In November 2020 a pro-LGBTIQ+ group wrote to thirty two bishops known to be supportive of LGBTIQ+ people. Eleven replied: their responses were analysed in a previous blog. Only one said they were willing to publicly commit their support for a new, radical inclusion of LGBTIQ+ members of the Church of England based on a twenty-first century understanding. We were disappointed with this response in view of the seriousness of the LLF process for our future in the Church of England. We continue to be seriously concerned about the participation of LGBTIQ+ people in the LLF project.
We have written a second letter, this time to thirty five bishops, reminding them of the questions we asked in the first letter:-
Will you provide absolute assurance of proper safeguarding for LGBTIQ+ people who may wish to participate?
Will you state publicly your support for a new, radical inclusion of LGBTIQ+ members of the Church of England based on a twenty-first century understanding?
How can the LLF process be re-imagined in conjunction with LGBTQI+ networks to pave the way to a resolution that is constructive for us to be brought to Synod in 2022?
As a matter of urgency will you express public support for the full equality of LGBTIQ+ people in ministry and relationship in the Church of England?
We believe the LLF is primarily yet another attempt to resolve the conundrum the Church of England has been trying to find a way out of for two decades or more. The conundrum is well set out in the seven approaches to listening to the Bible outlined in chapter thirteen and the four edited conversations recorded in part five of the LLF book.
The majority of LGBTIQ+ members of the Church of England no longer live in or wish to live in this conflicted, unhealthy dynamic. We are no longer willing to apologise for or justify our lives to others. We live within the same parameters of love, sexual intimacy, commitment, and fidelity as the heterosexual majority, including couples in civil partnerships who ignore the bishops’ prohibition on sexual activity.
We have asked the bishops a second time - are you prepared to ensure that when the LLF process returns to Synod in 2022 you will take responsibility for tabling proposals that enact the Archbishops’ commitment to radical inclusion, meaning equality in ministry and relationships with heterosexual and cisgender people?
To the following Bishops:-
+Aston, +Liverpool, +Barking, +Loughborough, +Bradwell, +Manchester, +Bristol, +Newcastle, +Buckingham, +Norwich, +Chichester, +Oxford, +Crediton, +Portsmouth, +Croydon, +Reading, +Dover, +Ripon, +Ely, +Salisbury, +Exeter, +St Albans, +Gloucester, +St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, +Grantham, +Sherborne, +Hull, +Southwark, +Huntingdon, +Thetford, +Leeds, +Worcester, +Bradford area, Leeds, ++York, +Lichfield
CC: ++Canterbury, +London
Changing Attitude England
29 January 2021
We wrote to you in November as bishops known to be supportive of LGBTIQ+ members of the Church of England.
We asked you, either as individuals or jointly, to speak publicly about your personal support for the Living in Love and Faith process and your hope that it will lead the Church of England to grant LGBTIQ+ people an equal space in the Church. We asked you more specific questions:-
Will you provide absolute assurance of proper safeguarding for LGBTIQ+ people who may wish to participate
Will you state publicly your support for a new, radical inclusion of LGBTIQ+ members of the Church of England based on a twenty-first century understanding?
How can the LLF process be re-imagined in conjunction with LGBTQI+ networks to pave the way to a resolution that is constructive for us to be brought to Synod in 2022?
As a matter of urgency will you express public support for the full equality of LGBTIQ+ people in ministry and relationship in the Church of England?
Of the thirty-two bishops we wrote to, ten replied. Two of you responded at length. One of you responded directly and positively to some of the questions we posed. Three of you responded positively but didn’t address our questions. Three of you sent replies repeating theoretical statements about the Living in Love and Faith process that didn’t address our questions. One of you sent the pro-forma response being sent to enquirers from within the diocese. Twenty-two of you didn’t reply at all. Only one of you has indicated a willingness to publicly commit their support for a new, radical inclusion of LGBTIQ+ members of the Church of England based on a twenty-first century understanding.
We are very disappointed with this response to our letter in view of the seriousness of the context created by the LLF process.
In a post on the Diocesan web site the Archbishop of York recognises “that the conversations we will need to have may be difficult”, made more so by the "specific and harmful targeting of some of the individuals who have courageously shared their stories as part of LLF", a reference to the videos posted by the Church of England Evangelical Council and Christian Concern. We continue to be seriously concerned about the participation of LGBTIQ+ people in the LLF project. You are not yet fully aware of the institutionalised homophobic and transphobic attitudes and teaching within the Church. The evidence we are receiving from dioceses shows that bishops and those organising the LLF process still do not understand the necessity of implementing systems to ensure LGBTIQ+ participants are protected.
The Living in Love and Faith process is designed, from our perspective, either to rationalise prejudice against LGBTIQ+ people or to help those in the Church of England to understand and overcome their prejudices. Why would we want become involved in this process and risk the abuse that is impossible for you to contain?
LLF is yet another attempt to resolve the need of the institutional Church to find a way of out of a conundrum, a conundrum set out well in the seven approaches to listening to the Bible outlined in chapter thirteen and the four edited conversations recorded in part five of the LLF book. The majority of LGBTIQ+ members of the Church of England no longer live in or wish to live in this conflicted, unhealthy dynamic. We are not apologising for or justifying our lives. We are living within the same parameters of love, sexual intimacy, commitment, and fidelity as the heterosexual majority. This includes couples in civil partnerships who ignore the bishops’ prohibition on sexual activity.
At the moment the commitment to a new radical inclusion for LGBTIQ+ people is dependent on the outcome of the conversations and consultations that will happen in every diocese over the next eighteen months.
We ask again - are you prepared to ensure that when the LLF process returns to Synod in 2022 you will take responsibility for tabling proposals that will enact the Archbishops’ commitment to radical inclusion? Radical inclusion means for us equality in ministry and relationships with heterosexual and cisgender people.
Yours sincerely,
Signed by Jeremy Timm, former chair Changing Attitude England on behalf of:
The Revd Dr Tina Beardsley, Former member LLF Co-ordinating Group Member
The Revd Colin Coward, MBE, Founder and first Director Changing Attitude England
Rev. Canon Jane Richards, Vicar - St Andrew’s with Holy Cross, Basildon; Area Dean - Basildon Deanery
The Revd John Seymour, Parish Priest (interim) St Lawrence, Eastcote
The Revd Robert Thompson, Vicar of St James West Hampstead and St Mary w All Souls KilburPenelope Cowell Doe, Diocese of Exeter
Revd Dean Akrill, Associate Vicar, Parish of Sprowston, Norwich
The Rev Tristan Alexander-Watts, Pastoral, Spiritual, and Religious Care Services Lead, Rochester
Anthony Archer, General Synod and Crown Nominations Commission
Richard Ashby, former chair of Chichester cathedral community committee and member of the Cathedral Council
Rev’d David Austin, Vicar, Manchester
Sally Barnes, Diocese of London
Rev’d Marjorie Brown
Mrs Nicola Burr, Authorised Worship Assistant, St Luke's with St Augustine's, New Catton, Norwich
Revd Dr Charles Clapham, Vicar, St Peter's Church Hammersmith
Rev’d Canon Cheryl Collins, Rector, Sudbury St. Gregory with St Peter and Chilton
Revd Stephanie Couvela, Anglican Chaplain Keele University
Rev’d Canon Andrew Dotchin, General Synod - Eds & Ips, Rural Dean of the Colneys and Vicar of the Parish of Felixstowe
Rev’d Andrew Downes, Vicar, St Mary’s, Sunbury-on-Thames
Sonia Falaschi-Ray, PTO, Dioceses of St Albans and Ely
Jackie Friend, Lay member, St Margaret’s and All Hallows’, Leeds
Dr Angus Goudie, Lay member, General Synod, Durham
Rev’d Simon Grigg, Rector St Paul’s Covent Garden, London
Graham Holmes, Former Lay Pastoral Minister, Diocese of Leeds
Rev’d Pat Holmes, retired stipendiary priest
Rev’d Ravi Holy, Rector of the United Wye Benefice, Area Dean of West Bridge Deanery, Canterbury
The Revd Mark Kenny, Assistant Priest, St Gabriel’s Aldersbrook, Chelmsford
Mrs Vicky Leggat-Green, Anglican communicant, Bristol
Mrs Jeni Leggat-Green, Anglican communicant, Bristol
Rev Canon Clare Maclaren, Canon for Music and Liturgy, Newcastle Cathedral
Godwyns Onwukechwa, Former Trustee, Changing Attitude England, Southwark
The Revd David Page, Former Chair of Trustees, Changing Attitude England, Chicheste
Rev’d Jeremy Pemberton, Former Trustee of Changing Attitude England
Geoffrey Riba-Thompson, Vicar St Stephen Norbury and Thornton Heath, Southwark
Katharine Salmon MA LLM St Chad’s Far Headingley Leeds
Phil Searle PTO Lichfield, former Changing Attitude Diocesan Rep.
Revd Michael Selby, Incumbent of St Paul’s Ruislip Manor, London
Rev’d Deborah Snowball, Vicar of Rickmansworth
Fr Brett Ward, Parish Priest, Holy Trinity Eltham, Southwark
Ian Whitley, Pioneer Assistant Curate, All Saints Church, Banstead