by Ian Paul, Psephizo
Tim Goode is a residentiary canon in York Minster, having previously spent all his time since ordination in 2009 in parish ministry in Southwark Diocese. Tim was elected to General Synod in 2015, and joined the Archbishops’ Council in 2021, where I got to know him. He is a charming man, and we have always got on well, finding common cause on a range of issues. He has been a consistent campaigner on disability issues in the Church of England.
Two weeks ago, following the General Synod debate about the end of the LLF process, Tim posted a long comment on Facebook, setting out his views on sexuality and marriage. We had quite a long exchange about it, and one person observing commented:
This is just the sort of well-reasoned, calm and rational theological debate that has been sorely lacking in the Synod chamber for the past five years!
Tim’s comment was welcomed by many (in comments on the post) and has been quite widely shared, and it articulates a reasoned view which I have heard repeated in the debate a number of times. So I here reproduced his comment, and offer my own response, including the comments I made to him in our interaction, though not in the same order.
I am no longer on General Synod and so listened with dismay to the LLF debate from a distance, but I offer my own reflection in the hope that it may be of assistance.