Anglican bishops want gay people in church leadership

Christian Today reports that four bishops in Lichfield have released a letter demanding for gay people to be allowed to have leadership positions.

It praised "the great contribution that LGBT+ Christians are making" before saying, "we wish to affirm that LGBT+ people can be called to roles of leadership and service in the local church. Nobody should be told that their sexual or gender identity in itself makes them an unsuitable candidate for leadership in the Church."

The letter goes on to note that "intrusive questioning about someone's sexual practices or desires, or their experience of gender, is almost always inappropriate. It is also unacceptable to tell or insinuate to people that sexual orientation or gender identity will be changed by faith, or that homosexuality or gender difference is a sign of immaturity or a lack of faith.

"We want to make clear that nobody should be excluded or discouraged from receiving the Sacraments of Baptism or the Lord's Supper on the grounds of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Note that in all cases excommunication is reserved to the diocesan bishop."

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Despite all of the above, the letter insists that it only wants to offer an alternative, a different way to deal with others, not change the church's teaching.

It says, "The perception that the Church is homophobic and transphobic is harming our mission, especially to young people. We need to challenge this perception by reaching out to LGBT+ people with the good news of God's love, modeling God's welcome and care for all people.

"Debates about questions of human sexuality and gender identity in the Church seem likely to continue, and perhaps to grow in intensity, over the coming years. It is important that these debates should be grounded in Scripture, reason, and tradition as well as in deep prayer. They must also be conducted with attention to people's experiences and in a spirit of love, mutual care, and respect. We want Lichfield to be a diocese in which people of any sexual orientation or gender identity feel welcomed and honored in our churches…"

The letter was signed by the bishop of Lichfield, Michael Ipgrave, the bishop of Shrewsbury, Mark Rylands, the bishop of Stafford, Geoff Annas, and the bishop of Wolverhampton, Clive Gregory.

It was titled, 'Welcoming and honoring LGBT+ people' and directed to 'To all clergy and licensed lay ministers in the Diocese of Lichfield.'

The letter, which was issued on May 9, 2018, has been appreciated by Tracey Byrne, chief executive of the pro-LGBT campaign group, One Body One Faith.

"Much of what the bishops say, shouldn't really need saying, but sadly it does. Only this week we heard from a gay couple in another part of the country whose vicar has told them they can't serve on any church committee, and we know two couples whose vicar has refused to baptize their children.

"The kind of intrusive and abusive questioning of individuals condemned in the letter really does happen. People feel ashamed, hurt and confused when they encounter this kind of behavior from people in positions of power and authority. It's an affront to the gospel, and deeply damaging of individuals," she said.

Meanwhile, Anglican priests in New Zealand have voted in favor of same-sex marriages.