Press Release: Gafcon Ireland. (photo: Wikimedia Commons)
GAFCON Ireland wishes to express our deep distress and concern about the weekend of events (13-15 June, 2025) at which the Rt. Rev. Dr. Bonnie Perry, the same-sex ‘married’ Bishop of the Diocese of Michigan (The Episcopal Church, USA (TEC)), was hosted, including preaching at services in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. TEC has been at the epicentre of doctrinal revisionism for decades, causing chaos across the Anglican world.
This event represents an endorsement of a clear departure from the Bible’s teaching on marriage and human sexuality, and it continues to raise serious questions about the theological direction being taken by some within the Anglican Communion, even within the Church of Ireland. These issues are primary and of salvation consequence.
Faithfulness to Scripture and Anglican Doctrine
We affirm, without reservation, the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for all matters of faith and conduct: they are “God’s word written”1. The Bible univocally teaches that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6), and that sexual intimacy is reserved for that context alone. The Old and New Testaments consistently affirm this standard (Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11).
In line with the historic teaching of the Church and the clear stance of the Anglican Communion, as expressed in Lambeth Resolution I.10 (1998), we continue to uphold that “homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture”
and that the Church cannot legitimise or bless same-sex unions nor ordain those in such unions to the office of bishop, priest, or deacon.
The Nature of Christian Leadership
We believe that Christian leaders, especially those consecrated bishops, are called to model holiness and obedience to the Word of God. Anglican bishops promise “to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God’s Word; and both privately and openly to call upon and encourage others to the same”2. The public affirmation and celebration of a bishop who is in a same-sex ‘marriage’, which is contrary to the plain teaching of Scripture and the received doctrine of the Church, undermines and is contrary to gospel witness, causes confusion, and brings division amongst God’s people.