Open Letter to the Archbishops of the Church of England

 

 

Subject: Radical inclusion,

Your Excellencies, I was one of those who stood outside of Church House in February 2017 where the General Synod voted not to take note of the Bishops report on Human Sexuality and remember the response of the Archbishop of Canterbury at that time is that there needed to be a “Radical Inclusion” in the Church of England – then we heard about the initiative called Living in Love and Faith – to explore the issues of Human Sexuality and Gender Identity  as Christians, with a promise that findings would feed into the policy of the Church of England going forward.

I am a gay man who identifies as a baptised, confirmed Anglican Christian. I used to have a very conservative perspective on these matters but came to a point of view that my sexuality is in no way in conflict with my faith, and that there is no need to for me to suppress my sexuality in order to remain faithful to my Christian calling. I am very grateful that I am a member of a vibrant Church of England parish in the Diocese of Chelmsford. I make no secret of my sexual orientation and nobody in that parish tells me I am wrong to be gay. I am also not the only openly LGBTQ+ member of the congregation. Not long ago, our parish became a part of the Inclusive Church Network. Some years ago, I started a group which was for LGBTQ+ Christians and allies in our borough – we participated in London Pride March. We met monthly in some members’ home and talked about all sorts of issues that touched our lives as Christians. (We have not done so since before the pandemic – but I hope that we will be able to revive those meetings) However, although my fellow parishioners and I enjoy a great deal of inclusion at a local level, the truth is LGBTQ+ people still experience official discrimination.

We were encouraged to engage in the Living in Love and Faith course, which we did in the genuine belief that it would result in the Church of England hearing from us. This is not the first time we did this. As a parish we were asked to feed into the “shared conversions” with our stories and we did this with enthusiasm. Regarding the latter, we received no response at all as to how what we shared was received and with regard to LLF there was no mechanism by which we could feed into the discussion in regard to the questions that the LLF was seeking to answer. I have no idea if this was a serious mark of incompetence that we did not get a means feeding back, or a cynical deliberate omission as they were not really interested in what the people think, but an excuse that the programme was run so that the Church can continue with its discriminatory ways.

I want to believe Archbishops that you were sincere in your call to radical inclusion when you made it, and I am not naïve, so understand that this would be a process and that is why, despite many of my LGBTQ+ Christians saying we should avoid LLF, and that aspects of it were in fact traumatic and difficult to face for people like me because of our experiences in churches, that we as a parish should nevertheless do the course – I personally urged the rector to do the course and a number of us did it over Zoom. The course itself was okay, though I felt it was too brief and only scratched the surface, but most frustrating of all was that there was zero opportunity for us to give our feelings back to the Church of England. So, what was the point of us doing this course? Were my friends right to say it was a waste of time?

A process it may be, but five years after the call to radical inclusion the Church is still in the same place that it was then. Still, it is not possible for a same-sex couple to seek a blessing of their marriage let alone a church wedding, a gay or lesbian priest is still prohibited from marrying a person the same gender, or if they do, they could face a CDM and their job is threatened. How is that radical inclusion?

What provoked my decision to write this letter was the motion at General Synod in Pride Month to ban the flying of the Pride Rainbow flag from Church buildings. The Dean of Southwark rightfully called out this nasty proposal for what it is, exceedingly homophobic. I would have liked to have read that the chairperson would have vetoed the message at the very beginning, and certainly hope that this motion is not carried or if it is, that parishes up and down the country will defy that rule and fly the flag.

Why, might you ask does it matter to me that the Pride flags fly from church buildings? What is so important about this gesture? To answer that question, I point you to The Great Commission, that appears in different places in the New Testament. We are called to the preach the gospel and to make disciples. LGBTQ+ people have been alienated from churches for a long time, told that we are perverted, that we do not belong. Had it not been for my already well-established faith and belief in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, I have no doubt that like many people from my LGBTQ+ Community, I would have turned my back on the Church and walked away? But having realised that being gay, and even having sex with men would not separate me from the steadfast love of our God and that God would not let go of me because of something I have no control over and in no way, chose. I am very fortunate that I have met many others, who believe as I do that God loves LGBTQ+ people. That flag on that Church building is a loud declaration to members of the LGBTQ+ community that there is a place of welcome and non-judgementalism. That they can come and be themselves and be among people who care for them and love them. The flag on the building can say words that spoken words cannot – that this is not an act or trap – that they truly WILL be welcome. To deny us the right to hoist the Pride Flag is essentially to silence us and prevent us sharing the gospel with this community.

Another failure, as I see it, was your failure to call out and remonstrate with the bishops of the Anglican Church of Ghana when they were actively supporting the government of that country in a plan to bring forward legislation that was going to be devastating to the LGBTQ community. It cannot be argued that you are taking a neutral position, since, when the Episcopal Church in USA and I think Canada voted in their synod that they would recognise same-sex marriages and would permit priests to consecrate same-sex marriages just as they do for opposite-sex marriages, the Church of England sided with those who would sanction the Episcopal Churches – despite the supposed independence of the provinces. If there is an agreement that homophobia and bad treatment of LGBTQ people should not be tolerated and whether carried by individuals who may identify as Anglican and are in our parishes or by governments or institutions, from the Anglican pulpits and on the Anglican church websites and in the public media, the Church should be of one voice on this matter of homophobia and transphobia in all their forms just as we are on racism. I appreciate that this stance is by no means easy in every part of the Anglican Communion, and where the governments are anti-LGBTQ and where LGBTQ people can be arrested, imprisoned and even killed – for the leaders of the Church in those countries to stand up and say that those laws are wrong and go against the human rights of LGBTQ people. I am not expecting churches in every part of the globe to accept same-sex marriage or gay clergy but simply that they regard the humanity of LGBTQ people and stop punishing us for who we are. We need to however be ready to stand up for justice, regardless of the fall-out that we might experience.

 I believe that like the Commonwealth has moved away from being Anglo-centric and having a secretary general who is not from the UK, so too the Anglican Communion should move away from its Anglo-centrism and that the independence of the provinces should be emphasized on all matters ecclesiastical – that the provinces elect to belong to the AC or not. In the Anglican Communion today, we have churches that ordain women as deacons, priests and bishops and there are other provinces that will not ordain women. This is a fundamental difference over which people on both sides have very strong feelings and are convinced that their position is scripturally and theologically sound. However, despite this dichotomy of views, the Anglican Communion manages to accommodate people on both sides. I wish that we could have such magnanimity when it came to discussing matters around human sexuality and gender identity.  If the more conservative provinces could hold their view while accepting that other parts of the Communion, like the Episcopal Churches of USA and Canada have a different more accepting view and look at that which unites us all, that we are Children of God and that he loves each and every one of us, as we all believe and preach from our many pulpits. Not only should the Church of England be recognising the independence of the Anglican Provinces in the Anglican Communion but we must also insist on our independence and the Church of England must follow through on its pledge to review and reform in regard to issues of human sexuality and not be dictated to by conservative voices from outside.

This state of limbo that the Church of England seems to be in must move in one direction or another – sitting on the fence is not a sustainable position. We, as a community, need to know if we are in or if we’re out. If we are in, then, it’s time to change the rules:

• ·         Permit churches to bless and officiate same-sex marriages - and as with opposite sex marriage, publish the banns of marriage for same sex couples.
• ·         Allow gay, lesbian and bisexual clergy to be treated exactly like their heterosexual colleagues – to be allowed to marry, and if they have a partner, that intrusive questions about sexual activities be left unasked.

I am sure there are other things that could make churches more welcoming for LGBTQ+ people.

I think it is safe to say that in whatever direction the Church moves on this matter, there will be people who will say that they cannot remain in the Church of England. If we move in an inclusive and make radical inclusion reality, then conservative Christian will desert and join more conservative denominations. If, however, the Church remains adamantly anti-LGBTQ+, the LGBTQ+ people will know where we stand and will know that not only are not included but we are not welcome, and I for one will seek out another denomination, but I shall do so, with tears in my eyes.

In closing, I implore you as leaders of the Church of England, please seek Justice for everyone in our community, whether they subscribe to our doctrinal views of not. You said there must be a “radical new inclusion” in the church – I agree, and it’s time we started seeing the effects of this inclusion – not only in terms of race and disability – both very important, but also for LGBTQ+ people too.

Since writing this letter it has come to light that with the upcoming Lambeth Conference there is a call to endorse Resolution 1.10 from Lambeth 1998. This has annoyed many of my LGBTQ+ Christian siblings and sparked more Open letters – I have just read one from Changing Attitudes UK dated today, 24^th July 2022. (An Open Letter to the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England — Unadulterated Love) This letter says much more eloquently than me, what I am saying in this letter.

I now feel that Radical Inclusion  and the LLF programme was a metaphorical rainbow coloured fishing-fly cast out in order to fool us (Rainbow Trout) by the Angling Anglicans – and that our ultimate destination, if we remain in this lake called The Church of England will be the frying pan.

Your brother in Christ,

John Fairlamb