Conservative clergy and parishioners in the Church of England are leading a small but vocal resistance against the General Synod’s decision to offer voluntary blessings for civil marriages of same-sex couples. The move, which is seen by some as a departure from biblical orthodoxy, has sparked protests in Buckinghamshire and the City of London, with some clergy refusing to bless same-sex unions.
In Buckinghamshire, a large parish has refused to offer blessings to same-sex couples in its seven churches and is taking steps to withhold its annual contribution of £235,000 to the diocese of Oxford. The protest has raised concerns among some parishioners who fear that gay couples will be unable to find a church willing to bless their civil marriage in the town and surrounding villages.
Similarly, a group of traditionalist clergy in the City of London have formed an independent structure within the Church of England, as an act of resistance to blessings. This action is backed by the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), a conservative body that is encouraging churches in all dioceses to make protests.
The CEEC has pledged to resist all attempts to introduce church blessings for same-sex couples, known as prayers of love and faith. The group claims that opposition to the proposal is growing, and archbishops in Nigeria, Uganda, South Sudan and Egypt have warned of radical action against the “blessing of sin”.
The traditionalists’ argument is based on the belief that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. This viewpoint has caused bitter divisions within the Church of England over the years, culminating in the General Synod’s vote in February to back a proposal by bishops to offer blessings on a voluntary basis for clergy.
Despite the resistance, the Church of England insists that services of blessing are voluntary. The suffragan bishop in the diocese of Oxford has clarified that only a handful of churches shared the views of the Great Chesham parochial church council and that nothing had changed for those who did not wish to offer such services.
Jayne Ozanne, a campaigner for LGBT+ equality in the Church of England, argues that the synod’s decision to enable blessings of people in same-sex unions upholds the long-established Anglican tradition of freedom of conscience, meaning that none of this small handful of clergy would have been impacted anyway.
It remains to be seen whether the conservative faction’s protests will gain wider support in the Church of England or if they will remain a vocal minority.