TheChurchof England is making slow moves towards welcoming the queer Christians in its pews.
During a General Synod conference in York, England, the state church’s top leaders voted in two measures that signal a shift in the denomination’s approach towards LGBTQ Christians.
On Sunday, the church passed a motion on welcoming and affirming transgender Christians, and pledged that Bishops would consider creating special services and liturgies that would help a person mark their gender transition. The motion was approved by 284 votes to 78, with 26 abstaining.
Advertisement
The motion was first proposed by Rev. Chris Newlands from the Blackburn diocese, who testified during the debate about the challenges that trans people face in the U.K. and around the world.
“Across the world, trans people have been subjected to appalling violence against them. In the UK, transphobic hate crime has risen by 170 percent in the last year,” Newlands said, according to the Guardian.
“I hope that we can make a powerful statement to say that we believe that trans people are cherished and loved by God, who created them, and is present through all the twists and turns of their lives,” he added.
The motion was proposed by Jayne Ozanne, a lay member from the Diocese of Oxford. During the session, Ozanne and another Church of England member described the depression, exclusion, and prejudice they faced after undergoing conversion therapy.
“This debate is actually quite simple. Do we trust our medical health professions and academics (including many sincere godly Christians) to know what they are talking about? Should we listen to the voices of those we and others have unwittingly harmed?” Ozanne asked. “Should we learn from our mistakes, and seek to protect future generations from the sort of damage that was done to me and so many others?”
The motion eventually passed 298 to 74, with 26 abstentions. The Synod called on the government to ban an “unethical” practice, stating that it “has no place in the modern world.”
Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes told the assembly that the world needs to hear the church say that LGBTQ identity is not a crime or a sin.
Advertisement
“We don’t need to engage people in healing therapy if they are not sick,” he said.
While the two motions were celebrated by members of the church, some accused the Church of England of moving too slowly on other issues important to queer British Christians. In response to a Synod vote in February that rejected a report affirming heteronormative teachings about marriage, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Church of England’s two most senior bishops, called for a “large-scale teaching document around the subject of human sexuality.”
During the Synod meeting last weekend, some members accused their colleagues of misunderstanding the “urgency” of the matter.
Joyce Hill, a lay member of the Synod, told the Guardian there’s a “a lot of potential for things to be sidelined, postponed and delayed.” Meanwhile, she said, society has moved on and she hears of a “lot of impatience in the pews.”
Advertisement
“The church doesn’t seem to adequately address these issues in a way that can be understood by the nation,” Hill said.
Part of the delay could be due to the Church of England’s historical ties to the global Anglican Communion, which has 85 million members. For years, the Anglican Communion has been mired in debates about whether the church should conduct same-sex marriages. The clash between liberal member churches in the West and conservative churches, particularly in Africa, has at times threatened to divide the global denomination.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.