Updated Monday afternoon
ENS reports that Deputies support fully inclusive ordination process, ongoing commitment to communion.
The House of Deputies by more than a 2-1 margin adopted a resolution July 12 that declares the ordination process of the Episcopal Church open to all individuals while expressing its ongoing commitment to the Anglican Communion.
The vote was 77-31 in the lay order and 74-25 in the clergy order. It now goes to the House of Bishops, where it must be passed to be enacted.
Resolution D025 was created as a response to resolution B033, which was adopted in the waning hours of the 2006 General Convention and urged restraint concerning the election of bishops whose “manner of life” would cause offense to the wider Anglican Communion. That was widely believed specifically to refer to gays and lesbians in committed same-sex relationships.
Ruth Gledhill has a comprehensive report on what the Archbishop of Canterbury said during the first item of business on Monday.
Archbishop of Canterbury ‘regrets’ TEC move to gay ordination.
Responding to a question by Chris Sugden of Anglican Mainstream, Dr Williams said: ‘As for General Convention it remains to be seen I think whether the vote of the House of Deputies will be endorsed by the House of Bishops. If the House of Bishops chooses to block then the moratorium remains. I regret the fact that there is not the will to observe the moratorium in such a significant part of the Church in North America but I can’t say more about that as I have no details.’ Dr Williams also responded to concerns about the funding for the ‘listening process’ saying that he had been personally involved in securing that funding and had been completely unaware of any ‘agenda’ attached to the funding.
The Church Times blog has a good report on the story from General Convention, see House of Deputies affirms ministry of gay and lesbian persons.
Updates Monday afternoon
The Times Ruth Gledhill Schism closer as US Anglicans vote to overturn ban on gay ordinations
Guardian Riazat Butt Archbishop of Canterbury ‘regrets’ move to ordain gay bishops
Press Association Martha Linden Archbishop’s ‘regret’ over US decision over gay bishops
22 CommentsMrs Joanna Monckton (Lichfield) asked the Chairman of the Council for Christian Unity:
Q. Has the Council considered the implications from the point of view of the Porvoo Agreement of the announcement by the Church of Sweden that it is going to change its marriage service to take a gender neutral form so that the same form of service can be offered to same-sex couples as to heterosexual couples?
The Bishop of Guildford, Christopher Hill, replied:
A. The Church of Sweden has not yet taken a decision in response to recent state legislation providing for gender neutral marriage. The Synod meets in September and again in October and there is a proposal before it that the marriage liturgy should not be gender-specific. In the light of a letter from the Archbishop of Uppsala advising the Porvoo churches of likely developments in the legislature and the Swedish Synod, the Faith and Order Advisory Group considered the issues raised by this proposal at its last meeting and the Chairs of the CCU and FOAG have published an open letter to the Archbishop reflecting FOAG’s concerns about the implications of any revision of its marriage liturgy by the Church of Sweden. This letter is now on the Church of England website and I have arranged for a copy to be placed on the notice board.
PDF version of the letter mentioned above
Mrs Joanna Monckton (Lichfield) asked the Chairman of the Council of Christian Unity:
Q. In the light of the considerable difficulties experienced in the Anglican Communion following the consecration of a practicing homosexual as a bishop, has the Council considered the implications of the recent decision by the Church of Sweden to appoint a practising lesbian as a bishop?
The Bishop of Guildford replied:
A. The Council for Christian Unity has not had the opportunity to reflect on this recent development. When it does so it will need to consider the similarities and differences between the Anglican Communion and the communion of Porvoo Churches. However, in both contexts, the interchangeability of ordained ministries is subject to the discipline of the churches involved, which in the case of the Church of England is the discipline set out in the Revd Tony Higton’s 1988 General Synod motion and in the 1991 report Issues in Human Sexuality. The CCU has proposed that there should be a consultation next year in which the Porvoo churches share the work they have done in human sexuality and the doctrine of marriage, in order to see where there is common ground and where there are genuine differences between them.
10 CommentsThe Times Ruth Gledhill
Church of England Synod rejects bishops’ call to cut its councils
Archbishops snubbed over power-grab plans
Church of England faces calls for cuts in the number of bishops
Guardian Riazat Butt More bishops needed, says General Synod
Telegraph Martin Beckford Church of England needs more bishops, not fewer, General Synod hears
Independent Lewis Smith Grassroot unrest prompts review of bishops’ role
BBC Church considers bishop cuts
Daily Mail Steve Doughty Church of England dismisses grass root clergy’s call to axe bishops amid cash crisis
0 CommentsJonathan Petre at the Daily Mail has a report: ‘Britain has become a cold place for Christians’ – Bishop warns.
8 CommentsA leading Church of England Bishop has warned that Britain has become a ‘cold place’ for Christians because of a raft of controversial equality laws.
The Bishop of Winchester, Michael Scott-Joynt, criticised the new Equality Bill, due to be law next year, which will force religious organisations that regard same-sex relationships as sinful to employ gay workers.
In a foreword to a report by the pressure group Christian Action Research and Education, the Bishop wrote: ‘The sad fact is that Britain – which owes so much to its Christian heritage – is increasingly becoming a “cold” place which, as any reflection on the fruit of Christian good works will demonstrate, is not in the general interest of society.’
He said there appeared to be a ‘concerted’ attack on the rights of Christians and when there were clashes, gay rights triumphed.
Official report of the day is at General Synod – Summary of business conducted on Sunday 12th July 2009.
0 CommentsDave Walker has the report: Anglican Mainstream attacks Greenbelt and CMS.
As Anglican Mainstream mentions the Moral Maze radio programme, readers may wish to listen to the most recent edition. Here is the synopsis:
Michael Buerk chairs a debate on the moral questions behind the week’s news. Claire Fox, Michael Portillo, Clifford Longley and Kenan Malik cross-examine witnesses.
While Conservative and Labour politicians are trading insults with each other in a bid to win over the ‘gay vote’, the Bishop of Rochester has taken a different tack. With the rainbow bunting from London’s Pride festival hardly yet packed away, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali said homosexuals should change and repent their sin.
The Church of England has been embroiled in a doctrinal battle over sexuality since the ordination of the first openly homosexual bishop in 2003. The Bishop of Rochester was speaking just before the launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a conservative group in the Church of England. ‘We want to hold on to the traditional teachings of the Church. We don’t want to be rolled over by culture and trends in the Church.’ Well, despite Michael Nazir-Ali’s attempts to clarify his position, saying that we all need to repent for straying from God’s purpose for us, it hasn’t stopped the accusations of homophobia…
Listen here for another six days.
4 CommentsAs its last item of business on Sunday afternoon Synod considered a diocesan synod motion from Bradford.
The Revd Dr John Hartley (Bradford) moved on behalf of the Bradford Diocesan Synod:
That this Synod request the Archbishops’ Council to formulate proposals for reductions in the numbers of episcopal and senior clergy posts, taking into account reductions for the number of stipendiary clergy since 1979; and submit a report with recommendations to the General Synod within three years.
Canon Dr Christina Baxter (Southwell & Nottingham) moved as an amendment:
Leave out all the words after “That this Synod” and insert
“, welcoming
(a) the recent establishment of the new Dioceses Commission;
(b) the decision of the House of Bishops to decouple, from January 2011, national support for episcopal ministry from actual episcopal numbers; and
(c) the intention of the Archbishops’ Council later this year to begin consideration of future policy on the number of bishops and dioceses,
invite the Archbishops’ Council to prepare for the new Synod in November 2010 a progress report on the delivery of changes to the present pattern of dioceses and of episcopal deployment.”.
Dr Baxter’s amendment was carried on a show of hands.
The Revd Jonathan Clark (London) moved as an amendment:
At the end insert “and request the Faith and Order Advisory Group (or its successor body) to present to this Synod early in the next quinquennium a report:
(i) bringing together existing material in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion relating to the exercise of senior leadership in the Church; and
(ii) setting out biblical and theological perspectives to inform the Church’s developing patterns of senior leadership.”.
Mr Clark’s amendment was carried on a show of hands.
Following the two amendments the substantive motion became.
That this Synod, welcoming
(a) the recent establishment of the new Dioceses Commission;
(b) the decision of the House of Bishops to decouple, from January 2011, national support for episcopal ministry from actual episcopal numbers; and
(c) the intention of the Archbishops’ Council later this year to begin consideration of future policy on the number of bishops and dioceses,
invite the Archbishops’ Council to prepare for the new Synod in November 2010 a progress report on the delivery of changes to the present pattern of dioceses and of episcopal deployment and request the Faith and Order Advisory Group (or its successor body) to present to this Synod early in the next quinquennium a report:
(i) bringing together existing material in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion relating to the exercise of senior leadership in the Church; and
(ii) setting out biblical and theological perspectives to inform the Church’s developing patterns of senior leadership.”.
The amended substantive motion was carried on a show of hands.
Background papers
Note from the Diocese of Bradford (GS 1733A)
Note from the Dioceses Commission (GS 1733B)
On Sunday afternoon Synod debated a report Review of Constitutions (GS 1737) that proposed replacing most Church of England central boards and committees by a lead person supported by a small reference group.
Canon Dr Christina Baxter (Southwell and Nottingham), who chaired the group that produced the report, moved:
‘That this Synod
(a) welcome the further report of the Constitutions Review Group (GS 1737);
(b) endorse the recommendations set out in Annex 1 of the report; and
(c) invite the Archbishops’ Council and the Standing Orders Committee to take the steps necessary to give effect to those recommendations.’
Dr Philip Giddings (Oxford) moved as an amendment:
Leave out all the words after “That this Synod” and insert
“(a) decline to endorse the proposals set out in GS 1737; and
(b) request the Archbishops’ Council, after consultation with the boards and councils concerned, to produce revised proposals which:
(i) provide for the participation of elected Synod members in deliberation and policy-formation as well as in scrutiny and accountability; and
(ii) reflect the individual remits and sets of stake-holders of each area of activity.”
Dr Giddings’ amendment was carried on a show of hands.
As a result the substantive motion became:
That this Synod
(a) decline to endorse the proposals set out in GS 1737; and
(b) request the Archbishops’ Council, after consultation with the boards and councils concerned, to produce revised proposals which:
(i) provide for the participation of elected Synod members in deliberation and policy-formation as well as in scrutiny and accountability; and
(ii) reflect the individual remits and sets of stake-holders of each area of activity.
The amended motion was then carried on a show of hands.
Note: The report GS 1737 is not available online.
1 CommentUpdated Sunday afternoon
Telegraph Jonathan Wynne-Jones
Church accuses Government of favouring Muslims
Archbishop of Canterbury in bid to prevent church split over homosexuality
BBC Church to consider fewer bishops
Press Association via Independent Synod to debate calls to sack bishops
Press Association Clergy retirement age may increase
There is also an excellent piece about the Synod on the BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme, link via this page.
Afternoon Update
Not strictly a report from General Synod, but very interesting:
Mail on Sunday Jonathan Petre Bishops ‘will lose right to vote’ in Labour’s reform of Lords
The Times Ruth Gledhill Dr John Sentamu warns of dangers of power as Church seeks cetralisation
Telegraph Martin Beckford Archbishop of York compares teen murder victims to John the Baptist
Living Church George Conger Motion in English Synod to Recognize ACNA
3 CommentsIn the debate on retaining the “Waddington amendment” reported earlier, the bishops of Chichester and Winchester both made speeches.
Hansard reports the full texts:
Bishop of Chichester
Here’s an extract from his contribution:
3 Comments…The question that we are facing in this debate is accurately described as one of free speech. What is at stake is whether your Lordships’ House and this Parliament intend to outlaw open discussion and teaching, not just among Christians but among others, of views that differ from the currently dominant political orthodoxy, and therefore privilege, in the face of others, that currently dominant orthodoxy. To be explicit, I mean the orthodoxy that sexual preference is as innate and fixed as ethnicity, and that sexual preference or orientation is more akin to ethnicity than to religious belief. That is the current political orthodoxy that lies behind the Government’s Clause 61. People of all sorts in this country need to be assured, peaceably and quietly, whether on street corners, in churches, mosques, synagogues or wherever, that they are free to express views that others may strongly disagree with but which question the current dominant political orthodoxy.
Lord Lester of Herne Hill: The right reverend Prelate had the good fortune not to hear what I had to say. I first reassure him that I believe everything he just said to be amply protected by the law. Secondly, although he refers to what he calls “current political orthodoxy”, surely even a Lord Spiritual would accept that there is scientific evidence to show that the reason why people are gay is innate and not to do with some kind of personal choice.
The Lord Bishop of Winchester: No. My own studies, which I suspect are comparable to that of the noble Lord in these matters, suggest that that is the case for some of those who understand themselves to be gay but for others it may not be. Substantial scientific, psychological and medical research points to the statement that I made a moment ago. That is why I say that this question is by no means settled. To pass law on the assumption that we can use the language of sexual orientation and believe that we are talking about something that is absolutely fixed and clear, as ethnicity might be thought to be, is a mistaken political orthodoxy…
Mr Clive Scowen (London) asked the Secretary General:
Q. Have any representations been made to HM Government, or briefings given to members of Parliament and peers, concerning the Equality Bill currently before Parliament, in particular relating to the likely impact of its provisions on Christian employers wishing to recruit committed disciples of Christ wishing to fashion their lives according to biblical precepts and, if so, what in outline was the substance of those submissions and briefings?
Mr William Fittall replied:
A. There is a copy on the Church of England website of the substantial submission produced by the Archbishops’ Council in response to the Government’s earlier consultation exercise. We produced a briefing document for MPs for the Second reading of the Bill and I gave oral evidence to the Bill Committee on 9 June at which, with representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Board of Deputies I argued strongly against the narrowing of the provisions for religious organisation in relation to employment. Our lobbying, in partnership with others, continues both publicly and privately.
Two supplementaries were asked:
The materials mentioned by Mr Fittall can be found:
Submission to the earlier consultation (A Framework for Fairness)
0 CommentsThe Revd Angus MacLeay (Rochester) asked the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q. What representation did the House of Bishops have at the recent inauguration of Bishop Bob Duncan as the Primate of the Anglican Church of North America on June 24?
The Bishop of Bristol replied on behalf of the Chairman:
A. None. It is not the practice of the House to arrange such representation.
Mrs Lorna Ashworth (Chichester) asked the Chairman of the House of Bishops:
Q. Has the House of Bishops considered the relationship of the Church of England to the new Anglican Church in North America?
Mrs Alison Ruoff (London) asked the Chairman of the Ministry Division:
Q. Has the House of Bishops considered what degree of recognition and welcome the Church of England can offer to the new Anglican Church in North America?
The Bishop of Bristol, Michael Hill, replied to both these questions:
A. The House has not specifically considered this matter.
Supplementary questions were asked. These revealed, according to my contemporaneous notes, that:
The audio recording of these supplementaries is available from this page, but I have not yet had time to listen to it. My notes may be inaccurate.
11 CommentsThe official report of Saturday’s proceedings is here: General Synod – Summary of business conducted on Saturday 11th July 2009. This includes links to audio recordings of each session. No doubt this page will be further updated at the end of the evening.)
0 CommentsThe Times Ruth Gledhill wrote yesterday about the forthcoming debate on re-organising many of the General Synod committees. Her news report was headlined Reform to hand Archbishop of Canterbury huge power. On her blog she added more information, including the whole text of a note by Philip Giddings. See General Synod: Laity asked to pay for loss of power.
Riazat Butt at the Guardian previews some other items, Church of England could cut number of bishops amid funding crisis.
Martin Beckford reports on yesterday for the Telegraph Church of England General Synod should talk more about wallets than people’s anatomy’ and Church of England bishops fear for ‘fragile unity’ of Anglicanism over new gay marriage moves.
Steve Doughty has two reports in the Daily Mail Church of England asks its flock for £1,000 a year and Church of England under pressure to accept gay marriage.
The letter about the Church of Sweden to which Steve and Martin refer can be found here.
There is a BBC report Synod to discuss boosting income.
4 CommentsOfficial report of the day’s proceedings, together with audio recordings of them, is at
General Synod – Summary of business conducted on Friday 10th July 2009 PM.
For some indications of what the Questions covered, see my Twitter entries from that session.
I will post more information about the Questions and Answers during the day tomorrow.
0 CommentsAnglican Mainstream has now published the full texts of the two exchanges between FCA and Buckingham Palace.
Correspondence between Her Majesty the Queen and the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans
18 CommentsMartin Beckford reports in the Telegraph House of Lords votes against allowing Britons to help terminally ill die at ‘suicide clinics’.
Controversial plans that were feared to “give the green light” to the state sanctioning assisted suicide have been thrown out by peers….
Two bishops spoke in this debate:
Other news reports:
The Times Amendment to relax law on assisted dying is thrown out by peers
Guardian Disabled peer pleads against legalising assisted suicide
Updated Wednesday noon
George Pitcher at the Telegraph has written Anti-gay Anglicans take Queen’s name in vain.
…“Sources close to the Palace”, as they say, have coughed lightly and raised an eyebrow to one another. That’s a courtier’s equivalent of being incandescent with rage.
Because Her Majesty said no such thing. A secretary wrote in reply to representations that Her Majesty (as Supreme Governor of the Church of England) “understands the commitment to the Anglican Church that prompted you and your brethren to write as you did”. And that was a year ago, in reply to a letter to her from what was then called Gafcon, when the traditionalists met in Jerusalem. She then sent her “good wishes to all concerned” last week in response to a separate approach from Foca. Even Foca’s trumpet-bearers at the Anglican Mainstream website carry these passages…
BBC Radio 4 tonight: The Moral Maze:
…While Conservative and Labour politicians are trading insults with each other in a bid to win over the ‘gay vote’, the Bishop of Rochester has taken a different tack. With the rainbow bunting from London’s Pride festival hardly yet packed away, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali said homosexuals should change and repent their sin.
The Church of England has been embroiled in a doctrinal battle over sexuality since the ordination of the first openly homosexual bishop in 2003. The Bishop of Rochester was speaking just before the launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a conservative group in the Church of England. ‘We want to hold on to the traditional teachings of the Church. We don’t want to be rolled over by culture and trends in the Church.’ Well, despite Michael Nazir-Ali’s attempts to clarify his position, saying that we all need to repent for straying from God’s purpose for us, it hasn’t stopped the accusations of homophobia…
Dave Walker at the Church Times blog has a selection of blog posts titled Anglo Catholics unimpressed by the FCA launch meeting.
Update
Dave has now added a comprehensive roundup of links to bloggers who have commented on the FCA meeting. See Bloggers on the FCA launch.
Updated – make that three items…
Colin Coward has written Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali condemned by The Times.
…Changing Attitude took to task the group of bishops supporting yesterday’s launch back in September 2008 when Blackburn, Chester, Chichester, Exeter, Rochester and Winchester wrote in support of Bishop Bob Duncan in the USA…
…Today’s Times leader says that Michael Nazir-Ali is willing to provoke splits and risk schism within the Anglican Communion and has now signalled insubordination to the authority of Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Bishops of Exeter and Winchester emailed me in anger last September, Exeter saying there was absolutely no reason to assume that any of them were contemplating or would desire the kind of action about which I speculated. Yet at the time, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali said a new Province was needed in England and all six bishops either attended or send messages of support yesterday.
The Bishop of Rochester thinks homosexuals should “repent and be changed.” The Times says he has “inflamed an issue on which social attitudes have changed radically for the better within a generation.”
I have yet to hear any of the other five bishops publicly disown the stance taken by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, either in his comment about needing a new Province or in his attitude to lesbian and gay people which is doing so much damage to ability of the Church of England to evangelise in England…
Jonathan Bartley has written for Cif belief Evangelicals are betraying their heritage.
On Monday a new coalition of evangelical and Anglo-Catholic parishes launched within the Church of England, claiming to uphold the “traditional biblical view” on homosexuality.
But such a coalition was unlikely to be contemplated by evangelicals at many times gone by. For the original evangelical spirit with its reforming zeal and progressive outlook was more often at odds with traditionalists, than aligned with them. The idea of an alliance with those of a conservative disposition would have been an anathema…
Simon Rundell wrote FoCA – the beginning of the end.
11 Comments…The (few) members of the House of Bishops supporting this schism should be ashamed. If they aren’t ashamed, then they should have the integrity to resign from this Church. This would, of course, leave Chichester without Episcopal oversight, but hey, at least all those gay priests in Chichester would know where they stood. Likewise, I note with sadness the support of the PEVs – they who have in their care a disproportionately high number of gay priests, most not even safely in the closet, but many who have active partners – I went to Mirfield, and that is how I know this to be the case. I wonder how cheated they feel at present. As MadPriest asked yesterday, is it worth the sacrifice of their integrity and their self-worth just simply to keep the girls out? We ordain women because we baptise girls…
Updated again Tuesday afternoon
Religious Intelligence FCA threatens Church run by “Satan” by Toby Cohen
Reuters Orthodox Anglicans won’t leave Church of England by Harpreet Bhal
Cif belief Anglican schism? Bring it on by Theo Hobson
The Times The spiritual battle for the soul of Anglicanism by Ruth Gledhill on Articles of Faith.
BBC Church group ‘not planning split’
The full text of Archbishop Peter Jensen’s presentation is here.
And the presentation on behalf of Archbishop Peter Akinola, Primate of Nigeria and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council delivered by Archbishop Nicholas Okoh of Bendel, Nigeria, is here.
Updates
The Times
Ruth Gledhill Britain in battle for its soul, says Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen
and
Leading Article: Bishop’s wrong move
…Bishop Nazir-Ali is a longstanding critic of modern mores and church accommodation with them. He has become increasingly outspoken as his early retirement from Rochester approaches. But his willingness to provoke splits and risk schism within the Anglican Communion serves neither Church nor nation. He commented before yesterday’s gathering that homosexuals should “repent and be changed”. He thereby inflamed an issue on which social attitudes have changed radically for the better within a generation, and signalled insubordination to the authority of Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. To adapt the words of Clement Attlee to an obstreperous Labour critic: a period of silence on his part would be welcome…
Telegraph Martin Beckford Bishop of Lewes: Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans formed to counter ‘heartache’
And an earlier report that I missed, Religious Intelligence Bishop attacks ‘lurid’ headlines
The Bishop, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, had given an interview to the Sunday Telegraph ahead of today’s launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans in London.
In the interview he was reported as calling for gay people to repent and change, and his comments provoked a strong backlash from gay groups, liberal Christians and from the media…
Two items from Changing Attitude:
Davis Mac-Iyalla reports on Archbishop Okoh’s visit to Christ Church Beckenham
Schismatic bishops obsessed with gays