CofE and wider Anglican realignment gathers pace

The slow but inexorable realignment of global Anglicanism, including the Church of England, is gathering pace following the C of E’s latest Synod.

At All Souls Langham Place, London, a group of 20 ‘overseers’ have now been commissioned by the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) to provide ‘informal oversight to clergy and [church councils] who feel a loss of confidence in the spiritual leadership of their bishops’.

And the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) reiterated its pledge to become ‘a spiritual home for all Orthodox Anglicans,’ saying that the Church of England had ‘forfeited her leadership role’ in the wider Anglican Communion.

At the most recent Church of England Synod (a Parliamentary-style body with three ‘houses’ – of Bishops, Clergy and Laity), a motion proposed three things. Firstly, it suggested the approval of ‘standalone’ services of blessings for same-sex couples (which will not begin before Feb 2025), secondly, to plan for the delegation of ‘some’ episcopal ministry for orthodox clergy who do not feel supported by their diocesan bishop, and, finally, to agree a timetable of decision about clergy being able to enter same-sex ‘marriages,’ where the decision could be made in Feb 2025.

Narrowly passed

The motion passed in all three houses – though only narrowly, and it was notable that an increasing number of bishops felt unable to support it. Only 56% of bishops, 52% of clergy and 51% of the laity voted for the motion – but it was enough for it to pass.

The Synod motion to provide some form of alternative episcopal support for orthodox clergy is currently regarded as far too weak by evangelicals, charismatics and Ango-Catholics who support the Biblical view on sexuality and have come together in a group known as ‘The Alliance’.

So a few days after the Synod, the CEEC commissioned 20 ‘overseers’ as a first step aimed at forcing Church of England bishops to provide more robust structural provision. The CEEC stressed, however, that ‘this informal and temporary oversight, facilitated by CEEC, does not in any way undermine or replace the legal and safeguarding responsibilities of clergy and PCCs to their bishops and/or diocese’.

The overseers are: Julian Henderson, Henry Scriven, Keith Sinclair, Pete Broadbent, Rod Thomas, Rob Munro, Christabel Ager, David Banting, David Heath-Whyte, Kieran Bush, Paul Harcourt, Paul Perkin, Paul Darlington, Ian Dowsett, Jane Morris, Angus MacLeay, Mike Smith, Mark Pickles, John Coles and Vaughan Roberts. A further four – William Taylor, Anita Colpus, Paul Jump and Mike Hill – will be commissioned at a later date.

Change in doctrine

A statement from the Alliance, after Synod and prior to the commissioning of the overseers, said: ‘Stand-alone services are at the very least indicative of a change in the doctrine of marriage, and clergy entering same-sex marriage is a definitive change in doctrine. As we wrote to the Archbishops in a letter…, we therefore “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”.’

It added: ‘We have told them that with the motion that has been approved without the promised provision for those who hold a different view, we do not feel there is the possibility of us being able to flourish in the Church of England as it is currently constituted. We have said we need to have a structural secure space for the over 2000 clergy in the Alliance and the churches they represent (which is 37% of total C of E church attendance and 57% of attendance of those under the age of 18).’

Archbishop Justin Badi Arama, chair of the GSFA, said: ‘We request all the faithful in the GSFA to uphold our faithful brothers and sisters in the Church of England, bishops, clergy and laity, who have come together as ‘The Alliance’. We stand with them in the struggle that lies ahead as they seek to establish a new Province of the Church of England that will enable them to continue their witness to Jesus with integrity and freedom.’