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In new pastoral guidance, published on 11 December, the CofE has encouraged its clergy to create baptism-style ceremonies for transgender people to welcome them into the Anglican faith.

The guidance, approved by the House of Bishops, advises referring to transgender people by their new name and also details how elements including water and oil can be incorporated into the service, though it stops short of being a baptism.

In what could mark the start of a return to sensible thinking on transgender issues, action is being brought against the Portman NHS Trust over its use of puberty blockers on children, it was reported in November.

The use of blockers has scant research behind it, but increasing numbers of children are being prescribed the medication which is only licensed for precocious onset of puberty. Indeed, research undertaken by the NHS’ own gender clinic, GIDS, has shown there is a significant increase in children trying to hurt or kill themselves when they are prescribed such medication. ‘Increase in use of (en September 2019 puberty blockers to be investigated.’)

A man who underwent gender re-assignment surgery who subsequently became a Bible-believing Christian, called for more caution from medical and mental health services in gender clinics.

Peter Benjamin, 60, who served in the British Army, underwent surgery to remove his genitalia in 2015 at a private London hospital. For many years Benjamin had suffered from addiction to cross-dressing and alcohol, leading to depression and suicidal thoughts. Married three times, his first wife mistook his addiction for homosexuality, while his second wife encouraged him to cross dress – even going clothes shopping with him. In 2005 he married his third wife, whom he credits with bringing his life back on track. However in the wake of losing her to cancer in 2011 and overwhelmed by grief, he decided that he wanted to become a woman ‘full-time’ and begin identifying as ‘Victoria.’

David Mackereth, an experienced Christian doctor who refused to use transgender pronouns at work, was told his belief in Genesis 1:27 is not worthy of respect by the judge who presided over his Employment Tribunal case in early October.

The judge ruled that: ‘Lack of belief in transgenderism and conscientious objection to transgenderism … are incompatible with human dignity and conflict with the fundamental rights of others.’ He continued: ‘In so far as those beliefs form part of [Mackereth’s] wider faith, his wider faith also does not satisfy [the requirement of being worthy of respect in a democratic society, not incompatible with human dignity and not in conflict with the fundamental rights of others.]’

The first in a series of free publications was launched in November, aiming to support parents as they try to grapple with what schools are doing in the name of equality and human rights.

The Christian Institute are keen to make for clear that their publication, Equipped Equality, does not constitute legal advice. Rather, it contains simple explanations and helpful scenarios based upon real life school situations where competing rights are pitted against each other.

A transgender person has lost a legal case to be recorded as the father on the child’s birth certificate.

Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the High Court’s Family Division, said someone who gives birth to a child is a mother. Freddy McConnell, born female but now legally male, retained female reproductive organs and conceived via donated sperm and IVF. McConnell was not permitted to list the relationship to the child as ‘father’ on the birth certificate and so challenged the Government.

Paediatricians are to investigate the controversial drugs used to halt puberty in children who want to change sex, it was reported in late July.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health asked its ethics and law advisory committee to look at the ethics surrounding the rapid increase in the use of hormone blockers to treat under 16s. The drugs are currently only licensed for use in children under this age who start puberty early, before the age of nine, not for children who present as having ‘gender dysphoria’.

en staff

Date posted: 1 Aug 2019

Representatives from the Renew steering committee supported the account of John Parker at a meeting on 12 June 2019 regarding his resignation as vicar and school governor (en July). The representatives were part of a meeting of around 30 local clergy at which the Bishop of Chelmsford used language of leaving, and were present at a meeting in which communion was broken.

Bishop Stephen Cottrell disputed Parker’s account in a letter circulated to the clergy by the Bishop’s office in the Diocese of Chelmsford. A statement on GAFCON and the Church Society websites noted the Bishop had ‘carefully worded’ the letter to give the ‘impression that the Bishop had never suggested that Parker should leave the church’ due to his beliefs.

What’s going on in the Church of England over transgender issues? How does that relate to wider UK society? How will the future unfold?

The CofE is in a mess over this. In 2017, the General Synod – a denominational Parliament of sorts – supported a call for ‘the House of Bishops to consider preparing nationally-commended liturgical materials to mark a person’s gender transition’. The bishops refused. But in 2018 they did suggest that the existing liturgy for the Affirmation of Baptismal Vows could be used ‘as the central feature of any service to recognise liturgically a person’s gender transition’.

Transgender hate laws are being questioned by an ex-police officer via a new campaign called A Fair Cop, it was reported in May.

Harry Miller is spearheading the group after being visited at work by police in Humberside after retweeting a limerick about trans women. The force admitted there had been no crime committed. They had received training by Mermaids, the controversial group which teaches that there is a spectrum of genders.

A vicar and Oxford biology graduate resigned from the Church of England and from his role as a school governor in May. This occurred after transgender ideology, endorsed by his diocese and taught in the CofE school where he was a governor, silenced him as a scientist and a Christian.

During a training session on transgender issues run by Mermaids, John Parker was told by the headteacher: ‘This is training, John, it’s not your time to share your view-point.’ This followed his request to raise some different perspectives. The training session was recorded, and the audio clearly demonstrates that his request was shut down by the headteacher.

A pupil in Scotland was thrown out of class for saying there are only two genders, it was reported in June.

In a three-minute recording*, the teacher told Murray, with no sense of irony, he was ‘entitled to his opinion’, but he couldn’t share it in class because ‘this is an inclusive school’. The teacher gave his own and the school’s opinion: ‘There are more than two genders. This view is acceptable in the school, and yours is not.’

In March, while Muslim parents continued to protest in Birmingham about liberal sex education teaching in primary schools, a Christian mother in Croydon launched a legal challenge against a school and council for the way she was treated after making a complaint about a ‘Pride’ event at her child’s school.

Heavers Farm Primary School organised a parade which included a clear celebration of LGBT lifestyles in June 2018. Mrs Izzy Montague, one of a group of parents who complained at their children being forced to take part in the event, reported that she and others were treated dismissively and then victimised following their complaints to the school about the event.

en staff

Date posted: 1 May 2019

The Baptist Union has received an application for the post of President in 2020-21, supported by 25 Assembly members, from a self-declared pansexual woman.

The Baptist Union asked people to prayer-fully consider which of two candidates should serve the Union as President. The statement says: ‘The question for discernment is who is the most appropriate candidate for this particular season in our Union’s life’.

On 25 March, The Values Foundation for Faith and Families in Education was launched in the Houses of Parliament.

Judith Nemeth, Executive Director of the multi-faith organisation, explained its three primary aims: to represent faith schools and their families (and anyone else with a traditional approach to family values) before government and its agencies; to open a debate on what British values are and so recover respect for faith in the public square; and to revisit the Equality Act of 2010, to resolve what happens legally when two or more protected characteristics clash. At present most of the protected characteristics will trump the seventh protected characteristic of religion or belief.

The founder of Transgender Trend, Stephanie Davies-Arai, was shortlisted for the 2018 John Maddox Prize.

The prize is awarded to those who address misleading information about scientific issues, bring sound evidence to the public and help others to make sense of a complicated scientific topic. The prestigious award seeks to recognise ‘the work of individuals who promote sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, facing difficulty or hostility in doing so’. In her work, Davies-Arai challenged the unquestioning acceptance of transgenderism and addressed the concerns faced by parents and young people.

Tim Dieppe

Date posted: 1 Feb 2019

In December, no Government spokesman in the House of Lords would confirm that a Christian would be free from arrest if they proclaimed the uniqueness of Jesus.

In reply to a question by Lord Pearson, Baroness Williams of Trafford, the Minister of State for countering extremism, replied:‘The definition [of a hate crime] is: any criminal offence which is perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s actual or perceived disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity. When flagged as a hate crime, the police will be satisfied that an offence has been committed and will then investigate evidence in support of the appropriate charge, as well as the aggravated element of hostility. It would not be appropriate for me, as I have just said, to confirm whether this [proclaiming the uniqueness of Jesus] is an example which would constitute a hate crime. That would be an operational decision both of the police and the CPS based on the specific circumstances.’