CANTERBURY, England (RNS) The Church of England on Friday (Jan. 4) confirmed that it has dropped its prohibition on gay clergy in civil partnerships becoming bishops — but only if they agree to remain celibate.
Speaking on behalf of the Church’s House of Bishops, Bishop of Norwich Graham Jones said in a statement: “The House of Bishops has confirmed that clergy in civil partnerships, and living in accordance with the teaching of the Church on human sexuality, can be considered as candidates for the episcopate. There had been a moratorium on such candidates for the past year and a half while the working party completed its task.”
Jones added that the bishops agreed it would be “unjust” to exclude gay men from becoming bishops if they were otherwise ”seeking to live fully in conformity with the Church’s teaching on sexual ethics or other areas of personal life and discipline.”
Although the bishops approved the change on Dec. 20, it wasn’t noticed until Friday when the BBC’s religious affairs correspondent, Robert Pigott, read it in a report published in the Church Times.
The move represents a major shift for the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which had already weathered a major schism when Anglicanism’s American branch, the Episcopal Church, consecrated openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire in 2003.
Evangelical Anglicans said that they would fight the move to let gay clergy become bishops.
The issue of gay bishops has split the Church of England since 2003 amid a row over gay cleric Jeffrey John becoming the Bishop of Reading, about 58 miles west of London.
Presently, John is dean of St. Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire and is registered in a same-sex civil partnership with his longtime partner. Under the new rules, he would be eligible to become a bishop as long as he maintains his commitment to celibacy.
January 11, 2013 at 7:37 AM |
1 Corin. 6:9-10; Romans 1:18-32…God’s Word is crystal clear. They can lift their prohibitions and they can legislate these abominations into legality all they want but those who support what God condemns will face judgment for it and that judgment won’t be nuthin’ nice! There is NO such thing as a “gay” Christian…if a person’s is “gay” they are NOT a Christian and if a person is a Christian they can in NO way be “gay”! God condemns this life-style…God made “Adam & Eve” not “Adam & Steve”, nor did God make “Linda for Brenda”! Yeah…it’s that simple! *The god of THIS WORLD (Satan) has blinded their minds because they have voluntary subjected their minds to him (Satan is their master and their god)!!! The criteria for the Bishop is found in 1 Tim. 3:1-5 and Titus 1:5-11…”this is EXCLUSIVE of women & homosexuals”…they CAN’T be Bishops which mean they CAN’T be Elders which mean they CAN’T be Pastors which mean they CAN’T be Preachers! Those who operate outside of God’s Word are “Heretics”…it’s heresy! There is absolutely NOTHING to debate… God’s Word is crystal clear and arguing with God is absolutely useless. Ppl just need to stop fighting Him and just follow Him through HIS WORD! If ppl want to know the TRUTH just consult the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost who “LEADS US INTO ‘ALL’ TRUTH”! Yeah…it’s that simple! This is ALMOST comical…”Church of England OK’s Celibate GAY Bishops” (i.e. the Church of England and NO ONE else can OK what God condemns)…it’s OBVIOUS they don’t follow the Holy Scriptures! Besides, the Church of England is not the authority on God’s Word, GOD IS THE AUTHORITY (Authority comes from the root word “Author”)!!! *In the 1st pic above, they can hold their signs all they want BUT God condemns their life-style and as Christians we CAN NOT CONDONE what God has condemned (we must continue to speak against this abominable life-style)…if they want to call us Christians bigots, so be it but THE TRUTH MUST BE SPOKEN!!!
January 10, 2013 at 6:06 PM |
I am a young person in the church trying to live a holy life and I don’t understand why some Christians don’t have to conform to Biblical principles on sin like the rest of us. It is just not fair. A homosexual can have up to a 1,000 partners in their lifetime. Celibate really. Civil relationship, living in the same house, laying in the same bed, but celibate. Okay will see if that happens.
January 11, 2013 at 9:50 AM |
Shavon that is just it: all Christians are required to live a sold out life- no matter who they are or what position in the church they hold. Unfortunately some church leaders are allowing unrighteousness to take root in their churches by not teaching against it or by embracing it. The bible tells us not to mix the sacred with the profane (or the holy with the unholy) in Ez. 44:23. So you continue to live your life as a living sacrifice to God. Pray for those who go astray, that God would continue to have mercy upon them and that their eyes would be opened. But also remember to flee from evil (1 Thess. 5:22)- even if it takes the form of a supposed bishop in church. This is a sad but true reality in this time.
January 10, 2013 at 11:07 AM |
If you are in a church that is supporting sin, then you yourself are in support of it too. If you hate something, will you entertain it? I don’t think so.
January 10, 2013 at 10:06 AM |
People love to say they we are all of Gods children. Thats a lie , if you are not obeying God then they are of their father , the devil, they are not the Children of God.
January 10, 2013 at 8:14 AM |
Not surprised. It’s like have sex half way? Are you kidding me? If homosexuality isn’t a problem, lying about celibacy won’t be a problem either. Revelation 21:8.
January 10, 2013 at 8:09 AM |
Now, you know that lying is not a problem because homosexuality is not a problem.
January 10, 2013 at 1:33 AM |
I really wonder why such people should insist on continuing to lead the people of God. They can always do those abominable things outside the church. I advise the people of God to run away from churches led by such people
January 9, 2013 at 7:12 PM |
Not suprise most priest was sodomites,fornicator,pediphile in the closet, this is not new news from inside the catholic religion, they always kept it a secret. This is the last days the bible say all secret must be reveal, they cannot hide anymore,so people who is that religion could see, and choose so when they stand in the judgement of God their sentence will be just.
January 9, 2013 at 2:52 PM |
Jesus said that which is honored among men is an abomination unto God. It doesn’t matter what men say, GOD has CONDEMNED this WICKEDNESS!!!!
January 9, 2013 at 2:22 PM |
Are they kidding me? Wooooow, they really don’t care, they just want to go their own way and condone what they’re doing as if it is okay. IT IS NOT OKAY! All they would have to do to recieve confirmation (if being gay is okay) is to read Romans chapter 1, and it says it all there that what they are doing is WRONG! Completely WRONG! They are playing right into the enemies trap. This spirit of perversion is all around us and we must continue to take a stand against the wiles of the enemy. He will fail, he will fall, and he will not succeed.
January 9, 2013 at 7:32 PM |
That part of the Bible has probably been torn out or omitted from their reading.
January 9, 2013 at 2:19 PM |
Look how the world is changing ….now that’s crazy
January 9, 2013 at 1:53 PM |
The Church of England ‘dropped its prohibition on gay clergy in civil partnerships becoming bishops — but only if they agree to remain celibate.’ WHAT? That’s like giving teenagers condoms and telling them ‘NOT’ to have sex!!! You know it’s wrong but give the green light anyway? #worldlydoctrine
January 9, 2013 at 1:31 PM |
Huh!!!! This really pains my heart! Do they honestly think these strawberry Fruit chews are gonna stay celibate?! The heterosexual bishops aren’t even being celibate. The church title over them has totally been destroyed with this taintedness! I’m so ready for Christ’s return and news like this motivates me even more to work toward packing my spiritual bag and be ready for His return because I’m ready to get outta here. However it’s gotta get worse before it gets better!
January 9, 2013 at 2:23 PM |
I believe the spirit of your comment hurts the testimony you might share with someone with this struggle. We children of Christ should’nt take the weapons of the world and use them when speaking to those who are lost and disobedient. Keyone Christ is holding us responsible to be the salt and light of the earth. Lets lift Christ up and allow Him to draw men unto to Him from the filth this world proclaims as right. Take care.
January 9, 2013 at 4:52 PM |
Amen, wise comment.
January 10, 2013 at 8:06 AM |
With all due respect and much love brother Woods, Keyone hit the spiritual nail on
the head. That which is done openly should be rebuked openly. Enough of the kid gloves in dealing with this abominable wickedness. Christ dealt with those that transgress the law unceromonously and with absolute righteous certainty. Jessus caled
January 11, 2013 at 9:56 AM |
Brother Woods I get what your saying but formyself living in NY City I know that grace abounds but we are like Lot whose spirit was vexed everyday because of the actions of t ose that were around him. I say this frequently I love them but hate what homos do. If we can not as Christians speak what God has given us then what’s the point of having it. Our weapons are not carnal but wait for it…..He gave us weapons and his armor!!! because we would need them to fight of the spiritual wickedness in the world. Jesus spoke to the enemy that was tempting him, and he left him alone. Gay Bishops, really, and why? a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways.
January 9, 2013 at 5:04 PM |
agreed Keyone! Everybody wants to sugar foot around with this mess that we’ve seen the past two days with bishops. It’s Raunchy, it’s unbecoming and it is FOWL FRUIT to say the least! What should be call them? Sodomites? Effiminism? How about this – STRAIGHT UP UNGODLY! The fruit of the flesh is the obvious and I’m calling it nothing less than that.
January 10, 2013 at 10:30 AM |
lol…Amen! brother your so dead on.