Dear Archbishops Justin and Stephen,

We write to ask you to clarify what was meant by the radical Christian inclusion to which Archbishops Justin and Sentamu committed themselves in 2017, and whether that inclusion is genuinely radical for LGBTIQ+ people.

Archbishops’ Letter, February 2017

In the letter issued by the Archbishops on 16 February 2017 there was no reference to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer (LGBTIQ+) people. The fifth paragraph held out hope for a more positive future in which the expectations of LGBTIQ+ people were to be taken seriously including the commitment to find “a radical new Christian inclusion in the Church ... and a proper 21st century understanding of being human and of being sexual. This radical new Christian inclusion must be founded in scripture, in reason, in tradition, in theology and the Christian faith as the Church of England has received it; it must be based on good, healthy, flourishing relationships.”

GS Misc 1158 Next Steps on Human Sexuality, June 2017

In June 2017 GS Misc 1158: Next Steps on Human Sexuality was issued in which the Archbishops committed themselves to the creation of a Pastoral Advisory Group and the development of a substantial teaching document.

There is only one reference to LGBTI people in the whole of GS Misc 1158:

“6. Exploring together, and hearing from others, what radical Christian Inclusion, ‘founded in scripture, in reason, in tradition, in theology and the Christian faith as the Church of England has received it.’, means in the life and mission of the Church: sharing and disseminating examples of good practice in terms of pastoral care of and engagement with those who identify as LGBTI.”

There is no reference at all to LGBTIQ+ people in the disciplines to be covered in the proposed major teaching document or in the outline of the disciplines to be covered.

Pastoral Advisory Group

The most recent publication produced by the Pastoral Advisory Group (PAG), Pastoral Principles for living and learning well together, has a single reference to LGBTI+ people in its 36 pages. The Introduction says: "Although the Pastoral Principles were developed to encourage better inclusion of LGBTI+ people, they can be applied to other differences within our church communities." As in previous publications by the PAG, although LGBTI+ people are in theory the focus of the LLF process, we are in fact incidental to the process and rarely named.

Next Steps Group

GS Misc 1158 and the PAG document barely mention LGBTIQ+ people. The focus on our expectations had already been dramatically reduced. Similarly the Terms of Reference drawn up for the Next Steps group led by the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally says that the LLF Next Steps Group will:

5. Draw on the diversity, experience and expertise of the members of the Pastoral Advisory Group, a Reference Group and LLF Advocates

a) to ensure that engagement with the resources is framed in as pastorally sensitive and safe way as possible for everyone, especially LGBTI+ people;

c) to extend the reach of the group, when appropriate, to diverse stakeholders.

This is the only reference to LGTIQ+ people in the document. The terms of reference do not state that LGBTIQ+ people are the primary stakeholders in this process. This is akin to drawing up terms of reference for the place of women, people of colour, or people living with disabilities in the Church, and not identifying these people as primary stakeholders.

Changing Attitude England’s understanding of a radical new Christian inclusion

Changing Attitude England assumed that a ‘radical new Christian inclusion’ was substantially about the new radical inclusion of LGBTIQ+ in the Church of England. The lack of references to LGBTIQ+ people in the subsequent documents lead us to realise that a ‘new radical Christian inclusion’ may be a very different reality from radical inclusion leading to justice and full equality for LGBTIQ+ people.

We in Changing Attitude England have resumed our campaign for the full inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people in the Church of England in ministry and relationships. For us this means the blessing of same-sex relationships, the solemnising of equal marriages in church, the affirmation of gender diverse people, and equality for readers, lay ministers and clergy in civil partnerships and equal marriages.

In Changing Attitude England’s Christian understanding radical Christian inclusion is more radical than radical secular inclusion. We understand and experience God to be unconditional, infinite, intimate love and Jesus of Nazareth/Jesus the Christ to be the cosmic manifestation of God’s unconditional love. Our theology of radical, inclusive, unconditional, infinite love is rooted in Jesus’ teaching in the Synoptic Gospels, especially in the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes in Luke, in John’s gospel, the Johannine epistles, and in the teaching of Paul, especially 1 Corinthians 13. Radical Christian inclusion is the cosmic inclusion of all creation in God’s unconditional love.

We are asking you now to spell out in detail what new radical Christian inclusion actually means. Where, in scripture, in reason, in tradition, in theology, and the Christian faith as the Church has received it, is radical Christian inclusion to be found?

The Archbishops’ letter says radical Christian inclusion must be based on good, healthy, flourishing relationships. The evidence is that LGBTIQ+ people experience abuse, homophobia and transphobia, including the attempted imposition of so-called reparative therapy, in numbers of congregations.

The Archbishops said radical Christian inclusion must be based on a proper 21st century understanding of being human and being sexual. Is this consonant with the claim by conservatives that “The Bible is clear that God has given the marriage of one man with one woman as the only context in which physical expression is to be given to our sexuality,” and that “Any change in the Church’s teaching and practice - such as the introduction of provisions that celebrate or bless of sexual relationships outside of a marriage between one man and one woman … [and] the full acceptance of same-sex sexual partnerships would be unacceptable,” a claim made in a 2018 letter sent to all members of the College of Bishops signed by many leading conservative evangelicals including Bishop Emma Ineson, the new bishop to the Archbishops.

In a recent letter to us, Bishop Emma wrote that “we may be engaging with each other on these matters for months and years to come.” This is exactly what Changing Attitude England warned against when the Pilling Report, and then the Shared Conversations failed to achieve any progress. General Synod refused to take note of the House of Bishops’ proposals in 2017. The bishops nevertheless have ensured that the Living in Love and Faith process is strategically designed to delay ad infinitum any progress towards a radical Christian inclusion that will achieve the transformation into a Church committed to valuing LGBTIQ+ people unconditionally within the unconditional love God. Yet such a transformation is the only outcome that will meet the expectations of most LGBTIQ+ members of the Church of England and our allies.

We look forward to hearing your understanding of ‘new radical Christian inclusion’ and what it means for LGBTIQ+ people.

Yours in Christ,

Revd Colin Coward MBE on behalf of the
Changing Attitude England Steering Group