The rows over homosexuality in the Anglican Church must be bewildering for people who are not church-goers or at least occasional church-goers. It seems to be the issue that dominates the media’s coverage of the Church of England and the Anglican Church overseas.
In May we had the story of the Archbishop of Kenya distancing himself from the Bishop of Chelmsford, John Gladwin, after it emerged that he is a patron of Changing Attitude, a group campaigning for the acceptance of homosexual practice in the Anglican Church.
Early last month the Archbishop of Canterbury over-ruled the Bishop of Southwark’s decision to withdraw the Revd Richard Coekin’s licence to officiate. The Revd Coekin is in ‘impaired communion’ with his Bishop over the issue of homosexuality.
Why is this issue so controversial? Some readers of The Bridge who may have been married in the Parish Church or had children baptised with us may consider that the Church of England ought to be standing clearly for life-long, man-woman marriage. So, why is the Church flirting with homosexual practice?
Others may consider that it is intolerant and bigoted of the Church not to include practising homosexuals amongst its clergy and to refuse to bless gay partnerships. Why can’t the Church move with the times?
The basic reason why this issue is so emotive and controversial is not so much because it is about sex – though that is bound to be a contributory factor – but because it is about the authority of the Bible.
The authority of the Bible in determining what Christians should believe and do is profoundly important in the history of the Church of England and in the beliefs and practices that we have exported overseas. The supremacy of Scripture over against the winds of cultural change is a cardinal principle for orthodox Anglicans.
That is why we cannot sit lightly to attempts to set aside the Bible’s authority over our beliefs and practices in favour of a make-it-up-as-you-go-along Christianity. We believe that kind of Christianity ends up being a slave of the culture, which in the case of sex and sexuality since the 1960s has been very much emphasising permissiveness rather than faithful, life-long, man-woman marriage.
We believe that the Church is called to the pillar and bulwark of the truth (1 Timothy 3v15) and that involves being firmly grounded on the Word of God and not seeking to build our house on the shifting sands of human culture.
With all good wishes in Christ’s service,
Julian Mann
Vicar