In two lengthy papers, Peter Collier KC, retired Senior Circuit Judge and former Vicar-General of the Province of York and Fr Charlie Baczyk-Bell outline where the House of Bishops have arrived, both concluding that clergy are free to use the PLF resources in church in services with same-sex couples.
In Where Does the House of Bishops Currently Stand on the Use of Prayers of Love and Faith? Some Reflections for ViaMedia News. Peter Collier says:
“It is clearly in order for any cleric who wishes to do so, to use the commended PLF resources in any regularly scheduled service.”
”It would be open to any priest relying on Canon B 5.2 to use a form of service considered suitable by them to provide a service of thanksgiving and prayer for a couple who approached them.”
”Clergy can continue to exercise their pastoral responsibilities under the B canons – and that to do so is not only acceptable, but right.”
“It seems to me that the threat of litigation is vastly overstated in the papers that have been produced so far.”
In B2 or not B2: that isn’t the question Or: navigating the waves in the wake of the sinking of LLF, Charlie Baczyk-Bell concludes:
“Clergy need to take back the initiative, and act under the provisions of Canon B5.”
“Clergy can continue to exercise their pastoral responsibilities under the B canons – and to do so is not only acceptable, but right.”
Both authors agree that clergy are perfectly within their rights to continue blessing the relationships of lesbian and gay couples in church in stand-alone services or in the context of other services. There is pretty much zero chance of legal action being possible against such priests. So we can carry on doing what many priests have been doing for decades. We have the assurance as a result of thoughtful analysis of what the House of Bishops and the FAOC have done that no action can be taken against us.
This is a significant advance towards the radically new full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people first promised in 2017. That’s the positive news. The bad news is that there is no progress at all towards achieving equality in ministry and relationships for lesbian and gay clergy in general, let alone for those in committed relationships who wish to marry. Nor is there progress towards equalising the Marriage Canons to allow equal marriages to be solemnised in the Church of England. I know other denominations are available but as an Anglican, it is vital for me that anyone who wishes to marry in their parish church, straight, gay or lesbian, can legally do so.
What God do we believe in?
I return to the thoughts and questions that haunt me. What kind of God do we members of the Church of England corporately believe in? Do we really believe (as some clearly do) in a God who is tribal, prejudiced, judgmental of our gender or sexuality, authoritarian?
After the decades of reports and process and the years of Living in Love and Faith, the Church of England, controlled by the House of Bishops, still believes in a God who is unable to recognise and celebrate and pour out blessings on the love lesbian and gay individuals and couples can experience every day of our lives.
I wonder what kind of world, of planet, of universe, of cosmos, and of human civilisation does the Church of England believe in – are we yet aware of the seamless love of God the Father incarnated in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ – who lived and died and rose again for the life of One World, One Humanity, living on a fragile planet, anxious and insecure, mutually responsible and interdependent?
An era is coming to an end and a new era is slowly beginning to evolve. The era coming to an end is the era of prejudice and discrimination sanctioned by societies and cultures, legal and religious systems, against the minority of people who are now corporately gathered under the LGBTQIA+ acronym, and in particular, against those men and women who feel deep love and tenderness and desire for people of the same gender.
Another era is coming to an end, the era in which sacred texts have been used to justify discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people, against women, against people of different colours and cultures and religions. The addiction of some Christians to the God of dogma and doctrine and dividing lines is the reason why the Church of England is having such great difficulty moving at the same pace as the rest of English society out of the sexuality and gender era.
LGBTQIA+ people have been granted legal rights (not yet sufficiently established for Trans people) and with the legal protections comes justification for challenging discrimination and prejudice in other areas of society such as the Church of England. Humans have prejudices and discriminate selectively. God doesn’t. Gay and lesbian people have been arguing and campaigning for the freedom to live with the same protections, rights and values as heterosexuals for the whole of my life on earth. Many of us on this fragile planet live in the here and now, embodying the rights that have been hard won by prophetic campaigners.
The Church Revitalisation Trust is bankrolling HTB-identified conservative anti-LGBTQIA+ equality church takeovers and plants. I’ve written about specific examples in recent blogs. The HTB/CRT leadership knows their homophobic teaching is unpopular with their target audience. They maintain radio silence, refusing to speak their truth openly.
How do we, advocates for Christian justice and equality, motivate the majority of members of the Church of England who have already stepped into the new era of sexual and gender equality? How do we make their and our voices heard? The majority of bishops know the game is up. They know the inevitable outcome of the process started in the 1950s when members of the Church of England first started taking tentatively about homosexuality will result in equal marriage in church for gay and lesbian couples. What they don’t yet know is how to justify this change spiritually and theologically and they can’t yet find the courage to commit themselves to equality and justice for all in the kingdom of God where life in all its fullness will flourish.
It’s time to go to work
I’m reposting the conclusion printed at the end of my last blog - It’s time to organise ourselves, challenging status quo narrative, forming communities of resistance, offering counter-cultural models in the Church, develop our moral courage, standing up visibly and audibly, being active agents in pursuing the full equality of LGBTQIA+ people in the Kingdom of God.
You are part of the solution
You, reading this blog, have a voice and a conviction. You can do things to create the change we envision. Engage with your local clergy, congregation, friends, PCC, Churchwardens and allies. Ask them to join you in committing your local church to as fully inclusive agenda as is possible, including the public blessing of same-sex relationships, CPs and marriages.
Encourage the other progressive organisations, Together, Inclusive Church, Equal, Open Table, Network to find the courage to work for transformation by challenging the failure of the House of Bishops to commit to a radical new Christian inclusion for LGBTQIA+ people. Affirm lesbian and gay clergy in their relationships, in a civil partnership, and those dreaming of marriage.
Take courage yourselves from the courage shown by the Deans of Canterbury, Southwark and Salisbury in writing and preaching about the transformative vision we share and the isolation and abuse we endure.
Please repost this blog; copy and paste the text if you wish.
You are part of the greatest resource in the Church of England – people with vision and a passion for the Gospel proclaiming the inclusive good news of life in all its fulness.
To transform our vision into reality I’m going to need help and we are all going to need help. Join the Changing Attitude Facebook Group and engage with each other there. Contact me directly if you want to volunteer to help: ccmcoward@aol.com
