Thinking Anglicans

Bishops’ votes on same-sex relationships

on Thursday, 23 July 2026 at 10.33 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, General Synod

The voting lists from this month’s meeting of General Synod are now available; see separate post. Readers may be particularly interested in how the bishops voted (or did not vote) on Helen King’s private member’s motion on same-sex relationships. The motion, as amended, was

That this Synod
a) affirm that all baptised, believing and faithful persons regardless of sexual orientation are full members of the Body of Christ;
b) delight in the lives and ministries of LGBTQIA+ people in the Church of England;
c) recognise a legitimate range of theological perspectives, held in good conscience, across the Church of England, on the right ordering of committed, faithful, intimate same-sex relationships, and;
d) recognise that this includes views that affirm and views that reject the position that there are no fundamental objections to being in such a relationship and that such a relationship can be entirely compatible with Christian discipleship and ministry.

It was lost as the bishops voted 14 to 11 against, with 4 abstentions. Here are the names from the published list.

Bishops For

• 002 Cottrell, Stephen [York]
• 011 Francis-Dehqani, Guli [Chelmsford]
• 018 Harrison, Mike [Exeter]
• 032 Frost, Jonathan [Portsmouth]
• 035 Grenfell, Joanne [St Edmundsbury and Ipswich]
• 039 Chessun, Christopher [Southwark]
• 043 Hudson-Wilkin, Rose [Dover]
• 046 Gorick, Martin [Dudley]
• 049 Gorham, Karen [Sherborne]
• 051 Conalty, Julie [Birkenhead]
• 052 Arora, Arun [Kirkstall]

Bishops Against

• 001 Mullally, Sarah [Canterbury]
• 004 Simpson, Rick [Durham]
• 005 Mounstephen, Philip [Winchester]
• 007 Volland, Michael [Birmingham]
• 008 North, Philip [Blackburn]
• 010 Saner-Haigh, Rob [Carlsisle]
• 017 Innes, Robert [Europe]
• 021 Jackson, Richard [Hereford]
• 031 Sellin, Debbie [Peterborough]
• 033 Gibbs, Jonathan [Rochester]
• 037 Wilcox, Pete [Sheffield]
• 040 Williams, Paul [Southwell & Nottingham]
• 050 Duff, Jill [Lancaster]
• 053 Race, Stephen [Beverley]

Bishops Abstaining

• 006 Beasley, Michael [Bath & Wells]
• 019 Treweek, Rachel [Gloucester]
• 024 Ipgrave, Michael [Lichfield]
• 048 Springett, Robert [Tewkesbury]

There are 53 members of the House of Bishops, although some places are vacant. Those who did not vote were:

• 003 vacant [London]
• 009 vacant [Bristol]
• 012 Tanner, Mark [Chester]
• 013 vacant [Chichester]
• 014 Jelley, Sophie [Coventry]
• 015 Lane, Libby [Derby] – on sick leave
• 016 Clark, Sarah [Ely]
• 020 vacant [Guildford]
• 022 vacant [Leeds]
• 023 Snow, Martin [Leicester]
• 025 Conway, Stephen [Lincoln] – suspended
• 026 vacant [Liverpool]
• 027 Walker, David [Manchester]
• 028 Hartley, Helen-Ann [Newcastle]
• 029 Usher, Graham [Norwich]
• 030 vacant [Oxford]
• 034 Rumsey, Andrew [St Albans]
• 036 Lake, Stephen [Salisbury] – stepped back
• 038 Hillas, Patricia [Sodor & Man]
• 041 Williams, David [Truro]
• 042 Nelson, Hugh [Worcester]
• 044 Nelson, Hugh [Forces]
• 045 Hollinghurst, Anne [formerly Aston, but so far as I know still an elected suffragan]
• 047 Baker, Jonathan [Fulham]

Diocesan bishops are numbers 1 to 42; Dover (ex officio) is 43, the Bishop to the Forces is 44, and the elected suffragans are 45 to 53. Note that suffragan bishops who attend Synod to represent their diocese during a vacancy in see are not eligible to vote, unless, like Sherborne, they happen to also be one of the elected suffragans.