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Why the LLF juggernaut should not still be rolling

LLF

by Martin Davie

On Thursday last week The Church of England’s General Synod passed the following motion:

That this Synod: 

  1. recognise and lament the distress and pain many have suffered during the LLF process, especially LGBTQI+ people; 
  2. affirm that the LLF Programme and all work initiated by the February 2023 LLF Motion and subsequent LLF Motions will conclude by July 2026; 
  3. thank the LLF Working Groups for their committed and costly work, which will now draw to a close with the conclusion of this synodical process; 
  4. commend the House of Bishops in establishing the Relationships, Sexuality and Gender Working Group and Relationships, Sexuality and Gender Pastoral Consultative Group for continuing work.’[1]

Contrary to what some press reports have suggested, the passing of this motion does not signify the end of the LLF process. The prayers for the blessing of same-sex couples introduced as part of the LLF process will remain commended for use by the House of Bishops. Furthermore, as the House of Bishops’ January paper which underlies the motion which Synod voted to approve made clear, the Working Group established under clause (4) of the motion will:

‘a. undertake the necessary legal and theological preparatory work to explore the approval process under Canon B2 for bespoke services of  Prayers of Love and Faith;

b. define further the appropriate formal legislative changes and any further theological work which would be required to enable clergy to enter same sex marriage;

c. continue to explore, in dialogue with the wider church, any pastoral episcopal provision and reassurance which would be proportionate to any further changes proposed;

d. report back to the General Synod with recommendations within the first two years of the new General Synod quinquennium;

e. establish a Pastoral Consultative Group as a subgroup of the Working Group to advise bishops and archdeacons on specific cases in the interim and facilitate consistent practice across the Church of England.’[2]

The key clauses here are (a) and (b). They mean that the LLF proposal for ‘bespoke services’ (that is, services in church to mark same-sex weddings) remains on the table as does the LLF proposal that clergy should be allowed to be in same-sex marriages. The LLF juggernaut will thus continue to move forward, albeit in a new guise.

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