On February 9th 2023, the Church of England’s General Synod welcomed proposals which would enable same-sex couples to come to church after a civil marriage or civil partnership to give thanks, dedicate their relationship to God and receive God’s blessing. Synod members also voted to “lament and repent” of the failure of the Church to welcome LGBTQI+ people and for the harm that LGBTQI+ people have experienced – and continue to experience – in churches.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said:
“It has been a long road to get us to this point. For the first time, the Church of England will publicly, unreservedly and joyfully welcome same-sex couples in church. The Church continues to have deep differences on these questions which go to the heart of our human identity. As Archbishops, we are committed to respecting the conscience of those for whom this goes too far and to ensure that they have all the reassurances they need in order to maintain the unity of the Church as this conversation continues. We hope that today’s thoughtful, prayerful debate marks a new beginning for the Church as we seek a way forward, listening to each other and most of all to God. Above all we continue to pray, as Jesus himself prayed, for the unity of his church and that we would love one another.”
The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who led the debate and chairs the group which oversaw the development of the proposals, said: “This is a moment of hope for the Church."
On 12 December 2023, the House of Bishops commended* the ‘Prayers of Love and Faith’ and associated Pastoral Guidance for use in regular public worship services with effect from Sunday, 17 December 2023.
The Church’s understanding of marriage – or Holy Matrimony – remains as a lifelong, faithful and exclusive covenant between one man and one woman.
* Commendation is when prayers or other liturgical materials are put forward by the House of Bishops as being suitable for use by ministers in exercise of their discretion under Canon B5. Authorisation is more formal and means that a service becomes an integral part of the official liturgical resources of the Church of England available for use.