Group of conservative bishops ‘aggrieved’ by appointment of new gay Dean of Canterbury

Oct 18, 2022 by Jill

by Tola Mbakwe, Premier:

The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GFSA) has expressed disappointment that the new Dean of Canterbury, the Very Rev Dr David Monteith, is in a same-sex civil partnership.

Rev David was appointed on 10th October. He currently chairs the College of Deans for the Church of England and is the former Dean of Leicester.

In a statement, the Archbishop of Canterbury praised Rev David’s service in the Church of England thus far.
“We will benefit greatly from David’s experience and perspective, not least from his work in helping diverse faiths and cultural communities to live well together,” he said.

“I share his vision of a Canterbury Cathedral that blesses and serves the people of Canterbury, the Church of England and the global Anglican Communion. I look forward to working with David and I join many in praying for him over the coming months.”

Most Rev Justin Welby’s approval of the appointment has been met with discontent from the GSFA, a group of conservative bishops who oppose same-sex relationships, and were vocal about their stance during the Lambeth Conference this summer.

The group said in a statement: “The announcement, which comes on the heels of the Lambeth Conference 2022, puts in question the seriousness with which the ABC [Archbishop of Canterbury] wants to pursue the unity of the Communion despite significant theological differences on the matter of marriage and sexuality between orthodox and revisionist components of the Communion.

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