In an unsurprising blow to traditional, conservative Christians, the Church of England’s Synod passed a motion allowing same-sex couples to have a religious blessing ceremony in their local church. Despite the pleas of Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, for unity, the decision was met with fierce opposition and deep concern by members of the Church.
In our previous article titled From the Gospel to Gay Sex, we detailed the apostasy of Church England and how it had come from its historic biblical roots to a dead institution devoid of the Spirit. Contrary to historic, biblical orthodox teaching, the Church of England has voted to bless same sex unions. The church parliament voted as follows with the church bishops being far more left-leaning than even the run-of-the-mill clergy and laity:
Bishops: 36 for, 4 against, 2 abstentions
Clergy: 111 for, 85 against, 3 abstentions
Laity: 103 for, 92 against, 5 abstentions
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, attempted to offer a small comfort by stating that the blessings were optional, but this did little to ease the worries of those who believe in the sanctity of traditional marriage. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, twisted the Scriptures and cited church tradition and “reason” as his reasoning for supporting the motion, but this only further fueled the fire for those who see this as a direct attack on the teachings of the Bible.
Rev. Andrew Cornes from the Diocese of Chichester, put forward the amendment to make same-sex blessings optional, stating that Jesus was “radically inclusive” but “radically conservative” on the subject of sexuality and marriage. This sentiment was not enough to sway the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen, who felt discomfort in supporting the motion but ultimately did so in order to hold onto his commitment to the doctrine of marriage and the unity of the Church.
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Temitope Aiwo from the Diocese of London strongly opposed the motion, warning that it may prove too costly for the rest of the Anglican Communion. On Wednesday, evangelicals urged the Synod to abandon the plans, and were joined by guests including the Orthodox Archbishop of London and the Archbishop of the Province of Alexandria, who spoke out against the changes and warned of the potential implications for the Anglican Communion.
This controversial decision has caused division and heartache among conservative Christians and is sure to spark a heated debate in the weeks to come.