Monthly Archives: April 2012

Following last week’s speech by the Archbishop of Wales, senior clergy in the Church of England have been speaking out in favour of a measured response to UK Government plans for same-sex marriage.

In a letter published in the Times newspaper, 15 senior Anglicans called on the Church “to engage in theological discussion and prayerful reflection on the nature of marriage” and encouraged the Church to rejoice that there are same-sex couples who want to embrace marriage.

The letter was signed by 5 Bishops including The Rt Rev Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham who trained for ordination at Wycliffe Hall Oxford, a leading evangelical theological college. In his own blog last week he said,

‘What this discussion is uncovering for me, is the extent to which I am, at heart, an Evangelical who believes in Marriage…

I am Evangelical enough to believe that Christ is, in fact, risen and we are, actually, his body in the world, charged in Matthew 28 to be good news to the whole creation, by observing his commands. He didn’t say “keep everything the same” let alone “suppress gays.” He did say “Love your neighbour as yourself” and “Judge not that ye be not judged.” He did say “take the beam out of your eye before you try and remove the mote from someone else’s” and “Love as I have loved you.”

Is there anything unclear about any of that? I don’t think so.’

There was also support for more engagement by the Bishop of Salisbury, who in a speech on Saturday said,

‘Increasingly, there is an evangelical imperative for the Church to recognise that covenantal same sex relationships can be Godly and good for individuals and society; that they are at least like marriage for heterosexuals, and this is a development that many Christians in good faith warmly welcome.’

Not everyone has welcomed these statements however. Anglican Mainstream and the Core Issues Trust issued a statement this week entitled “Evangelical Groups accuse rebel liberal bishops of bully-boy tactics and neo-paganism”!

The common theme of all the senior figures who have spoken out this week is the call to engage in theological discussion and prayerful reflection to what is a genuine pastoral issue – how the church can welcome and support faithful committed same-sex partnerships.

Christians need to show how the Gospel of Jesus is good news for gay people, the Archbishop of Wales said yesterday (WEDNESDAY APRIL 18).

Dr Barry Morgan said he was concerned about the welfare of gay people whom he feared could feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in churches over the coming months as Government proposals for same-sex marriage are debated nationally.

In his presidential address to members of the Church in Wales’ Governing Body in Llandudno, the Archbishop said same-sex relationships was a moral issue facing the Church and the world, on which there was no single Christian opinion. His concern, however, was that the Church should offer gay people pastoral care and support.

Dr Morgan said, “The Government’s consultation on civil marriage raises a whole host of theological questions for the church.  My concern at the moment is that in any discussion which might ensue on this, gay people may once more gain the impression that the church is uncaring and unsympathetic.  Things could be said in the coming months which I think could seriously damage people pastorally so it is that pastoral issue that I want to address.”

The Archbishop said that while the Bishops of the Church in Wales abided by the Christian doctrine of marriage as the union of one man with one woman freely entered into for life, they agreed that “all life-long committed relationships deserved the welcome, pastoral care and support of the Church and they were committed to further listening, prayerful reflection and discernment regarding same-sex relationships”.

But he warned, “Gays and lesbians claim they are still treated as second-class citizens, tolerated at best and vilified at worst….  Very often homosexuality is talked about as if real people were not involved; and gays and lesbians complain of being talked about rather than talked to in Church.”

He added, “The real question is, how do we hold together faithfulness to Scripture and tradition with the wider New Testament call to love our neighbour?  If the moral aim of the gospel is to encourage love of neighbour, how can that happen when people are made to feel unwanted, unloved, and sinful?  How is the gospel good news for homosexuals?”

Dr Barry Morgan said the Church would not be able to ignore the new legislation on civil marriage proposed by the Government, despite the fact that the legislation would not allow gay couples to marry in church. He called on the Church to discuss how it would respond.

He said, “If the legislation to allow civil marriage is passed, I cannot see how we as a church, will be able to ignore the legality of the status of such partnerships and we ought not to want to do so.

“The question then as now is, will the church protect and support pastorally, faithful, stable, lifelong relationships of whatever kind in order to encourage human values such as love and fidelity and recognise the need in Christian people for some public religious support for these. As Helen says in the novel “Nightwatch” by Sarah Walters – a novel written in 1947, ‘what could she do to say to the world that Julia was hers?’  She could have gone on to ask ‘what can the church do to show that this relationship is not simply something between my partner and I but that somehow God is in our midst as well and longs for our wellbeing?’ It is a discussion we need to have.”

For a copy of the full address by the Archbishop go to http://www.churchinwales.org.uk/structure/bishops/sermonsb/b46.php

On this day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ – risen from the grave!  Death could not hold him – the grave could not enclose him – not then and not now!

So our prayer and longing this day is that we would all know the power of His risen life at work in our lives.  It is Jesus who makes us right with God by his death on the cross and by his rising to new life. Our salvation does not come from having the ‘right’ sexuality or the ‘right’ attitude to sexuality – whatever that may be – it comes from our faith in Him.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

So to all our members, Open and Confidential, and to all our supporters, and to all our opponents…

May the Joy of the Risen Lord fill your heart this day,

May the Power of the Holy Spirit raise you up with Christ this day,

And may the Love of the Father enfold you in His heart this day!

Happy Easter!

Benny Hazlehurst & all at Accepting Evangelicals.