Post updated: Statement on the resignation of Mrs Lorna Ashworth from General Synod and Archbishops’ Council

Nov 10, 2017 by Jill

by Bishop Andy Lines, Gafcon UK:

The fact that Lorna Ashworth has served on General Synod for 12 years, and was chosen to serve on Archbishops’ Council, shows the respect in which she is held by her peers. Her people skills, her considerable abilities in mastering complicated church business, and in articulating a point of view clearly and consistently, are well known to many. And yet Lorna is not interested in power, in making a name for herself or in being the centre of attention; rather she has simply wanted to serve, whether in Synod, in her local church, in her workplace, or as a wife and mother.

She has for all this time considered that it is worth being present at the Synod meetings, graciously but fearlessly putting forward a biblically faithful perspective even when she found herself in a minority or even alone in doing so, and encouraging less courageous colleagues to stand up when needed. But clearly a tipping point has been reached, where she has felt that her presence in these senior governing bodies is no longer achieving anything positive. “I refuse to be mistaken as one participating in the fanciful notion of ‘good disagreement’”, she says in her resignation letter. She saw that her presence as a conservative on Archbishop’s Council was no longer a moderating influence, but being used to legitimize the revisionist agenda on which she believes the Church of England has embarked.

Read here

Read also: Evangelical quits Church of England leadership over ‘heretical’ stance on sexuality by Olivia Rugard, Telegraph

Lorna Ashworth resigns from General Synod over ‘revisionism’ by Madeleine Davies, Church Times

Bishop of Maidstone laments resignation of Lorna Ashworth, Anglican Ink

Resignation of Lorna Ashworth, Archbishop of York

Leading evangelical quits CofE leadership blasting ‘heretical teaching’ over gay relationships by Harry Farley, Christian Today