The Church of England’s General Synod has this week endorsed the decision by the province’s College of Bishops not to change the doctrine of marriage. The Synod spent two days discussing a lengthy series of amendments to a motion put forward by the bishops as their response to Living in Love and Faith – a six year programme of study, exploration and consultation on questions of identity and sexuality.
In their proposals, published last month, the bishops said that they were not changing the Church’s doctrine of marriage. At the same time they published a set of draft Prayersand said that they would consider commending these for use by individual clergy, if they chose to do so, to bless people in committed relationships.
During the Synod debate, only one of the tabled amendments to the bishops’ proposal was passed: that the synod endorsed “the decision of the College and House of Bishops not to propose any change to the doctrine of marriage, and their intention that the final version of the Prayers of Love and Faith should not be contrary to or indicative of a departure from the doctrine of the Church of England”.
Two Synod members tabled amendments urging the Synod to move towards acceptance of same-sex marriage. One, from Jayne Ozanne, a lay member of the Synod from the Diocese of Oxford, asked the House of Bishops “to end discrimination on the grounds of sexuality by bringing forward proposals to the [next meeting of the Synod in July 2023] that will provide for equal marriage in church.”
Another, from Vicky Brett, a lay member of the Synod from Peterborough Diocese, asked for “an opportunity to test the mind of Synod on the principle of equal marriage within the next two years.”
Both of these amendments were voted down in all three Houses of the Synod – bishops, clergy and laity.
The final motion, narrowly approved by the Synod, began by “recognising the commitment to learning and deep listening to God and to each other of the Living in Love and Faith process, and desiring with God’s help to journey together while acknowledging the different deeply held convictions within the Church.”
It contained a clause lamenting and repenting of the failure of the Church to be welcoming to LGBTQI+ people and the harm that LGBTQI+ people have experienced and continue to experience in the life of the Church. Another clause committed the Synod to its shared witness to God’s love for and acceptance of every person by continuing to embed the Pastoral Principles in our life together locally and nationally.
The Synod motion also commended “the continued learning together enabled by the Living in Love and Faith process and resources in relation to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage” and welcomed the decision to replace the current House of Bishops’ guidance document, “Issues in Human Sexuality” with new, as yet unpublished, pastoral guidance. Issues in Human Sexuality has been widely criticised for the words used.
The motion also welcomed the College of Bishops’ response to Living in Love and Faith and said that the Synod “looks forward to the House of Bishops further refining, commending and issuing the Prayers of Love and Faith”; and it asked the House of Bishops to “monitor the Church’s use of and response to the Prayers of Love and Faith, once they have been commended and published, and to report back to Synod in five years’ time.”
In the Church of England, the College of Bishops is all diocesan and suffragan (assistant) bishops in post; and the House of Bishops is all diocesan bishops and a small number of suffragan bishops elected to the General Synod.
The Primate of Alexandria and Bishop of Egypt, Archbishop Samy Fawzy, attended the Synod as one of a number of Anglican Communion representatives. Addressing the members during the debate on the main motion, Archbishop Samy referred to resolution I.10 of the 1998 Lambeth conference as the teaching on marriage and sexuality of the Anglican Communion.
“One of the clauses states, ‘this conference cannot advise, legitimising or blessing of same sex unions, nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions’”, he said. “This is how we understand the scriptures tradition and reason of the Anglican Church.”
He added: “In our understanding of marriage and sexuality, there is a red line, we will never cross. Crossing this line of blessing same sex unions will alienate 75 per cent of the Anglican Communion and endanger the ecumenical and interfaith dialogue.
“This shift in practice will lead eventually to impaired and broken communion. We inherited the traditional orthodox faith of the Church of England. So please, please do not surrender your unique position as the mother church of the Anglican Communion. It is your choice.”
The Coptic Archbishop of London, Archbishop Angaelos, is an ecumenical observer on the Church of England’s General Synod. He also spoke in the debate. He said: “decisions here will impact the life of the Church outside this chamber. It will have implications.
“I am very aware of the difference between a blessing and Holy Matrimony – it is used here in the chamber and in the Church of England – but that distinction will not be readily understood by many around the world. The distinction will sound like a mere technicality.”
In his speech to the Synod, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “We are not divided but we disagree, and that is very painful.”
Using words similar to his message to bishops from around the world gathered in Canterbury last year for the Lambeth Conference, he said: “For some, to question the inherited teaching damages witness and is sinful: you point out that in many provinces across the Anglican Communion any change might make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack for being part of what is called the ‘gay church’. For we are often seen as the Mother Church.
“For others, you have not arrived easily at the conclusion that we need to change. You are not careless about scripture. You do not reject Christ and His authority. But to question this change makes the church here and abroad a victim of derision, contempt, and even attack for being part of the perceived ‘homophobic church’”.
He continued: “Listening and loving is about what has been brought forward by the House of Bishops. It has been consulted extensively with the primates and many others in the Anglican Communion. What we are seeking is what we understand from the Spirit is right, not what is convenient or easy. There are no convenient or easy ways forward.
“What we have in this conversation and the decision we make today, is at its heart the chance publicly to witness to Christ in the most difficult, distinctive and radical way – to disagree passionately and yet to be clear that we uphold our need for one another, and for the world, to come to the knowledge of being loved by God in Christ.”
The Synod voted for the final motion as follows:
House of Bishops:
For: 36; Against: 4; Abstain: 2
House of Clergy:
For: 111; Against: 85; Abstain: 3
House of Laity:
For: 103; Against: 92; Abstain: 5
That this Synod, recognising the commitment to learning and deep listening to God and to each other of the Living in Love and Faith process, and desiring with God’s help to journey together while acknowledging the different deeply held convictions within the Church:
- lament and repent of the failure of the Church to be welcoming to LGBTQI+ people and the harm that LGBTQI+ people have experienced and continue to experience in the life of the Church;
- recommit to our shared witness to God’s love for and acceptance of every person by continuing to embed the Pastoral Principles in our life together locally and nationally;
- commend the continued learning together enabled by the Living in Love and Faith process and resources in relation to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage;
- welcome the decision of the House of Bishops to replace Issues in Human Sexuality with new pastoral guidance;
- welcome the response from the College of Bishops and look forward to the House of Bishops further refining, commending and issuing the Prayers of Love and Faith described in GS 2289 and its Annexes;
- invite the House of Bishops to monitor the Church’s use of and response to the Prayers of Love and Faith, once they have been commended and published, and to report back to Synod in five years’ time;
- endorse the decision of the College and House of Bishops not to propose any change to the doctrine of marriage, and their intention that the final version of the Prayers of Love and Faith should not be contrary to or indicative of a departure from the doctrine of the Church of England.
The report from the College of Bishops with their Living in Love and Faith recommendations can be read here.