'Church of England’s House of Bishops makes decisions about future of Living in Love and Faith process
The House of Bishops has made a series of key decisions on the future direction of the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith process, which explores questions of relationships, sexuality and marriage. Final decisions will be taken in December.
At its residential meeting last week, bishops reviewed detailed theological and legal advice on outstanding questions following the landmark 2023 Synod vote that led to the introduction of the Prayers of Love and Faith (or PLF).
The PLF are a set of prayers, readings and liturgical material which, for the first time, enable same-sex couples to come to church for public prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and asking for God’s blessing as part of a regular church service.
Since then, the church has been exploring whether special “bespoke” services using the PLF could be introduced and whether clergy could legally enter into same-sex marriages. There has also been extensive consideration of possible new arrangements for how the church is organized, including so-called “Delegated Episcopal Ministry.”
The bishops reviewed advice both from the Church of England’s legal office and the Faith and Order Commission, all of which will be published in due course.
While final decisions will be made by the House in December, the bishops agreed in principle that both bespoke service and clergy same-sex marriage would need formal synodical and legislative processes to be completed before they could be permitted.
As a result, they also concluded there is currently no need for a new code of practice setting out special arrangements such as Delegated Episcopal Ministry.
Although there remains a wide range of views within the House of Bishops on questions of sexuality and relationships, there was strong consensus on the need for unity, transparency and proper process alongside pastoral care. Despite personal convictions across traditions, the House of Bishops recognized these were the procedural realities to effect any future change.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, chair of the LLF Programme Board, commented: “As we continue prayerfully to navigate this important work on behalf of the church, we believe these are the right decisions following further legal and theological advice.
“However, we recognise that for some, they will be difficult and disappointing.
“I continue to pray for God’s grace and gentleness for all as we continue to discern a way through these questions.”
Key decisions:
The bishops took part in a series of votes on elements of a statement that would summarise the LLF process and outcomes. They indicated, on the basis of the advice received, that in December they will:
*Confirm that the Prayers of Love and Faith, for use in regularly scheduled services, remain commended by the House of Bishops for use under Canon B5;
*Agree that bespoke services require maximum communal authorization through the Canon B2 process of approval;
*Reflect further on the legal and theological advice and explore what formal legislative process – such as an amending canon and measure – would be required before clergy could be permitted to be in a same-sex civil marriage. Until then the current guidelines would remain in place.
*They also agreed they would provide pastoral reassurance through:
A restatement that no one is obliged to use the PLF against their conscience;
Updating Pastoral Guidance for the Prayers of Love and Faith as currently commended;
A commitment that diocesan decisions around allocating resources, placement of ordinands and curates, or appointments, should not be affected by views held on LLF matters; and
Re-establishing a Pastoral Consultative Group to advise and support decision-making on such matters.
Given the decisions indicated above, the bishops concluded that there was sufficient pastoral reassurance in the elements listed and did not propose to bring forward a code of practice at this time.
While there was a range of views expressed on questions of sexuality and marriage, the decisions on most points were reached with near unanimity – spanning the breadth of theological tradition.'
Meanwhile the Alliance is making a mockery of the concept of unity by pressing on with a campaign for a 'Day of Action' on 1st December inviting PCCs to withdraw from CofE structures if any real progress is made on the LLF process. See below.
Church Times
Persuade PCCs to take action if same-sex blessings move forward, Alliance tells its clergy
byFrancis Martin16 October 2025.
Network encourages incumbents who are unhappy with LLF process to make known their church’s willingness to withdraw from Church of England structures
THE Alliance network has been encouraging incumbents who are unhappy with the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process to make known their church’s willingness to withdraw from Church of England structures.
Behind the scenes, the Alliance — a network of church organisations opposed to the changes brought by the LLF process — has been encouraging incumbents to persuade their PCCs to pass a resolution stating that, if the Church of England moves forward with either stand-alone services or clergy same-sex marriage, the parish will take at least one of a set of actions. Those include: seeking “alternative episcopal oversight”, a decision to “reroute their diocesan financial contributions”, and moves to “encourage ordinands to participate in an orthodox vocations programme”.
On Wednesday afternoon, the House of Bishops announced that full synodical approval would be required for either standalone services or clergy same-sex marriage, effectively stalling LLF (News, 15 October). The Bishops also announced that, as a result, they did not consider it necessary to develop any model of alternative episcopal oversight.
A document, “Alliance Campaign Manual”, seen by the Church Times, encourages clergy to participate in a “Day of Action” on 1 December when they hope that “thousands of clergy and PCCs” will write to their diocesan bishops to inform them of their decision. “Church leaders who cannot agree decisions with PCC [sic] will be encouraged to write in a personal capacity,” the document says.
The document advises clergy to have one-to-one conversations with PCC members to get support for a resolution. “One-to-one conversations are crucial in ensuring a PCC has a productive discussion, moves towards a common mind and adopts the actions outlined above,” it says.
In a “majority progressive context . . . Prioritising one-to-one meetings with PCC members is probably the significant step,” the document continues.
“It may also be important for Incumbents to remind PCC members of their roles as Trustees — to represent the congregation and focus on the theology and mission of the church rather than personal experience and conviction,” the document says.
Ordination pathways have also become an area of contention in debates around LLF (News, 23 February 2024). The Alliance document recommends a “new orthodox vocations programme” that is being “piloted” by the diocese of Southwell & Nottingham “under” the diocesan Bishop, the Rt Revd Paul Williams.
Called ReadyToServe, the scheme is not a formal discernment process, but the Alliance commends it as an “opportunity that provides the space and inspiration for possible candidates to explore God’s calling to ordained ministry”.
In the General Synod, Bishop Williams has consistently voted against proposals brought under the LLF process. He has, however, distanced himself from the apparent appropriation of his diocese’s programme. A spokesperson for the diocese said: “The course is for everyone, and has no particular stance or angle. Bishop Paul has already pointed out to the Alliance that their description and recommendation is wholly unhelpful and misleading.
THE Alliance came to public prominence in 2023 when a letter sent by the leaders of 11 C of E organisations to the College of Bishops was leaked to the Church Times (News, 7 July 2023). The signatories included the chairs of both the Catholic and Evangelical groups on the Synod, as well as the Vicar of Holy Trinity, Brompton, the Revd Archie Coates, and the church’s former vicar, and founder of the Alpha course, the Revd Nicky Gumbel.
The letter called for the Prayers of Love and Faith to undergo a Canon B2 process in the Synod. This requires a two-thirds majority in each of the Synod’s three Houses. This, to date, LLF proposals have failed to achieve.
Last year, in a further letter to bishops, the Alliance wrote that if stand-alone or “bespoke” services of blessing were allowed, it would have “no choice” but to establish a “de facto ‘parallel Province’” (News, 28 June 2024).
In November 2023, an amendment calling on the Bishops to consider a trial period for stand-alone services was carried by the Synod, but to date no such services have officially taken place (News, 15 November).
Another demand of those opposed to the LLF process is for structural provision for parishes and clergy which oppose the introduction of blessings for same-sex couples.
In February, the LLF lead bishop at the time, the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, said that the reassurance given by a model of shared episcopacy might be “enough to allow clergy to enter same-sex civil marriages”.
Bishop Snow stepped down as lead bishop in June, saying that, while he hoped that it “may yet be possible” to agree a “way forward in the Church of England on matters of sexuality, relationships, and marriage . . . I don’t think that can happen under my leadership.
End of Church Times article.
So bullying and threatening has paid off. Spurious unity at human cost. The LBGTQ+ community has good cause to be upset and angry at this despicable surrender by the House of Bishops. Shame on it.
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