from Anglican Futures
For over three decades “Issues in Human Sexuality” has been the Church’s key statement on sexual mores.
On Tuesday this week the Church of England’s General Synod voted to end its use in the church’s discernment process for would be clergy and, for now, replaced it with adherence to the Guidelines for the Professional Conduct of Clergy (GPCC). Synod passed a Private Member’s Motion (PMM) amended such that it would do not only the former but also the latter.
Both revisionists and the orthodox hailed the development – Revd Dr Ian Paul, an evangelical member of General Synod describes it all as a “workable and reasonable agreement”. He identified from the “Together on General Synod” (TOGS) grouping of liberals, not a compromise that was only accepted because otherwise the Motion would have been lost altogether due to creating a ‘vacuum’ as to what sexual behaviour is acceptable to the CofE, but rather, the discovery of new common ground. This new consensus is apparently found in, “‘revisionists’ agreeing that it is the canon, doctrine, and clear past statements of the House of Bishops that are the real issue, and that the only path to change must come through the due process of engagement with all of these”.
It would, of course, be utterly bizarre if any group of Synod members did not, at least for public consumption, support “due process” and recognise the importance of “canon, doctrine, and clear past statements…”. What else would they say? That they supported procedural anarchy and were all for ignoring the law and the bishops?
In fact, the vote was by no means the unambiguous win many evangelicals such as Paul are claiming.