The Campaign For Equal Marriage in the Church of England
working to allow all couples to marry in church, regardless of their sex or sexuality
On Wednesday 15 November, General Synod voted to approve the Prayers of Love and Faith and a ‘standalone service of prayers for same-sex couples’. This is one small but welcome step towards what will always be our ultimate goal – equal marriage for everyone. As you may remember, the motion and its accompanying paper (GS …
Last Friday’s Church Times (27 October 2023) had an excellent leader comment, pointing out that “As the row intensifies over how the Church of England acknowledges such [same-sex] relationships, it is easy to overlook that it is about ordinary, unremarkable couples, living and ministering with the minimum of fuss.” It is well worth reading, so here …
Continue reading “Living in love, despite the Bishops’ arguments”
In February 2023 General Synod voted to allow the blessing of same-sex couples and for the odious Issues in Human Sexuality to be given the boot and replaced by new, more progressive, Pastoral Guidance – see https://cofe-equal-marriage.org.uk/b/1Ae for full details. Since then we have been waiting expectantly to hear news of the progress made in …
by Charlie Bell The Revd Dr Charlie Bell is a Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge, assistant curate at St John the Divine, Kennington, and a consultant to the LLF Implementation Pastoral Guidance Working Group. In this article, first published in ViaMedia.news, he concludes: “We have had enough. We have been taken for granted in Synod, …
by Charlie Bell The Revd Dr Charlie Bell is a Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge, assistant curate at St John the Divine, Kennington, and a consultant to the LLF Implementation Pastoral Guidance Working Group. In this article, first published in ViaMedia.news, he concludes: “It’s time – in fact, it’s well beyond time – for our …
On 20 March Jayne Ozanne sent a letter to the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, who is Chair of the LLF Next Steps Group. The next day Jayne publicly tweeted a summary of the letter and a scanned image of it. The Equal Campaign welcomes Jayne’s letter and …
Continue reading “Jayne Ozanne’s letter to the Bishop of London”
by Andrew Foreshew-Cain The Revd Andrew Foreshew-Cain married his partner of 14 years, Steve Foreshew, in 2014. One of the founders of the Campaign for Equal Marriage in the Church of England, he is currently Chaplain at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Back in 1993 John Major, sometime Conservative Prime Minister, conjured an image of an …
Continue reading “The Church of England and the mists of time”
by Charlie Bell The Revd Dr Charlie Bell is a Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge and curate at St John the Divine, Kennington. In this article, first published in ViaMedia.news, he concludes: “This Synod, as divisive and tiresome as some of the debate was, has done what no Synod previously has ever been able or …
Continue reading “All About Power: General Synod and the LLF Debate”
The General Synod of the Church of England has today voted, after a lengthy debate, to allow the blessing of same-sex couples in its churches, and has issued draft ‘Prayers of Love and Faith’ to be used by willing clergy when the prayers have been finalized and commended. All three Houses – Laity, Clergy and …
Continue reading “General Synod votes to allow the blessing of same-sex couples”
by Charlie Bell The Revd Dr Charlie Bell is a Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge and curate at St John the Divine, Kennington. In this article, first published in ViaMedia.news, he concludes: “Synod reps, I urge you to get this done. Say no to delay, and drag the Church of England on the first step of …