This is a comment I wrote to mark the death of Alan Wilson, the Bishop of Bucking ham, who died unexpectedly on 16th February 2024. Alan was a great support to so many people - but in particular to LGBT+ Christians, and survivors of church sexual abuse. He will be deeply missed. "Alan Wilson was …
Tag: LGBT+
This is nuts, isn’t it?
Today I was due to do a two hour session as a voluntary chaplain in the Minster. It is perfectly clear that this is a pastoral role towards visitors and others coming into the building. It is very light touch. I get my collar and cassock on and don a badge and a lanyard, and …
The Church of England and the LLF/PLF Process: Listening and Learning
Learning things involves listening. That is obvious - we listen to things we didn't know and we try and fit them into the jumble of impressions, facts, traditions and habits that go to make up the way we know anything. Descartes thought that the human mind was a bank slate, ready to receive sense impressions …
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Living in Love and Faith: a Whole Lot of Hot Air?
The story of the Church of England's agonies over sexuality, and in particular the place it gives to LGBT people and their relationships seems never-ending. It is easy to lose the thread. Here is the short version: The 1980s The Osborne Report (1989) takes evidence from gay and lesbian people The Higton Motion (1987) undercuts …
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The Church of England must break its toxic colonial legacy
March 12 marks the 25th anniversary of the ordination of women priests within the Church of England. Yet while today marks one milestone, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people remain second-class citizens. Next year the Anglican bishops from around the world will meet for the Lambeth Conference. Except that a tranche of them, mostly from …
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The Church of England must open its doors to same-sex weddings
The first same-sex marriages were celebrated on March 29 2014 shortly after midnight. No same-sex marriages have yet been celebrated in Church of England churches, because the established church, firmly against the proposal, campaigned for and was granted a pass by the government to make sure it wouldn’t happen. Five years on, a new campaign …
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From The Quire 