Do gay people contaminate the Church of England? This question has been haunting me since I learnt yesterday that the Archbishops of Canterbury and York seem to have accepted the resignation of the openly gay chaplain of Synod under pressure from homophobic members of Synod.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday that the Revd Andrew Hammond, Chaplain at St John’s College, Cambridge, openly gay and appointed as chaplain to the General Synod by the Archbishops last year, has offered his resignation as a result of some reactions to his contribution to the act of worship at Synod on Tuesday morning..
A friend of mine, a member of Synod who was in the chamber for the service, said Andrew’s reflection was part of an act of worship themed round humility. Andrew’s key point was that humility is the opposite of the sin of pride. The Gay Pride movement is using the word as the opposite of a sin that produces humiliation and shame. Earlier in this session of Synod, a similar reflection was offered by Tim Goode in a service themed around disability.
Andrew has subsequently commented about the worship, saying “My reflection at worship on the last morning of General Synod was heartfelt and grounded in theological conviction, but it was clearly the cause of offence to some, which I regret. I also regret that the Archbishops’ already demanding workload was intensified by the email correspondence which ensued.” “In fact, for some time I have been concerned that my Synod duties are difficult to dovetail logistically with my commitments as a college chaplain, and this has prompted me to offer my resignation as Synod Chaplain.
Anti-gay flag complainant complains
According to the Telegraph, Andrew’s resignation came after Sam Margrave complained that Andrew had supported Gay Pride and challenged Synod over Pride by using the word in worship on Tuesday morning. Mr Margrave, a lay member of the General Synod, is reported as saying: “The reason (why Andrew) went was due to complaints about him.” “I personally didn't ask him to resign but raised concern over an unelected person trying to push politics on Synod and not being a source of unity.” He reiterated his views that the Pride flag “promotes sin” and “teaching which is contrary to the Holy Scriptures”. “It's time for a debate on what Pride means for Christians and whether the Church should be part of it,” he added. Sam Margrave has submitted a Private Member’s Motion calling for the Archbishops’ Council to prohibit the flying of the Pride rainbow flag on church buildings.
Service removed from Synod video coverage
Adding to the sense that something shameful and almost sinister is going on at the highest levels of the Church, the service - just this one service – has now been removed from the YouTube coverage of General Synod. The Church Times reports a spokesman for Church House saying that the recording had been “trimmed” earlier in the week in accordance with policy to not include acts of worship, which were sometimes inadvertently included in the livestream. However, as of Thursday afternoon, several other acts of worship were still included in the recordings from the July sessions of the Synod.
The Revd Robert Thompson, member of Synod and a member of Changing Attitude England’s steering group said the statement from Church House seems to be completely disingenuous. Following the letter he wrote to the Archbishops, William Nye and Robert Hammond on Wednesday questioning how the decision was made, who made it, and whether there will be resignations as a result, only the act of worship in question had been removed. Later in the day all the videos were inaccessible, yet the acts of worship of the February Synod were still in place. It is clear the ‘offending’ act of worship had been deleted unilaterally and not according to any consistent policy.
Pro-LGBTQIA+ members react
Members of Synod who support the radical new Christian inclusion supposedly desired by the Archbishops have reacted strongly.
One Synod member told The Telegraph that Rev Hammond had been “hounded out” by conservative wings of the Church and others that he has been “subjected to sustained attacks from anti-LGBT members of Synod”.
The Revd Robert Thompson commented: “Andrew’s conduct of worship at Synod has been thoughtful, considered, prayerful, focussed on themes to sustain the business of the day. He brought in diverse people and voices to lead worship, rather than do it all himself, and it has been a joy to see the diversity of the membership of Synod reflected in this. “It is truly shocking that someone who has led worship in such a collaborative, graceful and grace-filled way has been hounded out by people who, because of this, can really only be described as bigots, a term not to be used often or lightly - there are simply some who want to eliminate people like Andrew and all LGBTQIA+ people from any public platform in the church.”
Jayne Ozanne, another Synod member, said: “I am incredibly sad to learn of Andrew’s resignation, who has been subjected to a sustained attack from anti-LGBT members of Synod since his appointment by the Archbishops, many of whom have purposefully boycotted his excellent acts of worship. I am very concerned about what this means for our corporate future, as it shows the hardening of attitudes amongst those who oppose an inclusive Church of England that welcomes and accepts everyone.”
A Church of England spokesman simply said: “Members of General Synod were informed today that Andrew has offered his resignation, which has been accepted with regret. Many Synod members have expressed their appreciation for Andrew’s time in the role, and for the wide pastoral support he provided to many those members, visitors and staff on a range of issues.”
Archbishops’ silence
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, who accepted Andrew’s resignation, have not yet spoken publicly. Their acceptance of his resignation and their silence shocks and disgusts me. They have allowed homophobic bullying to intimidate them into abusing the culture of Synod, of the Christian ethos of the Church of England, and of the ambition of the House of Bishops through the Living in Love and Faith process to transform the status of LGBTQIA+ people in the Church. By their acceptance of Andrew’s resignation and their failure to support him rather than the small number of Synod members pursuing a homophobic and transphobic agenda they have sabotaged their own agenda.
There is a poison in the attitude of significant groups within the Church of England that is impossible for me to reconcile with what I know about myself as a gay man and what I believe as a Christian about God and Jesus and the Bible. To be involved with the Church is to be repeatedly infected with this poison. The culture of the Christian Church is infected, Living in Love and Faith is infected, the College of Bishops is infected. I am still campaigning for change, but I do so from a distance, to preserve my spiritual health and well-being.
I wonder why any person seeking to pursue a vocation in the church today or why any member of the church who knows Christianity to be a faith characterised by God’s infinite, intimate, unconditional love, tolerates the actions of an institution which is systemically abusive, homophobic, transphobic, misogynistic and racist. It is toxic, corrupting of the divine, holy, sacred Mystery in creation that my soul has sought and been nurtured by all my life.
I despair. I protect myself. I wish more people had the wisdom and courage to protect themselves and explore paths that will genuinely nourish and enrich them and the world in which we live and move and in which the Mystery of Love draws us, enriching and transforming all members of the human family, LGBTQIA+ fully and equally included .
To pursue a vision of the Church where LGBTQIA+ people will be welcomed and loved unconditionally please join Changing Attitude England on Facebook.