Next Steps Group

Global South responsible for creating a homophobic and transphobic movement

Global South responsible for creating a homophobic and transphobic movement

Andrew Goddard claims in a recent Psephizo blog that revisionists are responsible for the decision of a number of Global South Provinces and bishops to stay away from the 2022 Lambeth Conference. The Lambeth Conference resolutions passed in 1978 and 1988 and the Global South conference held in Kuala Lumpur in 1997 show that the Global South movement itself is entirely responsible, organising a homophobic and transphobic movement to sabotage any progressive developments. Archbishop Justin worked to restore to Lambeth 2022 the Gospel vision of love, wisdom, justice and truth proclaimed by Jesus. I pray for the College and House of Bishops and for the members of General Synod, responsible for translating the deepest Christian faith in God’s infinite, intimate, unconditional love into the life and faith of the Church of England, making present radical new Christian inclusion for LGBTQIA+ people.

Living in Love and Faith - pure chance, serendipity, or the work of God’s Spirit?

Living in Love and Faith - pure chance, serendipity, or the work of God’s Spirit?

In the course of the Living in Love and Faith process Changing Attitude England has repeatedly told bishops that we want no more conversations about us without us. On Friday we were present with bishops, we spoke, we were heard, we have been included in the conversation. Three years ago we would never have anticipated that last Friday’s meetings would have taken place. The process won’t be finished by the February meeting of General Synod. We can hope at least for a confirmed direction of travel after Synod, knowing that proposals will take time to implement. We hope and pray that the College of Bishops and General Synod have the confidence to come to a strong common mind leading to the full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in the Church of England characterised by a radical new Christian inclusion that is both possible and essential.

Eight Progressive CofE Groups to meet Next Steps Group Bishops

Eight Progressive CofE Groups to meet Next Steps Group Bishops

On Friday 30 September two meetings are being held at Lambeth Palace. A number of groups have been invited to send two representatives to meet with two bishops (members of the LLF Next Steps Group) and Eeva John. The Living in Love and Faith office has chosen not to publicise the meetings though they are not secret. In the morning, from 11.00 to 13,00, representatives of the General Synod Gender and Sexuality Group, Inclusive Church, OneBodyOneFaith, MOSAIC and Diverse Church will meet Bishops Jonathan Baker (Fulham) and Bev Mason (Warrington) and Eeva John. In the afternoon from 14.30 to 16.30, representatives from Changing Attitude England, Equal and the Ozanne Foundation will meet with Bishop Helen-Ann Hartley (Ripon), Bishop Sarah Mullally (London), also with Eeva John.

LLF – Next Step Group bishops to hold meetings with interested groups

LLF – Next Step Group bishops to hold meetings with interested groups

Changing Attitude England is one of the groups invited to one of a series of two hour long meetings with bishops, members of the Next Steps Group, on the afternoon of Friday 30 September. In the morning Inclusive Church, OneBodyOneFaith, Diverse Church, and the General Synod Gender and Sexuality Group are invited and in the afternoon Changing Attitude England is joined by the Ozanne Foundation and Equal. The meetings on 30 September will be the first time ever that bishops have met corporately with representatives of inclusive and LGBTQIA+ organisations.

House of Bishops overrides trans concerns

House of Bishops overrides trans concerns

Changing Attitude England has written to every Church of England bishop raising serious questions about the House of Bishops attitude to trans people resulting from their recent decision to review “attempts to explore questions of gender identity and transition and [for a second time] agreed to seek and commission an appropriate group to take this work forward.” The House first made a proposal to revisit trans issues in May 2021. This decision provoked a strong negative reaction from trans people, and in particular those involved in the LLF formation process who had experienced serious abuse.

Changing Attitude England wants to know why the House of Bishops has agreed to pursue a course of action rejected repeatedly as unnecessary and abusive by trans people? Trans people do not want any further attempts to explore questions of gender identity and transition to be made, nor are they asking for an ‘appropriate’ group to be commissioned to take any such work forward. We are deeply distrustful of the motives behind this latest proposal and of the competence of the House of Bishops to ensure a non-abusive environment for trans people is created.

LLF Next Steps Group plans to engage with stakeholder groups

LLF Next Steps Group plans to engage with stakeholder groups

In a recent letter to Changing Attitude England, the chair of the Next Steps Group, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullaly wrote that “the members of the Next Steps Group are planning to engage with a wide range of stakeholder groups later this year, including members of Changing Attitude, and we look forward to that conversation in due course.” Changing Attitude England welcomes this proposal and will respond positively to the invitation. Indeed, we look forward to receiving details of the proposal as a matter of urgency given the limited time scale remaining to the LLF process.

LGBTQIA+ Representation on NSG and House of Bishops

LGBTQIA+ Representation on NSG and House of Bishops

In November 2021 Changing Attitude England proposed that six LGBTQIA+ people should be appointed to both the Next Steps Group (NSG) and the House of Bishops, in a way that is analogous to the appointment of senior women and to the proposal for UK Minority Ethnic / Global Majority Heritage ‘participant observers’ recommendation. The Bishop of London has replied saying that the Next Steps Group is now working on a proposal to the House of Bishops that goes at least some way to respond to this aspiration.

NSG declines to define radical new Christian inclusion

NSG declines to define radical new Christian inclusion

The Bishop of London, chair of the Next Steps Group, has replied to our letter asking the NSG to define radical new Christian inclusion. She says it is not something that can be achieved by a top-down process of publishing a definition of ‘radical new Christian inclusion’ but something that the whole church needs to discover and live out together and that is what LLF is trying to achieve. The LLF Course does not mention of radical new Christian inclusion. Apart from seven pages in the LLF Book, the bishops have provided no guidance to help people think about, let alone respond to, the vision presented by the Archbishops in 2017 and taken as a sign of hope for LGBTIQ+ people.

Changing Attitude England’s campaign for equality

Changing Attitude England’s campaign for equality

Changing Attitude England proposes to encourage those who support equality in relationship and ministry for LGBTIQ+ people in the Church of England to communicate their commitment to equality to the LLF hub by the end of April. We want to disrupt the complacency of the House of Bishops by organising a ‘write in’, getting the huge middle of the Church not just engaged but responding and letting the bishops know, which is exactly what the Bishop of London has pleaded for in a recent Church Times article.

Abuse of LGBTIQ+ people in Ghana and Living in Love and Faith

Abuse of LGBTIQ+ people in Ghana and Living in Love and Faith

In To Heal and Not to Hurt Rosie Harper describes the God formulated by contemporary teachings as “a tiny, religious, defensive God.” She thinks the Church of England’s weak response to survivors exposes two crucial fault lines. The first is the paucity of the vision of God. The second is behaviour that implies their faith is no faith at all. The church responds without love, care, and reparation to the very people it has itself harmed. This is serious and potentially fatal. It seems that the faith is not true. Christianity doesn’t change lives when loving God does not result in loving your neighbour.