Are the Church of England’s bishops working scared from the issues brought on by the prospect of homosexual wedding ceremony celebrations in parish church buildings throughout the nation?
That will look like the political actuality behind the Home of Bishops’ resolution at its assembly on January 20 to delay the introduction of stand-alone providers of same-sex blessing.
In accordance with the C of E media assertion: “The Home reviewed detailed updates from the Dwelling in Love and Religion (LLF) working teams introduced by Bishop Martyn Snow (Bishop of Leicester and the LLF lead bishop). After thought-about reflection on the complexity and depth of the proposed adjustments, it grew to become clear that Bishops with views throughout the vary of various views agreed that it was unlikely all parts of the proposals can be sufficiently developed in time for Synod to decide in July.
“They agreed to increase the timetable to make sure that all parts of the proposals are sufficiently developed for a choice to be taken on them as a complete. The intention remains to be to replace Basic Synod in February, and produce additional proposals to Basic Synod in July, however it’s doubtless these won’t be able to be formally put to a vote till a subsequent Synod. This may also give additional time for consultations with Diocesan Synods and different networks.”
What has modified since that gung-ho Basic Synod vote in February 2023 when 34 bishops voted for the introduction of providers of same-sex blessing, referred to as Prayers of Love and Religion (PLF), with solely 4 voting in opposition to and two abstaining?
For one factor, The Alliance, a coalition of conservative evangelicals, charismatic evangelicals, and Anglo-Catholics against the same-sex blessings, launched in July 2023. It’s the presence within the Alliance of leaders of the charismatic evangelical community related to Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London’s Knightsbridge that’s inflicting the bishops explicit concern.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had robust hyperlinks with this community having gone ahead for C of E ordination from HTB within the Eighties. Throughout his 11 years as Archbishop HTB gained vital affect within the establishment as a driver of church-growth tasks.
Former HTB vicar, Nicky Gumbel, is president of the Church Revitalisation Belief, which in keeping with its web site companions “with Church of England dioceses to plant vibrant and transformational church buildings in strategic areas throughout the nation”.
After Alliance leaders together with Gumbel and the brand new vicar of HTB, Archie Coates, wrote in December 2023 to the Home of Bishops objecting to the PLF as “a departure from the doctrine to which the Church of England has at all times held quick”, the Church Occasions reported:
“Their intervention represents a shift in HTB leaders’ method to long-running debates within the Church of England. For a few years, HTB has sought to keep away from public remark, looking for frequent floor, emphasising the significance of unity and evangelism, and steering away from divisive questions. This stance additionally mirrored consciousness of differing views amongst leaders and members. HTB’s 10,000-strong congregations embody individuals in homosexual relationships, it says.”
The paper famous the affect of the HTB Community within the C of E: “The fast growth of church-planting entailed partnerships with dioceses, and, after the launch of the Strategic Improvement Funding (SDF) programme, thousands and thousands of kilos had been allotted by the Church Commissioners to fund HTB vegetation, lots of that are led by clergy who’ve served curacies at HTB.”
The bishops may have ridden out objections to the PLF from conservative evangelicals as nothing greater than anticipated opposition from the standard suspects. However with the HTB Community now so publicly against devoted providers of same-sex blessing to have a good time civil homosexual marriages in church buildings – which supporters had been anticipating to be authorised after the July Basic Synod assembly – the bishops are anxious about the way forward for development tasks of their dioceses. Bishops in cash-strapped dioceses within the north of England are notably involved concerning the potential withholding of sources by the HTB Community.
The Alliance letter of December 2023, when the bishops allowed clergy to carry same-sex blessings as a part of current church providers, issued a robust warning: “Our networks more and more discover themselves in impaired relationships with the bishops who’re pursuing this departure from the acquired doctrine and observe of the Church of England.”
Aside from the minority of bishops who maintain to the standard educating of the Church on marriage and sexual morality, the episcopal chilly toes over the PLF have little to do with theological precept. Many of the bishops are in favour of the providers and of permitting clergy to enter into same-sex civil marriages.
It could seem that the delay within the implementation of what Basic Synod voted for almost two years in the past is brought on by a really fundamental human emotion – worry.
Julian Mann is a former Church of England vicar, now an evangelical journalist based mostly in Lancashire.
