In A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community, John Pavlovitz argues for a Church that manifests the characteristics of radical hospitality, total authenticity, true diversity, and agenda-free community, a Church seeking the Bigger Table. Pavlovitz grew up in Central New York, a white, middle-class, suburban, Italian, Roman Catholic boy, raised on gluten and guilt. Later, living among artists, musicians, dancers, and actors, a decidedly bohemian alternative congregation in Philadelphia, he worked out that people’s gender identity and sexual orientation made them no less image bearers of the Divine; their love was a reflection of the heart of God, not because of who they loved but because of how they loved – deeply, truthfully, and sacrificially.
Changing Attitude England has revived our campaign for the absolute equality of LGBTIQ+ people in the Church of England meaning equality for those in lay and ordained ministry in selection, training and appointments and also in relationships, civil partnerships, marriage and sexual activity. We have concluded that it is time to launch a public campaign to convince the bishops that nothing less than a commitment to the equal status of LGBTIQ+ people will be acceptable when the House of Bishops brings proposals to a meeting of the General Synod anticipated to be in November 2022.
Homophobia is woven through Christianity’s culture, teaching and practice, unnoticed. When the Living in Love and Faith process was announced I warned that it was simply a further delaying tactic but people wanted to believe in the process and the commitment made by the Archbishops to radical inclusion. Now I warn that when it is brought to Synod in 2022 nothing radical will be proposed. Instead there will be a further period in which the implications of the current process will be re-processed and digested. The purpose of the campaign that the re-created Changing Attitude England group is conducting is to engage creatively with the bishops in the hope that by the time they bring proposals to Synod in 2022 they will understand that if they do not address equal marriage in church and equality for clergy and lay ministers, we will be really angry, and they will know why.
