What do Anglican clergy think about ‘Christian’ Britain, sexuality, and clergy morale?

“At the end of July, Kaya Burgess, the Religious Affairs correspondent of The Times, sent out an email to 5,000 Church of England clergy, inviting them to complete a questionnaire giving their views on a whole range of issues, including whether Britain is a ‘Christian’ country any more, the Church’s teaching on sexuality, their own morale, and the leadership of the Church. …”

– At Psephizo, Dr Ian Paul provides some much-needed context and balance to the survey of Church of England clergy.

“This really is the worst way to conduct an opinion poll or survey. …

I completed the survey in August, but with just about every section I wanted to say ‘But that is a false dichotomy!’ or ‘Yes, but not for the reason you think’.”

“Most Church of England priests back gay marriage, survey finds”

“Most Church of England priests want the C of E to allow same-sex weddings and to drop its opposition to premarital and gay sex, according to a survey. …”

– Story from The Guardian.

Brett Murphy explains why he had to leave the Church of England

In an interview with Dave Piper at TWR-UK, Brett Murphy gives some of the background why he felt compelled to leave the Church of England. Link via Anglican.ink.

Earlier:

Rev Brett Murphy leaves the Church of England – 08 July 2023.

Brett Murphy — I have joined the Free Church of England (GAFCON) – 14 July 2023.

Update on the Church of England’s General Synod — July 2023

Tony Rucinski from the Coalition for Marriage in the UK speaks with the Rev Dr Ian Paul for an update on the July session of the Church of England’s General Synod.

What actually happened with the Bishops’ push for the blessing of same-sex relationships? “We’re in this sort of bizarre no-man’s land.”

Video here.

Link via Anglican Mainstream.

Confirmed: The C of E’s Net Zero mania

“Confirmation services in the Church of England are about to become politicised after the General Synod voted to include a liturgical response to ‘the climate emergency’.

The July sessions in York saw the bitter divisions in the C of E laid bare, particularly over sexual morality and in the row over the sacking by the Archbishops’ Council of two members of the Church’s Independent Safeguarding Board. It was on the last morning of the five-day hate-in that the Synod voted overwhelmingly for the ‘Responding to the Climate Emergency’ motion moved by the suffragan Bishop of Reading, Olivia Graham, on behalf of Oxford Diocese. …”

– Opinion-piece by Julian Mann at The Conservative Woman.

Direct link to the end of the debate on video.

The vast majority of Church of England bishops have failed miserably – so new leadership is needed

The Rev William Taylor, Rector of St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, has released a 9 and a half minute video on the continued fallout from the failed leadership of the House of Bishops. This includes new ways of ensuring leadership which is faithful to the Lord and his Word.

“The leadership of the House of Bishops of the Church of England has failed spiritually and practically. New leadership and new structures must arise to secure faithful future ministry. By setting up such legal structures, gospel ministry will be safeguarded.”

– Watch the video here.

Earlier:

A new deanery chapter for the City of London – 31 March 2023.

Synod’s Alpha and Christianity Explored snub

“The vote in July’s General Synod against an amendment affirming the Alpha and Christianity Explored courses in prisons showed a disturbing level of hostility towards the gospel message that charismatic and conservative evangelicals are proclaiming…”

– Story by Julian Mann at Christian Today.

Image: The scene at General Synod on July 8th.

Will the Archbishops allow General Synod to speak?

“As the summer session of the Church of England’s General Synod opens in York, the mood is more than a little ‘niggly’ according to the former Chair of the Prayer Book Society, Prudence Dailey. …

Dailey described Synod as being ‘bypassed and managed’ – pointing to the record number of ‘presentations’ that Synod was being asked to endure.…”

– Susie Leafe writes at Christian Today. Attendees at recent Lambeth Conferences have experienced being ‘bypassed and managed’ firsthand.

Picture: Susie Leafe speaks with Kevin Kallsen on Anglican TV in January 2023.

Rev Brett Murphy leaves the Church of England

The Rev Brett Murphy, well known through his posts on YouTube, has announced he has left the Church of England and his church in the Diocese of Leicester – to start a church plant with a fellowship many know and love.

It would be good to uphold him and his family (and others in similar positions) in your prayers.

Watch here. Do watch right to the end.

Lord’s Prayer opening may be ‘problematic’, says Archbishop of York

“The archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be ‘problematic’ because of their patriarchal association.

In his opening address to a meeting of the Church of England’s ruling body, the General Synod, Stephen Cottrell dwelt on the words ‘Our Father’, the start of the prayer based on Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4 in the New Testament. …”

– Report from The Guardian.

To be fair, in his Presidential Address, the Archbishop wasn’t advocating for a change to the Lord’s Prayer, or necessarily endorsing the views of those who find the use of ‘Father’ to be ‘problematic’.

Rather, the thrust of his address was that Christians should be unified by their baptism into Christ, even when they disagree. The context, of course, is the push by the Bishops to bless same-sex unions, contrary to Scripture, and that is where the Archbishop’s words about ‘unity’, while sounding lofty, may be seen as rather hollow.

Decide for yourself – the Archbishop’s full remarks may be seen here.

Photo: The Archbishop of York speaking at General Synod on Friday 7th July 2023.

Related:

From the previous Archbishop of York.

Letters reveal divisions among the Bishops over prayers for same-sex couples

“A burst of letter-writing has laid bare disagreements in the College of Bishops about the best mechanism for introducing the Prayers of Love and Faith to be used to bless same-sex couples in church.

The moves come as the General Synod prepares to gather in York on Friday.

Earlier this week (News, 5 July), a group of leaders from 11 different C of E organisations, including the HTB network, as well as the Catholic and Evangelical Groups on the Synod, wrote to the College of Bishops to argue that the Prayers, drafted under the auspices of the Bishops, should be subject to the Synod’s authorisation under Canon B2, a process that requires two-thirds majorities in each of the three Houses of Synod at the final-approval stage.…”

– Report from Church Times.

Related:

Text of the letter to the College of Bishops, as published by Anglican.ink.

FIEC Standing with Friends in the Church of England

In the latest FIEC podcast from the UK, Adrian Reynolds speaks with Lee Gatiss.

“What is ‘Living in Love and Faith’? How can we support our Anglican friends through the process?”

And what is the first thing Christians should be doing in the face of false teaching?

– Watch here.

Walking Together?

“There has been much talk in the church of ‘walking together’ despite differences.

Obviously on some issues and in some ways that is good. We don’t want a new church every time we disagree about the colour of the carpet. Churches can endlessly fracture over secondary matters, as the proliferation of denominations and congregations shows. But we must ask: walking together despite what differences? Walking in what direction? In what manner? What is the basis, purpose and mode of our unity, of our walking together? …”

– Marc Lloyd looks at what the Bible says about ‘walking together’ – at Church Society’s website. (Emphasis added.)

A possibly related photo: The Bishop of London speaks at the General Synod of the Church of England in February 2023.

Evangelicals in the Church of England are running out of options

“The Prayers of Love and Faith bus has departed and there is nothing CEEC can now do to stop it.

At the pre-Synod press briefing on June 22, the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, said the new services ‘are on track for November’. CofE evangelicals now belong to a denomination whose leadership has forsaken the traditional Christian sexual ethic and has earned the condemnation of the overwhelming majority of the worldwide Anglican Communion for doing so. …

It is actually not too late for CEEC to start to co-ordinate an exit strategy out of the CofE. The large evangelical churches among its members have resources and they could lead the way. Of course, leaving would be difficult, risky and messy.”

– An opinion piece in Christian Today by former CofE vicar Julian Mann.

Image: Members stand to seek the call at the Church of England’s General Synod in February 2023.

Related, from the General Synod meeting – good news is preached, even if the majority choose to close their ears:

Be encouraged again by Ben John’s appeal to the Church of England General Synod.

Why is sexuality such a big deal?

“Why is the debate on sexuality and marriage in the Church of England (and other churches) such a big deal? Why can’t we just agree to disagree—to get on together and learn to live with difference?

Two groups regularly say that to me.

The first is those who want change in the Church’s teaching. Why are evangelicals making such a fuss? they ask. The Church has altered its practice on marriage in various ways in the past? Why can’t we make this adjustment now?

But the other group are those who are busy getting on with the business of planting new churches, growing current ones, and reaching young people. They are often younger, and have not been engaged so much with the ‘politics’ of the Church (lucky them!). Why can’t we just get on with the business of ministry? Will this issue really make much difference? After all, we have continued with gospel ministry in the past when the leadership has believed all sorts of questionable things—so why is this different?

An immediate response to both groups might be to say – you are right, it is not such a big deal. We are not talking about central Christian doctrines like the incarnation, salvation, or the Trinity. But here’s an interesting test case …”

– At Psephizo, Ian Paul lays out why sexuality is such a big deal, and a huge debate for the Church of England.

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