Following the October announcement from the House of Bishops regarding the effective halting of the LLF process and a change of direction from the discussion towards and votes taken for fuller LGBTQ+ inclusion, Inclusive Church wrote an Open Letter and invited those who wished to be included as a signatory to it, to do so. People were asked to provide their name and home postcode, with the option to also add their title, the name of their church and an estimate of the size of their regular church congregation. The letter was available for one month, with no external media coverage, publicity through diocesan channels or paid promotion.
The full text of the letter is copied below the fold.
Inclusive Church has now issued a press release reporting on the nearly 7000 signatures received, which you can read here.
And there is a further much more detailed analysis available here.
We, the undersigned, are clergy and lay members of the Church of England, deeply disappointed by the recent decisions of the House of Bishops regarding the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF)[1] and by the continued absence of a clear pathway for clergy to enter same-sex marriages.
We affirm publicly that:
Recent surveys and votes in General Synod have consistently shown that the majority of those within the Church of England now seek greater inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ people[4]. It is not right that these voices remain unheard, nor that the Church continues to inflict the pain of exclusion and rejection on LGBTQ+ people, their friends, families and allies.
The Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process has received significant investment of time, money, prayer, theology and discernment. It has engaged deeply with scripture, tradition and reason, whilst seeking to also listen to lived experience. We do not support coercion or silencing of any view, but rather commit to open, honest and compassionate dialogue that honours individual conscience and fully hears the call to love one another as Christ has loved us.
We call on the House of Bishops to offer leadership and direction that honours the inclusive majority of the Church of England and truly values LGBTQ+ people. We speak now, not in defiance, but because we live in love and faith, believing that the Church is at her best when we love courageously and listen deeply. We stand together in faith, hope, and love trusting that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth.
[1] https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/update-living-love-and-faith-october-2025
[2] Resolution of General Synod, February 2023 http://churchofengland.org/resources/living-love-and-faith/bishops-response-living-love-and-faith
[3] Prayers of Love and Faith http://churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2023-12/prayers-of-love-and-faith.pdf
[4] These include the Times survey of CofE clergy Aug 2023; survey of Anglicans including laity Feb 2023 and the Are You In survey from Inclusive Church in Autumn 2024.