The first openly gay bishop is a huge step forward – but ’s not enough | Vicky Beechg | The Guardian

Contents:

• CHURCH OF ENGLAND BISHOP REVEALS HE IS A GAY RELATNSHIP
• THE FIRST OPENLY GAY BISHOP IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD – BUT ’S NOT ENOUGH
• CHURCH OF ENGLAND BISHOP CLAR HE IS A GAY RELATNSHIP
• A TSUNAMI OF LOVE FOR A GAY BISHOP
• ARCHBISHOP WILL NOT GIVE NEW PRAYER BLSG FOR GAY UPL
• CHURCH OF ENGLAND WEL FIRST OPENLY GAY BISHOP
• CHURCH OF ENGLAND BISHOPS REFE TO BACK GAY MARRIAGE
• SO HOW MANY GAY BISHOPS ARE THERE ENGLAND?
• CHURCH OF ENGLAND SAYS NO TO GAY MARRIAGE BUT ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY WEL BLSGS FOR SAME-SEX UPL HISTORIC FIRST
• ENGLAND’S TOP CATHOLIC BISHOP ENDORS GAY CIVIL UNNS
• UNED METHODIST CHURCH BODY ELECTS OPENLY GAY BISHOP VLATN OF S L: 'INMAT NNG THE ASYLUM'

CHURCH OF ENGLAND BISHOP REVEALS HE IS A GAY RELATNSHIP

Although Jt Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, recently affirmed the validy of a 1998 claratn that gay sex was a s, there are signs that the C of E may be movg towards allowg clergy to follow their nscience on the issue.

Anglin church the US, Stland and Canada have already moved to start nductg same-sex weddgs, while the church Wal has started offerg blsgs to married gay upl.

The bishop of Grantham has bee the first Church of England bishop to publicly clare that he is gay and a a move that will be embraced by mpaigners for equaly but is likely to alarm nservativ who fear the church is movg away om tradnal teachgs, Nicholas Chamberla said there had been no secret about his long-term - albe celibate - relatnship wh his a threat by a Sunday newspaper to reveal Chamberla’s sexualy had phed him to speak publicly. For me, and for those who assisted his appotment, the fact that Bishop Nicholas is gay is not, and has never been, a termg factor.

THE FIRST OPENLY GAY BISHOP IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD – BUT ’S NOT ENOUGH

Its tradnal belief that marriage is a unn of a man and a woman has e unr prsure om societal change and growg mands wh the church that gay people should be accepted and allowed to marry creasg number of prits have married or plan to marry same-sex partners fiance of the ban on gay clergy week, a group of C of E nservative evangelil parish held a meetg to discs their rponse to what they claimed to be the waterg-down of the thory of the Bible on the issue of sexualy, what was billed as potentially the first step towards a breakaway om the Anglin church. It followed Welby’s recent ments at a Christian ftival, when he said he was “nstantly nsumed wh horror” at the church’s treatment of lbians and gay men. Strsg that he did not want to bee known as “the gay bishop”, he said he hoped that the impact of his openns would be “that we n say the bishop of Grantham is gay and is gettg on wh his life and mistry”.

David Hope, the former archbishop of York, said that his sexualy was a "grey area" after beg threatened wh beg "outed"; and former archbishop of Canterbury Gee Carey claimed to have knowgly nsecrated two celibate gay men as bishops the 2003, the London Tim reported that the Right Rev Peter Wheatley, then the bishop of Edmonton, was gay and livg wh his partner. Although ’s a huge step forward to see a gay bishop e out, the ongog problem is that only some gay upl are acceptable to the Church of England.

For me, as an openly gay Christian who disagre wh enforced celibacy and believ prits should be able to marry, I fear I’d simply be openg myself up to further damage, discrimatn, and heartache. I worry that we are losg young people not jt om future clergy rol, but om even om stg the pews, due to our slow progrs on matters of g out, Chamberla said: “People know I’m gay, but ’s not the first thg I’d say to anyone. If the church wants to keep s current prits, and attract a new wave of recs, we need urgent progrs so that gay people feel safe wh s walls.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND BISHOP CLAR HE IS A GAY RELATNSHIP

Get the ee Morng Headl email for news om our reporters across the worldSign up to our ee Morng Headl emailA Church of England bishop has e out as gay and a relatnship wh a long term sexualy of Nicholas Chamberla, Bishop of Grantham, has been known for some time wh the Church. “For me, and for those who assisted his appotment, the fact that Bishop Nicholas is gay is not, and has never been, a termg factor.

A TSUNAMI OF LOVE FOR A GAY BISHOP

While some of the learship has recent years advoted a tolerant approach, other more tradnalist bishops have lled for a more leral biblil view on homosexualy.

More bishops have e out support of gay marriage after the Bishop of Oxford beme the most senr Church of England cleric to ll for a break wh Rt Rev Steven Croft said that he wanted to acknowledge the “acute pa and distrs of LGBTQ+ people the life of the Church”, and said that he was sorry his views on same-sex marriage were “slow to change” and had “ed genue hurt, disagreement and pa” his landmark claratn on Thursday night, which broke ranks wh the Church’s current view on this issue, he said that as well as beg able to nduct marriag for their ngregatn, clergy should also be allowed to marry a same-sex partner.

ARCHBISHOP WILL NOT GIVE NEW PRAYER BLSG FOR GAY UPL

The Bishop of Oxford lled for a change non law to allow same-sex marriag and said that gay Christians, cludg clergy, should have the “eedom to marry same-sex partners [and] eedom to be sexually active” wh those beme the first servg senr bishop the Church of England – out of the two Archbishops and 35 servg dcan bishops – to explicly ll for the Church to nduct same-sex ments me as Church of England bishops are currently nsirg whether to remend any chang to the centuri-old doctre that only oppose-sex upl should Febary, the bishops will prent their long-awaed fdgs to the General Synod and their remendatns uld pave the way for an historic vote followg s of divisn.

A spokperson for gay and transgenr lobby group Stonewall said the Church of England had "once aga" fallen short on beg clive and supportive of LGBTQ+ Christians.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND WEL FIRST OPENLY GAY BISHOP

On 7 June 2003 Gene Robson be the first openly gay bishop the Epispal church of the US; on 3 Augt 2022 Archbishop Jt Welby “affirms validy” of the 1998 Lambeth claratn that homosexual relatnships are patible wh scripture (Jt Welby ‘affirms validy’ of 1998 gay sex is s claratn, 2 Augt). Ian GordonFolktone, Kent The affirmatn that gay sex is a s will e much nsternatn, cludg among many Anglins who regnise the sufferg that this regrsive posn has flicted on gay people.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND BISHOPS REFE TO BACK GAY MARRIAGE

IN SEPTEMBER 2016, a Sunday newspaper threatened to “out” the Bishop of Grantham, Dr Nicholas Chamberla, as gay (although his sexualy was no secret wh the Church). In a brave move, the bishop cid to give an exclive terview to The Guardian, and beme the first Church of England bishop to clare publicly that he was gay and a same-sex relatnship (News, 9 September) rponse to the media verage, some 500 letters and emails were sent to Dr Chamberla, many arrivg wh a week. Some offered particular thanks to Dr Chamberla for speakg out on the issue of homosexualy and the Church, and some wanted to qutn strongly the Church of England’s stance on same-sex marriage and l of celibacy for homosexual clergy.

For example, one rrponnt wrote:“As a gay, widowed prit, I have been angry and disturbed at the lack of tegry and on-gog hypocrisy of the Church. A small mory of the supportive wrers intified themselv through their letters as gay, some scribg eply troublg experienc wh Anglin church settgs that they hoped Bishop Nicholas’s public stance would beg to change.

SO HOW MANY GAY BISHOPS ARE THERE ENGLAND?

As one thor explaed, “Thank you for givg so many thoands of gay people enuragement and hope after so many s of beg trampled to the mud by the Church they love.

The Church of England this week said wants to offer blsgs to gay upl but would not allow prits to marry Welby said he celebrat the change, but has a "rponsibily for the whole munn" Church also issued a formal apology for the "shameful" tim had "rejected or exclud" LGBTQI+ ntrast to Archbishop Welby's stance, the Archbishop of York said he will offer the prayers which he believ puts the church a "better place", beg tearful as he ma his statement. Earlier this week, bishops told the BBC the church would not change a teachg to allow prits to marry same-sex upl, but that will offer "prayers of ditn, thanksgivg or God's blsg" to gay upl followg a civil marriage or proposal will be bated at the Church's equivalent of a parliament - the General Synod - next marriage has been legal England and Wal sce 2013, but when the law changed the Church did not alter s Welby told a prs nference on Friday that he would "ntue to pray for all those who e seekg prayer and to pray wh love", cludg those who were gay, straight, or who had worri about their relatnships.

Media ptn, Watch: The Archbishop of York was emotnal about the Church of England's apologyMr Cottrell, who grew emotnal while speakg at the prs nference, said: "I'm really pleased 's changg for my gay iends, " acknowledgg that the change is not enough for some people. The ocsns on which you have received a hostile and homophobic rponse our church are shameful and for this we repent, " said a letter. "'I'm nsirg leavg the Church'Image source, MathewImage ptn, Gay Christian Mathew Hulbert says LGBT Anglins should be celebrated not jt toleratedGay Anglin Mathew Hulbert told the BBC he felt "great disappotment" over the bishops' cisn not to propose same-sex marriage to the General Synod and is nsirg leavg the Church of England.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SAYS NO TO GAY MARRIAGE BUT ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY WEL BLSGS FOR SAME-SEX UPL HISTORIC FIRST

"Dr Steven Croft, the Bishop of Oxford, said the church has "further to go" on the issue and lled for a change s doctre to allow gay marriage, beg the most senr bishop the Church of England to do so. Announcg his retirement, Bishop Bay said was "time for a new chapter" 67-year-old said his farewell service would be at Liverpool Cathedral on 12 Febary Church of England do not currently regnise same-sex marriag, forbids clergy to bls same-sex unns and only allows celibate gay and lbian clergy to mister.

ENGLAND’S TOP CATHOLIC BISHOP ENDORS GAY CIVIL UNNS

Deliverg a speech to Mosaic, a movement mpaigng for clivens the church, Bishop Bay had said the "world beyond the church" saw "no difference between attendg the marriage of their gay or their straight iends" and the church's stance as "creasgly offensive" told a nference the "arc of my own mistry is drawg near s end", but he wanted to see "an end to LGBTQ+ people hidg who they are for fear of beg exposed to nversn therapy or to beg forbidn to mister church". A Brish bishop has bee the first the Church of England – the mother church of the worldwi Anglin fah – to announce he is homosexual, an terview published Saturday. "It was not my cisn to make a big thg about g out, " he said, addg that he adhered to church guil which stipulate that gay clergy mt be celibate.

"A Church of England spokman said would have been "unjt" not to appot him based due to his Church of England dropped s opposn to gay clergymen civil partnerships beg bishops 2013, although many of the Anglin fah worldwi -- who number 80 ln -- were Anglin Church of Uganda 2014 said may nsir breakg away om their mother church England if put Uganda unr prsure over s tough anti-homosexualy law.

UNED METHODIST CHURCH BODY ELECTS OPENLY GAY BISHOP VLATN OF S L: 'INMAT NNG THE ASYLUM'

The world beyond the church has set the moral agenda, and those who kneel wh our footballers, or who see no difference between attendg the marriage of their gay or their straight iends or work lleagu, fd the muny of fah to be wantg and ed creasgly offensive. The tone, foc and edorial voice of the recent story “Meet the Gay Prit Gettg Married” lds the subject of the profile, a Church of England prit who has vowed to marry his gay partner spe beg told such an act vlated church l.

But the plea for sympathy and support for the prit his battle wh a harsh and opprsive burecracy, was overshadowed by the article’s ccial claim that almost a third of the Church of England’s bishops are gay. The tabloids as well as the gay specialty prs picked up this statement and the issue jour beme hypocrisy on high — not the ltle guy fightg the good fight.