Steve Hayes
2019-01-11 08:46:40 UTC
Oxford diocese in meltdown as clergy reject bishops' view on sexuality
David Baker Wed 9 Jan 2019 9:18 GMT
The Church of England's Oxford diocese is facing an uncertain future
after a large group of its serving clergy publicly rejected their
bishops' views on sexuality.
A letter to the bishops signed by a wide grouping of more than 100
church ministers says that 'the situation [in the diocese] is serious.
If not addressed, we would all struggle to support the leadership of
our bishops in this matter and a number of our churches may want to
seek alternative means of receiving episcopal ministry, in recognition
that your position is seriously differentiated from theirs. This would
be a tragedy.'
University of Oxford
Reuters
The Oxford Diocese is facing a revolt by clergy over its leadership's
views on sexuality.
The warning comes in response to the Oxford bishops' offer of 'interim
LGBT guidance and support' in their diocese last October, in a move
seen by many as pre-empting the outcome of the official Church of
England 'Living in Love and Faith' discussions on sexuality, which
will not conclude until 2020.
The letter to the bishops was sent before Christmas, and in turn the
bishops have responded to the signatories with a statement of their
own. Christian Today understands both letters are to be circulated to
all clergy in the Oxford diocesan email news today, Wednesday. They
are now also in the public domain on the website of the Oxford
Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship.
Clergy signatories include conservative evangelical Canon Vaughan
Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe's Oxford, who has openly spoken of his
celibacy despite same-sex attraction, and the leading charismatic
churchman Canon Charlie Cleverly, Rector of St Aldate's, Oxford. Their
two congregations are among the largest in the diocese. There are also
signatories who are lay people and retired clergy, including the
distinguished author, evangelist and lecturer Dr Michael Green.
The letter says: 'Our overriding concern is with the direction of
travel which the Diocese is taking as revealed by this letter. In its
desire for new expressions of "inclusion", it could end up excluding
those who hold to the traditional teaching of Scripture and doing a
great disservice to those of us who experience same-sex attraction. We
are not here simply stating an aversion to change; we are, however,
convinced that failing to hold the Bible's teaching out to everyone,
including those who identify as LGBTI+, is to show a lack of that very
love the letter urges us to exhibit.'
They continue: 'As Bishop William Love of the Diocese of Albany in the
Episcopal Church of the USA said last month in relation to the
introduction of "blessings" for same-sex couples, it 'does a great
disservice and injustice to our gay and lesbian Brothers and Sisters
in Christ, by leading them to believe that God gives his blessing to
the sharing of sexual intimacy within a same-sex relationship, when in
fact He has reserved the gift of sexual intimacy for men and women
within the confines of marriage between a man and woman.'
In response, Bishop Steven Croft, Colin Fletcher, Alan Wilson and
Andrew Proud, write: 'There is no desire on our part to diminish
support for those who are seeking to uphold and to live within the
Church of England's current teaching. We have specifically included a
commitment to undertake some further listening here.'
They add: 'There is no intention either to exclude in any way those
who hold to the traditional teaching of Scripture now or in the
future... If the Church discerns that some further development in
polity is needed at this point on human sexuality, we will need to
take equal care both locally and nationally to honour and respect
those who continue to hold the traditional view.' However, such
reassurances are likely to be greeted with scepticism by
traditionalists, as similar promises about the ongoing place of 'two
integrities' in relation to the issue of women's ministry have not
been honoured by the Church of England.
Oxford diocese is the largest in the Church of England, with 626
parishes. The population is 2.2 million, but only 55,000 attend
Anglican churches regularly. There are 816 churches and around 400
paid clergy.
Last week the Church Times reported that the Living in Love and Faith
group 'will not pronounce on the rights or wrongs of same-sex
marriage'. Some interpreted this as an indication the existing
conservative position of the church would effectively be ongoing,
whereas others argued the decision not to make a pronouncement was
itself a de facto change in teaching.
The report also quoted the Bishop of Coventry, Christopher Cocksworth,
who chairs the group, as saying the project would be 'as much to do
with heterosexuality' since he believed people generally were 'in need
of wisdom to order their loving and sexing well'.
Source: https://t.co/mUvSX2vxiP
David Baker Wed 9 Jan 2019 9:18 GMT
The Church of England's Oxford diocese is facing an uncertain future
after a large group of its serving clergy publicly rejected their
bishops' views on sexuality.
A letter to the bishops signed by a wide grouping of more than 100
church ministers says that 'the situation [in the diocese] is serious.
If not addressed, we would all struggle to support the leadership of
our bishops in this matter and a number of our churches may want to
seek alternative means of receiving episcopal ministry, in recognition
that your position is seriously differentiated from theirs. This would
be a tragedy.'
University of Oxford
Reuters
The Oxford Diocese is facing a revolt by clergy over its leadership's
views on sexuality.
The warning comes in response to the Oxford bishops' offer of 'interim
LGBT guidance and support' in their diocese last October, in a move
seen by many as pre-empting the outcome of the official Church of
England 'Living in Love and Faith' discussions on sexuality, which
will not conclude until 2020.
The letter to the bishops was sent before Christmas, and in turn the
bishops have responded to the signatories with a statement of their
own. Christian Today understands both letters are to be circulated to
all clergy in the Oxford diocesan email news today, Wednesday. They
are now also in the public domain on the website of the Oxford
Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship.
Clergy signatories include conservative evangelical Canon Vaughan
Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe's Oxford, who has openly spoken of his
celibacy despite same-sex attraction, and the leading charismatic
churchman Canon Charlie Cleverly, Rector of St Aldate's, Oxford. Their
two congregations are among the largest in the diocese. There are also
signatories who are lay people and retired clergy, including the
distinguished author, evangelist and lecturer Dr Michael Green.
The letter says: 'Our overriding concern is with the direction of
travel which the Diocese is taking as revealed by this letter. In its
desire for new expressions of "inclusion", it could end up excluding
those who hold to the traditional teaching of Scripture and doing a
great disservice to those of us who experience same-sex attraction. We
are not here simply stating an aversion to change; we are, however,
convinced that failing to hold the Bible's teaching out to everyone,
including those who identify as LGBTI+, is to show a lack of that very
love the letter urges us to exhibit.'
They continue: 'As Bishop William Love of the Diocese of Albany in the
Episcopal Church of the USA said last month in relation to the
introduction of "blessings" for same-sex couples, it 'does a great
disservice and injustice to our gay and lesbian Brothers and Sisters
in Christ, by leading them to believe that God gives his blessing to
the sharing of sexual intimacy within a same-sex relationship, when in
fact He has reserved the gift of sexual intimacy for men and women
within the confines of marriage between a man and woman.'
In response, Bishop Steven Croft, Colin Fletcher, Alan Wilson and
Andrew Proud, write: 'There is no desire on our part to diminish
support for those who are seeking to uphold and to live within the
Church of England's current teaching. We have specifically included a
commitment to undertake some further listening here.'
They add: 'There is no intention either to exclude in any way those
who hold to the traditional teaching of Scripture now or in the
future... If the Church discerns that some further development in
polity is needed at this point on human sexuality, we will need to
take equal care both locally and nationally to honour and respect
those who continue to hold the traditional view.' However, such
reassurances are likely to be greeted with scepticism by
traditionalists, as similar promises about the ongoing place of 'two
integrities' in relation to the issue of women's ministry have not
been honoured by the Church of England.
Oxford diocese is the largest in the Church of England, with 626
parishes. The population is 2.2 million, but only 55,000 attend
Anglican churches regularly. There are 816 churches and around 400
paid clergy.
Last week the Church Times reported that the Living in Love and Faith
group 'will not pronounce on the rights or wrongs of same-sex
marriage'. Some interpreted this as an indication the existing
conservative position of the church would effectively be ongoing,
whereas others argued the decision not to make a pronouncement was
itself a de facto change in teaching.
The report also quoted the Bishop of Coventry, Christopher Cocksworth,
who chairs the group, as saying the project would be 'as much to do
with heterosexuality' since he believed people generally were 'in need
of wisdom to order their loving and sexing well'.
Source: https://t.co/mUvSX2vxiP
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
For information about why crossposting is (usually) good, and multiposting (nearly always) bad, see:
http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm#xpost
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
For information about why crossposting is (usually) good, and multiposting (nearly always) bad, see:
http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/unice.htm#xpost