Are the Church of England’s bishops running scared from the issues brought on by the prospect of gay wedding celebrations in parish churches across the country?
That would look like the political reality behind the House of Bishops’ decision at its meeting on January 20 to delay the introduction of stand-alone services of same-sex blessing.
According to the C of E media statement: “The House reviewed detailed updates from the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) working groups presented by Bishop Martyn Snow (Bishop of Leicester and the LLF lead bishop). After considered reflection on the complexity and depth of the proposed changes, it became clear that Bishops with views across the range of various perspectives agreed that it was unlikely all elements of the proposals could be sufficiently developed in time for Synod to make a call in July.
“They agreed to increase the timetable to be certain that all elements of the proposals are sufficiently developed for a call to be taken on them as a complete. The intention remains to be to update General Synod in February, and convey further proposals to General Synod in July, nevertheless it is probably going these is not going to have the opportunity to be formally put to a vote until a subsequent Synod. This may even give further time for consultations with Diocesan Synods and other networks.”
What has modified since that gung-ho General Synod vote in February 2023 when 34 bishops voted for the introduction of services of same-sex blessing, called Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF), with only 4 voting against and two abstaining?
For one thing, The Alliance, a coalition of conservative evangelicals, charismatic evangelicals, and Anglo-Catholics against the same-sex blessings, launched in July 2023. It is the presence within the Alliance of leaders of the charismatic evangelical network related to Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London’s Knightsbridge that’s causing the bishops particular concern.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had strong links with this network having gone forward for C of E ordination from HTB within the Nineteen Eighties. During his 11 years as Archbishop HTB gained significant influence within the institution as a driver of church-growth projects.
Former HTB vicar, Nicky Gumbel, is president of the Church Revitalisation Trust, which in response to its website partners “with Church of England dioceses to plant vibrant and transformational churches in strategic locations across the nation”.
After Alliance leaders including Gumbel and the brand new vicar of HTB, Archie Coates, wrote in December 2023 to the House of Bishops objecting to the PLF as “a departure from the doctrine to which the Church of England has all the time held fast”, the Church Times reported:
“Their intervention represents a shift in HTB leaders’ approach to long-running debates within the Church of England. For a few years, HTB has sought to avoid public comment, searching for common ground, emphasising the importance of unity and evangelism, and steering clear of divisive questions. This stance also reflected awareness of differing views amongst leaders and members. HTB’s 10,000-strong congregations include people in gay relationships, it says.”
The paper noted the influence of the HTB Network within the C of E: “The rapid expansion of church-planting entailed partnerships with dioceses, and, after the launch of the Strategic Development Funding (SDF) programme, hundreds of thousands of kilos were allocated by the Church Commissioners to fund HTB plants, lots of that are led by clergy who’ve served curacies at HTB.”
The bishops could have ridden out objections to the PLF from conservative evangelicals as nothing greater than expected opposition from the standard suspects. But with the HTB Network now so publicly against dedicated services of same-sex blessing to have fun civil gay marriages in churches – which supporters were expecting to be authorised after the July General Synod meeting – the bishops are frightened in regards to the way forward for growth projects of their dioceses. Bishops in cash-strapped dioceses within the north of England are particularly concerned in regards to the potential withholding of resources by the HTB Network.
The Alliance letter of December 2023, when the bishops allowed clergy to carry same-sex blessings as a part of existing church services, issued a robust warning: “Our networks increasingly find themselves in impaired relationships with the bishops who’re pursuing this departure from the received doctrine and practice of the Church of England.”
Apart from the minority of bishops who hold to the standard teaching of the Church on marriage and sexual morality, the episcopal cold feet over the PLF have little to do with theological principle. Most of the bishops are in favour of the services and of allowing clergy to enter into same-sex civil marriages.
It would seem that the delay within the implementation of what General Synod voted for nearly two years ago is brought on by a really basic human emotion – fear.
Julian Mann is a former Church of England vicar, now an evangelical journalist based in Lancashire.
