Whither the Church of England – London diocese an exemplar?

Whither the Church of England – London diocese an exemplar?

David Goodhew’s blog Whither the Church of England? charted the Church of England’s declining trajectory in terms of numbers. Goodhew reported that most C of E dioceses have seen a deep decline in attendance in recent decades but only one diocese, London, has grown. He argues that the C of E learn from the Diocese of London, respecting rather than criticising the elements (largely the HTB model) that have created this success. Thanks to Changing Attitude England’s strong links with the Diocese of London, we are learning from a variety of sources that it is the diocese with the highest reported level of systemic homophobia, abuse and prejudice against LGBTIQ+ people. Is this the kind of model diocese those who wish to arrest the decline in numbers in the Church of England wish to replicate elsewhere?

Living in Love and Faith course material – key failings

Living in Love and Faith course material – key failings

Tim Guymer, a gay lay member of the Church of England has emailed the Bishop of Norwich having completed the Living in Love and Faith course identifying some of the key failings of the course. His email letter is a powerful testimony to the effect the LLF course material has on LGBTIQ+ people and allies who are increasingly alienated by the Church’s systemic prejudice towards us. Tim says the films made it abundantly clear that the Church believes that it is its institutional privilege to perpetuate spiritual abuse indefinitely, especially in and through those who attempt to serve the Kingdom of God through it. The violence done to people’s lives was evident, clear and vibrant, and in massive contrast to the weak and feeble teaching offered from the chair of authority. If the Church cannot change this it will die.

Finding the voice of LGBTIQ+ people and allies in the LLF conversations

Finding the voice of LGBTIQ+ people and allies in the LLF conversations

People are reporting on Facebook groups that their parish has already held a meeting or series of meetings to engage with the Living in Love and Faith course material. Many more report that parishes will be holding meetings to work through the course in the Autumn. It will be all too easy for us to engage with the material without raising a basic question. The LLF process and the material which has been published assume an equal validity between those who argue for a transformation of teaching and practice leading to full equality for LGBTIQ+ people and those who argue from the Bible and the clobber texts against equal marriage and sexual intimacy for clergy. I propose that we find the courage to challenge the material at a basic level.

Radical Christian Inclusion – a definition

Radical Christian Inclusion – a definition

The steering group for Changing Attitude England has written a definition of what we understand to be the essence of Radical Christian Inclusion. We offer this definition to the Church of England as a basis for discussion within the Living in Love and Faith process.

The LLF definition of radical new Christian inclusion is not radical, nor new, nor Christian, nor inclusive

The LLF definition of radical new Christian inclusion is not radical, nor new, nor Christian, nor inclusive

Dr Eeva John talked about the radical new Christian inclusion described by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in their letter published in February 2017 in a presentation ‘handing over’ the work of the Next Steps Group to the new Synod that will meet for the first time in November 2021. The inclusion offered is not radical nor new nor Christian nor inclusive.

‘We’ve made our decision’: the Church of England and trans people

‘We’ve made our decision’: the Church of England and trans people

In a letter to the Bishop of London sent to all members of the Next Steps group, Tina Beardsley outlines her understanding of the Church of England’s current position on gender variant people, developed over the last two decades. Changing Attitude England invites the LLF’s Next Steps Group to confirm that these are the Church of England’s current policies and practices and, if so, to publicly affirm them. We also ask the Group what the missing elements might be that would necessitate such a working group, given the Church of England’s generally affirming line on trans people, and that LLF has already published on gender identity and transition.

What the campaign for radical new LGBTIQ+ Christian inclusion requires of us and the Church

What the campaign for radical new LGBTIQ+ Christian inclusion requires of us and the Church

How do you present a really radical argument about the revolutionary change in today’s society for LGBTIQ+ people to a Church that refuses to take on board the implications of the revolution? I have used extensive quotations from chapter four, Resurrection and Goodness, of Harry Williams’1972 book, True Resurrection, to describe what I think are the implications of Changing Attitude England’s campaign to give content to the radical new LGBTIQ+ (because that’s what it primarily has to be about) Christian inclusion advocated by the Archbishops.

Some Day I’ll Find You

Some Day I’ll Find You

I’ve been reading a review of Some Day I’ll Find You and the opening chapters of True Resurrection, books written by Harry Williams, priest (1919-2006), a member of the radical 1960s school of Cambridge theologians and later a member of the Anglican Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield. Fr Harry has restored me to a sane, emotionally more stable place after a week in which events in the Church of England and my personal life severely disturbed my emotional equilibrium. Harry has restored my confidence in my own spiritual and wisdom core when the Church seems to be heading more and more deeply into a realm of dangerous, abusive and very un-Christian LaLaLand

In 2017 fourteen retired bishops voiced concern over the same sex relationships report

In 2017 fourteen retired bishops voiced concern over the same sex relationships report

In advance of the Synod debate in February 2017 fourteen retired bishops took the unprecedented step of intervening in the Church of England’s controversial debate over Same Sex Marriage. They said that the 2017 report would only have integrity if it honoured “the assurance that the voices of those who participated would not be drowned out by the ‘majority view’ or ‘established position’”. Do I think that at the end of the Living Love and Faith process, LGBTIQ+ voices will have been authentically heard and not drowned out by ‘the majority view’ or ‘established position’? No.

Campaigning for radical LGBTIQ+ inclusion

Campaigning for radical LGBTIQ+ inclusion

Why do we, LGBTIQ+ people become so quickly disputatious and defensive among ourselves? Because we have been living in an incredibly unhealthy, abusive, toxic environment in Church and Society for centuries for starters. We don’t seem to recognise that this unhealthy, toxic, abusive environment continues to dominate nationally, however much our local church seems to be welcoming and valued. There is a reluctance to organise ourselves to campaign actively for an ambition far greater than the Archbishops’ understanding of what radical inclusion means - a really radically inclusive outcome for LGBTIQ+ people.