Conservative evangelical group, Reform, has urged its members to boycott the Church of England’s ‘facilitated conversations’ on human sexuality, saying the views of those who are committed to the Church’s official teaching have been sidelined, undermining the credibility of the process.
“Scripture remains authoritative”
The chairman of Reform, Preb Rod Thomas, said it was imperative for the ‘conversations’ to “acknowledge that Scripture remains authoritative for the Church of England”, warning that the process would collapse unless there was “decisive intervention” from the House of Bishops immediately.
The group raised additional concerns that the terms of the 'conversations' had been changed, pointing to the meeting of the College of Bishops in mid-September, which described one objective as creating “space and an environment for the Church of England to live together as a family who disagree with one another…[to] ensure that those with differing views on sexuality continue to share together a place of common baptism and faith.”
Historic teaching
It argued that the new objective not only requires participants to reject the historic teaching of the Church of England that all sexual activity outside marriage “should be met with a call for repentance and the exercise of compassion”, but to accept the premise of the Pilling report that the Bible isn’t clear on matters of sexuality.
“This is tantamount to asking us to accept a redefinition of what will and will not lead to salvation – as though there could be two gospels, equally valid,” it said.
The two-year period of ‘facilitated conversations’ were agreed by the House of Bishops after considering the recommendations of the Pilling Report, published in advance of the first same-sex ‘marriages’ in March this year.
“Deeply flawed”
Reform has now advised its members against participating in the process, which it described as “deeply flawed”, warning that the Church’s commitment to Biblical authority – particularly in the field of sexuality had steadily eroded.
It has also expressed anger over the failure of the House of Bishops to discipline the Bishop of Buckingham, who has urged the Church of England to support same-sex relationships,claiming in his new book that one in ten bishops could be secretly gay.
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