Full text of Alliance Letter to Archbishops
Dear Archbishop Justin and Archbishop Stephen,
We write as a broad coalition of leaders of networks across different traditions supported by more than 2,000 clergy within the Church of England.
We have read the orthodox bishops’ statement published earlier today and wholeheartedly agree and support them in their endeavours to remain faithful to the orthodox teaching of the Church of England.
We have also seen the proposed agenda for General Synod (including GS 2358) and note the intention of the House of Bishops to proceed with plans that are clearly contrary to the canons and doctrine of the Church of England, in particular Canon B30 where the Church of England affirms, “according to Our Lord’s teaching, that marriage is in its nature a union permanent and lifelong, for better, for worse, until death do them part, of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others on either side.” What is proposed is clearly indicative of “a departure from the doctrine of the Church of England in an essential matter”.
We have written to you and your colleagues in the House of Bishops on several occasions (copies attached – https://alliancecofe.org/letters/) setting out the unintended consequences of these moves that you propose and the issues they raise in terms of Western elitism (ignoring the views of the Global South) and unlawfulness (failing to follow the canons of the Church of England which are designed to preserve unity).
As you know, we have always urged that the General Synod be allowed to follow correct legal processes requiring a two-thirds majority in all Houses for a change of liturgy. It is a matter of deep regret (and the cause of incalculable damage to the structure, integrity and mission of the national Church) that the House of Bishops, having agreed in October 2023 (and in November 2023 with the whole Synod) that the correct canonical process be followed, has reneged on its decision and that, as a result, no such process has begun.
Given this, we want to inform you that we are now proposing a positive way forward to allow those churches who support the Church’s teaching to carry on their mission and pipeline of ministry securely, founded on the Church’s doctrine. If the further departure from the Church’s doctrine suggested by the Synod papers does go ahead, we will have no choice but rapidly to establish what would in effect be a new de facto “parallel Province” within the Church of England and to seek pastoral oversight from bishops who remain faithful to orthodox teaching on marriage and sexuality. We will encourage all church leaders who are in sympathy with The Alliance to join the parallel Province.
We will take action with immediate effect to open up a new pre-ordination stream for potential ordinands, in partnership with orthodox bishops, to reverse the decline caused in part by this unconstitutional and unorthodox process.
We are not leaving the Church of England or the Anglican Communion. We wish to stay loyal to the one holy catholic and apostolic Church throughout the world rather than be part of a schismatic move which departs from the teaching received and upheld not only by the vast majority of the Anglican Communion (representing around 75% of the Anglican Communion’s 80 million members), the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches but also the vast majority of other churches around the world.
The new Province will seek to cooperate with the other orthodox Provinces within the Anglican Communion.
We believe that this positive way forward will allow the orthodox churches within the Church of England to grow and flourish and raise up ordinands (reversing the considerable fall since the House of Bishops’ PLF proposals) and encourage the reevangelisation of our nation.
We urge you, even at this late stage, to honour your oaths as archbishops and bishops in England and to follow the lawful constitutional path to preserve the unity of the Church throughout the Anglican Communion.
With love in Christ,
Busola Sodeinde, Church Commissioner and UK Global Majority rep
Ade Adebajo, Lay Chair of London Diocesan Synod, Chair of Lambeth Partners and UK Global Majority rep
Canon Dr. Addy Lazz-Onyenobi, Member of General Synod and UK Global Majority rep Ven. Vernon Ross, Archdeacons who support The Alliance
Revd Dr. Rich Johnson, National Leader, New Wine
Revd Wole Agbaje, Head of Young Adults, New Wine
Revd John Coles, New Wine Ambassador
Revd Paul Harcourt, former National Leader, New Wine
Revd Canon Paul Langham, National Leadership Team, New Wine on General Synod Revd Archie Coates, Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton and Head of HTB Network Revd Nicky Gumbel CBE, President of Church Revitalisation Trust, HTB Network
Revd Sarah Jackson, CEO of Revitalise Trust, and Chair of HTB Network on General Synod
Revd Jago Wynne, Vice-Chair of HTB Network on General Synod
Revd Canon John Dunnett, Chair of Evangelical Group on General Synod (EGGS)
Jane Patterson, Secretary of Evangelical Group on General Synod (EGGS)
Rt. Revd Julian Henderson, President of Church of England Evangelical Council
Sarah Tett, Trustee of Church of England Evangelical Council
Revd Kieran Bush, Chair of the ReNew Planning Team
Debbie Buggs, Member of ReNew and Member of General Synod and of the Crown Nominations Commission
Revd Canon John McGinley, Church Planting Network Leader
Revd Lydia Corbett, Orthodox Female Clergy Group
Revd Elaine Sutherland, Orthodox Female Clergy Group
Ed Shaw, Ministry Director of Living Out
Revd Canon Vaughan Roberts, Co-Founder of Living Out
Rt. Revd Keith Sinclair, Trustee of Living Out
Helen Lamb, Trustee of Living Out
Revd Dr. Lee Gatiss, Director of Church Society
All signatories are leaders of networks/organisations but are signing in their personal capacities, recognising they cannot claim to speak for everyone that they lead
cc – Members of the House of Bishops –
First, Second, Third Church Estates Commissioners –
Secretary to the Church Commissioners’ Board of Governors –
Chair, Audit and Risk Committee, Church Commissioners –
Secretary-General of the General Synod of the Church of England
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