, London from 3pm on
Monday February 13 to 5.15pm on Thursday 16 February.
Notes to editors:
The full agenda and papers can be found here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/structure/general-synod/agendas-and-papers/february-2017-group-of-sessions.aspx
The comments from the Bishop of Norwich and Bishop of Willesden are
below.
A Statement from the Bishop of Norwich:
When reports to the General Synod are launched at a press briefing they
are often published at the end of a process and contain recommendations.
This report on marriage and same sex relationships from the House of
Bishops isn't that sort of report. It describes where the bishops
have reached in their reflections. It goes on to provide a
framework identifying areas where we believe present advice, policies or
practice need further consideration, and invites members of General
Synod and the wider Church, to contribute. So this isn't the end
of a process but we are somewhere in the middle of it. We are
sharing where we have reached in order to be as transparent as possible,
and open to other voices.
We hope that the tone and register of this report will help to commend
it, though we recognise it will be challenging reading for some.
This is no last word on this subject. For there are very different
views on same sex relationships within the Church, and within the House
of Bishops, mainly based on different understandings of how to read
scripture. The House is agreed, however, that our present teaching
documents do not address some elements of the contemporary situation
regarding marriage and relationships in our culture. I refer to
the current teaching document on marriage, issued by the House of
Bishops in 1999, and an earlier document on same sex relationships,
Issues in Human Sexuality. Neither discusses nor even anticipates
same sex marriage, a reminder of just how quickly things have changed.
Issues, published in 1991, was written when Clause 28 of the Local
Government Act 1988 was in force. It prohibited the promotion of
homosexuality in schools and prevented local councils from spending
money on lesbian and gay projects including anything which suggested
support of what it called "pretended family relationships". The
temper of the time in which Issues was written was a very different one
from ours. The later teaching document from 1999 simply assumes
marriage is the union of one man with one woman. Hence, the House
of Bishops believes it needs to commission a new teaching document which
articulates such an understanding of marriage within a theology of
relationships for our changed times. This report isn't that
document but it indicates why it is needed.
The House of Bishops believes that the Church of England's teaching on
marriage, which it holds in common with the Roman Catholic Church, the
Orthodox Churches, and the majority of the churches of the Reformation,
should continue to be expressed in the terms found in Canon B30, namely
that "the Church of England affirms, according to our Lord's teaching,
that marriage is a union permanent and life-long, of one man with one
woman…" But there is a great deal more than marriage alone to be
considered in relation to same sex relationships. The report
affirms the place of lesbian and gay people within the Church.
Even in 1991 Issues in Human Sexuality said that those in same sex
partnerships should be included within the life and fellowship of the
Church. We reaffirm that gladly and decisively, recognising that
for Christians our identity in Christ is primary, and of greater
significance than gender, sexuality, age, nationality or any other
characteristic. So no change in doctrine is proposed but it is
often pastoral practice - how we treat people - which matters most.
This means - as the report suggests - establishing across the Church of
England a fresh tone and culture of welcome and support for lesbian and
gay people, for those who experience same sex attraction, and for their
families, and continuing to work toward mutual love and understanding on
these issues across the Church. And so we speak in the report
about re-examining the existing framework of our pastoral practice to
permit maximum freedom within it. We recognise two areas in
particular where advice in relation to the pastoral care and support of
lesbian and gay people needs fresh thought.
At present clergy are advised that they may offer "informal prayer" to
those registering civil partnerships or entering same sex marriage.
The parameters of such pastoral support are unclear. The House
proposes that there should be more guidance for clergy about appropriate
pastoral provision for same sex couples.
The House of Bishops also believes present arrangements for asking
ordinands and clergy about their relationships and lifestyle are not
working well. It's felt that there's too much concentration on
whether ordinands or clergy are in sexually active same sex
relationships rather than framing questions about sexual morality within
a much wider examination of the way in which all ordinands and clergy
order their lives. The Church of England has always been
suspicious of intrusive interrogation of its members, preferring to
trust clergy and lay people in their Christian discipleship.
However, 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 that the same
questions are addressed to all.
At the General Synod next month I will give an address exploring why we
believe some of our formulations on pastoral practice do not now seem
adequate. The Bishop of Willesden, as Vice Chair of the Bishops'
Reflection Group, will introduce some case studies which members of
Synod will examine in groups so that we consider the lived experience of
people within our Church. Later there will be a take note debate
on the report. We hope that in the groups and in the debate much
will be offered to the House of Bishops for its further work in this
area. I will now pass over to the Bishop of Willesden who will
speak about the process in the House of Bishops over the past few
months, and the Synodical process which lies before us.
A statement on process from the Bishop of
Willesden:
This report evolved though discussion, study and reflection at meetings
of both the House of Bishops (the Bishops who are members of General
Synod) and the College of Bishops (all the currently serving Bishops of
the Church of England). The Reflections Group took the raw material from
those discussions to produce the document that is going to Synod. Some
of the most useful and fruitful reflection came from our own group work
as we discussed real life case studies, and, as the Bishop of Norwich
has indicated, we shall be offering group work based on similar case
studies to members of General Synod in February. We anticipate that the
groups will enable further good listening and thoughtful reflection
across the Synod between people of a diversity of viewpoints.
The report will then be the subject of a "take note" debate. Such a
debate is a neutral motion. It allows Synod to discuss the content and
recommendations contained in the report, but a vote in favour of the
motion does not commit the Synod to the acceptance of any matter in the
report. The House of Bishops will listen carefully to the debate, and to
any subsequent matters raised by members in correspondence, to inform
their further work.
This may well include matters such as the teaching document and the
guidance to clergy on pastoral provision.
STATEMENT
FROM THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS 23 November 2016
The House of Bishops of the Church of
England met at Lambeth Palace on Wednesday 23 November. The formal
meeting was preceded by a Eucharist where the Bishops remembered St
Clement. Prayers were said for those across the globe who are persecuted
for their faith, victims of religious violence and those with
responsibility for Government.
The meeting received an update on the
work of the Bishops' Reflection Group on Sexuality by the Archbishops of
Canterbury and York in September 2016 to assist the process of
consideration. As with the meeting of the College of Bishops in
September, the considerations of the House of Bishops took place in
private, with reflections due to be shared with the wider College of
Bishops next month. It is envisaged the House will prepare material to
bring to the General Synod for initial consideration in February 2017.
https://churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2016/11/statement-from-the-house-of-bishops.aspx
COLLEGE OF BISHOPS REFLECTION GROUP 16
December 2016
Following the statement from the College
of Bishops issued on 15 September 2016, the Church of England has
published the terms of reference of the Bishops' Reflection Group on
Human Sexuality and the membership of the group.
Bishops' Reflection Group on Human
Sexuality Terms of Reference
To assist the Bishops of the Church of
England in their reflection on issues relating to human sexuality, in
the light of theological, biblical, ecumenical, Anglican Communion,
pastoral, missiological, historical and societal considerations bearing
on these issues, and following experiences of the shared conversations
held around the Church between 2014 and 2016. To assist the House of
Bishops in identifying questions in relation to human sexuality, with
particular reference to same sex relationships. It will also develop
possible answers to those questions for the House to consider, as a
contribution to the leadership which the House provides to the Church on
such issues. To provide material to assist the House of Bishops in its
reflections in November 2016, and subsequently as requested, and to
assist the House in its development of any statements on these matters
which it may provide to the wider Church. To consider any matter which
the Archbishops request that the group should have on its agenda.
Membership of Group: Rt Revd Graham
James, Bishop of Norwich (Chair) Rt Revd Pete Broadbent, Bishop of
Willesden (Vice-Chair) Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, Bishop of Oxford Rt Revd
Jonathan Goodall, Bishop of Ebbsfleet Rt Revd Julian Henderson, Bishop
of Blackburn Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Stockport Rt Revd Dame Sarah
Mullally, Bishop of Crediton Rt Revd Martin Seeley, Bishop of St
Edmundsbury & Ipswich Rt Revd Rod Thomas, Bishop of Maidstone Rt Revd Dr
Jo Bailey Wells, Bishop of Dorking
https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2016/09/bishops%E2%80%99-reflection-group-on-human-sexuality.aspx
STATEMENT
FROM THE COLLEGE OF BISHOPS ON THE RESULTS OF THE SHARED CONVERSATIONS
PROCESS
15 December 2016
Discussions on issues of sexuality took
place as part of a new process of episcopal discernment which will
continue during the meetings of the House of Bishops in November and
December of this year and in January next year at the next meeting of
the College of Bishops.
These discussions were undertaken
by the College of Bishops alone. Whilst the process of episcopal
discernment is in the public domain the Bishops agreed that the contents
of their discussion should not be shared in public during the process so
as to enable those discussions to be conducted freely and in a spirit of
full collegiality. Consequently the contents of the conversations will
remain private and participants have agreed not to comment on the
contents of the discussions beyond their own views.
Following the conclusion of the shared
conversations process the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have
invited some bishops to take forward work on sexuality to assist the
episcopal discernment process. The Bishops' Reflection Group on
Sexuality will be chaired by Graham James, the Bishop of Norwich. The
full membership of the group and its terms of reference will be
published in due course.
https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2016/09/statement-from-the-college-of-bishops.aspx
PUBLICATION BY THE CHURCH OF
ENGLAND OF THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE SHARED
CONVERSATIONS ON LGBT ISSUES
12 February 2015
The Official Website and Resources were published
on this date by the Church of
England for the Shared Conversations on Scripture, Mission and
Sexuality. The website has been launched at: www.sharedconversations.org.
There are two booklets. The first booklet outlines the thinking behind
the conversations, the process and their place in the life of the
church. The second booklet comprises four essays, with varying views,
which participants in the conversations are asked to read prior to
taking part in the conversations.
Given the previous attempts in the
Pilling Report to write trans people out of the picture it is very
important that trans people take part.
Click on the links below to download the
booklets:
Grace and Disagreement 1: Thinking through the process
Grace and Disagreement 2: A Reader – writings to
resource conversation
For the commentaries on the shared conversations provided by the
LGBTI Anglican Coalition.
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