Orthodox Anglicans have accused bishops within the Church in Wales of “misleading” statements because it moves towards making same-sex blessings everlasting.
Bishops within the Church in Wales have published a ‘road map’ for the long run of same-sex blessings following a four-year trial and a six-month consultation with clergy and parishioners.
During the trial period, same-sex couples in a civil partnership or marriage were allowed to come back to Church in Wales churches with family and friends to receive a blessing.
The bishops said that the Church is reaching the purpose “where it must take major decisions on these matters”.
In a pastoral letter to Church in Wales members, the bishops said that “most” responses to the consultation were “in favour of the view that the time is true to supply equal marriage to traditional and same sex couples”.
The letter acknowledges that not all feel this fashion and that “there may be a robust a part of our Church family that finds such a step difficult to carry inside their understanding of fidelity to Scripture, and due to this fact inside our common life”.
The bishops go on to say that they imagine the “right way forward is to supply Governing Body the chance to make decisions on behalf of the Church”.
According to the road map set out by the bishops, proposals to make same-sex blessings everlasting can be brought before the Governing Body in April 2026. If approved, these can be followed by further proposals in April 2027 to permit the law of the state and of the Church to be modified to allow same-sex marriage in Church in Wales churches.
The bishops said that the proposals could be drafted in such a way as to guard clergy freedom of conscience.
Responding to the road map, Bishop Andy Lines of the Anglican Network in Europe and Bishop Stuart Bell of the Anglican Convocation Europe said it was “distressing” to see the bishops sow “confusion” around the problem.
They took particular issue with wording in parts of the pastoral letter, including a bit by which the Welsh bishops say, “Seeking to be faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of Scripture, Christians differ in approach: advocates for equal marriage argue from the inclusive love of Jesus, while others highlight faithfulness to the standard reading of Biblical texts and can’t embrace such latest understandings.”
Bishops Lines and Bell suggested the wording was a polarising misrepresentation of each side.
They said, “Such polarisation of the controversy suggests that we’re either for Jesus or we’re for the Bible. That is a caricature of the reality.
“Those who’re for the Bible are also for Jesus, and those that are for Jesus must also be for the Bible,” they said, adding that Jesus himself repeatedly spoke in favour of “public, exclusive, intimate and heterosexual” marriage.
They said it was “misleading” of Church in Wales bishops to cite the favored Christian maxim of their pastoral letter: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty, and in all things charity.”
Bishops Lines and Bell said, “The statement itself is rule of thumb for discussion and disagreement, but including it within the road map suggests that this debate over same-sex sexual relationships is ‘non-essential’.
“It could be ‘non-essential’ if the Bible had nothing to say about it, but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending in your viewpoint) it speaks on the topic a minimum of six times and each time it’s negative.”
Bishops Lines and Bell also dismissed the suggestion within the pastoral letter that making same-sex blessings everlasting needn’t be a “church-dividing issue” when 85 per cent of the Anglican Communion are against such moves.
“In the last 4 years there was an alternate orthodox Anglican church in Wales. We are each for Jesus and his inclusive love, and for Jesus’ Bible and its clear teaching,” Bishops Lines and Bell concluded.
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