Latest news updated on 23 January 2023
Draft prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and for God’s blessing for same-sex couples have been announced in a press conference.
The draft texts, proposed by the bishops of the Church of England, will be considered by General Synod next month ( February 2023) alongside other proposals in response to a six-year process of listening, learning and discernment on questions of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage known as Living in Love and Faith.
Watch the press conference here
You can read Bishop Martin's Statement here and the latest Ad Clerum here
Andrew Woodward, previously the Diocesan LGBTQi Officer, reflects on the outcomes from the latest meeting of the House of Bishop's on BBC Radio Sussex. The item starts at 1.11 mins in. You can listen here.
More information here:
- Draft Prayers of Love and Faith
- A response from the Bishops of the Church of England about identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage
- Read the full agenda for the February 2023 group of sessions
Background
Living in Love and Faith sets out to inspire people to think more deeply both about what it means to be human, and to live in love and faith with one another.
It tackles the tough questions and the divisions among Christians about what it means to be holy in a society in which understandings and practices of gender, sexuality and marriage continue to change.
Living in Love and Faith is supported by films, podcasts and other resources, available for free at the Living in Love and Faith Learning Hub (registration required).
In Bishop Martin's Ad Clerum issued on January 13 2022 he said, 'The engagement with the Living in Love and Faith resources by people in deaneries and parishes, and individually, across this diocese has been significant, and possibly more extensive than in some other parts of the country.'
Following up on that engagement, the diocesan Synod on Saturday 5 February at St Mary’s, Horsham focused on what those resources mean to us and reflected on the personal, scriptural, and theological issues that emerge from the LLF resources.
In order to ensure that all discussion of LLF resources takes place in a safe space, Bishop Martin commended the Church of England’s Pastoral Principles for living and learning well together. The 6 principles are: addressing ignorance; paying attention to power; casting out fear; acknowledging prejudice; speaking into silence; admitting hypocrisy. Further details are on the Church of England website here
To find out about the four stages of how The Living in Love and Faith resources are to enable the whole Church to embark on a journey together click here