Anglican Communion

Disturbing the Foundations: LLF, the Sexual Revolution and General Synod

Disturbing the Foundations: LLF, the Sexual Revolution and General Synod

What has become increasingly apparent in the two and a half decades since Lambeth 1998 in the Church of England and other parts of the Anglican Communion is that they have become unhealthy ecclesial bodies. They are unhealthy because their teaching and practice results in prejudice against and the abuse of women and LGBTQIA+ people. The support given to anti-gay bills by some Anglican churches and the homophobia and prejudice manifest in other Provinces demonstrates how dominant, abusive, prejudiced and unhealthy many parts of the Anglican Communion are. Only when Anglican churches recognise this will they move a step closer to manifesting Jesus’ understanding of the kingdom.

Has Lambeth 2022 blown fear of change out of the water?

Has Lambeth 2022 blown fear of change out of the water?

Has this Lambeth Conference successfully achieved a breakthrough leading to a successful outcome for the Living in Love and Faith project and a transformation of the status of LGBTQIA+ people leading to our radical new Christian inclusion? The failure of all but two Church of England bishops to sign the letter supporting LGBTQIA+ people is deeply distressing for us and our allies. Many are understandably very angry and feel betrayed.

Can Christianity overcome dualism?

Can Christianity overcome dualism?

As empires diminish in our era, aggressive sectarian impulses are seemingly in the ascendant. It is our impulse to sort people into those like-me and those not-like-me. I perceive the impulse to sort traditional, orthodox, Bible-believing Christians from progressive, inclusive Christians to be an example of this. Twenty-five years on from the Kuala Lumpur Global South conference the conflict over gay sexuality and intimacy has never gone away. It has broken out again at Lambeth 2022 and is dominating the agenda. The organisers have not been able to control it.

False ideas in the church

False ideas in the church

The Church of England as an institution still looks okay on the surface. Congregations may age and decline and parishes are amalgamated as clergy numbers reduce (while the bishops add to their number) but worship and parish life and the central structures continue to function. But look inside and underneath and pay close attention to events at local, national and international levels and things are not looking good. At local, national and international levels the church is lacking - the church lacks leaders with courage, prophetic vision and wisdom. The church lacks the integrity and insight to tell the story of creation and evolution and human potential revealed in the Bible and Jesus (if you know where to look). 

Come together – no escape for the Anglican fundamentalists

Come together – no escape for the Anglican fundamentalists

The ‘war’ that is being fought in the Anglican Communion over human sexuality, Biblical teaching, fundamentalism and the place of LGBTI people in God’s economy is having the opposite effect to that intended by Anglican Mainstream, GAFCON and the other conservative fundamentalist pressure groups. It is having the unintended effect of making people far more interested in one another and is spreading awareness of the presence of homosexuality in the human community. The continuing development of global communications and of a common understanding of the basics of what it is to be human and living in a global community will overcome the present divisions in Christianity around homosexuality. Meanwhile, we have plenty of challenging work to do to speed the coming of that day.

The Primates' meeting - a busted flush?

The Primates' meeting - a busted flush?

Whatever disruption in the structure of the Communion occurs next week, there will be LGBTI people praying and longing, and in some cases working quietly and effectively, for our full, public, joyful inclusion in the life of the Church. The evolutionary trajectory of God in history makes this outcome inevitable. The Gafcon Primates are trying to reverse a movement which is irreversible. 

Peaceful co-existence in the Anglican Communion is a state most deeply to be desired

Peaceful co-existence in the Anglican Communion is a state most deeply to be desired

In a week’s time the Primates of the Anglican Communion will gather in Canterbury for an emergency meeting designed to resolve the ruptured relationships in the Communion. Jonathan Petre has filed a very predictable report for the MailOnline. According to Jonathan’s report, the Archbishop of Canterbury wants to broker a deal to allow both sides to co-exist peacefully. I hope and pray with all my heart that he achieves his goal. To co-exist peacefully with my brothers and sisters across the globe, whatever their gender, sexuality, faith or spirituality is most profoundly and prayerfully to be desired.