Living in Love & Faith: Update

As many will be aware, the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process is now coming to a close.

LLF was set up in 2017 to explore the Church of England’s approach to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage. At St John’s we first engaged with LLF in 2021, by running the LLF course in various groups soon after it was issued. After this we held a survey of the congregation on LLF-related topics and inclusion, and subsequently joined the Inclusive Church network in 2023.

The main practical change brought about by LLF has been the introduction of the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF), which are ‘public prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples’ for use as part of regular Church of England services, and we offer these at St John’s. The guidance in the Issues of Human Sexuality document from 1991 has also been replaced. There has been no change to the Church of England’s doctrine of marriage.

Two other significant, potential changes did not proceed beyond preliminary stages, namely the introduction of ‘bespoke’ (standalone) services of blessing for same-sex couples, and general permission for clergy to be in a same-sex civil marriage. The House of Bishops has confirmed that, based on legal advice, the former would need full formal authorisation under canon law, and acknowledged that the latter would also require a formal legislative process.

The decision that work on LLF will close by July was made by the Church of England’s General Synod, by passing a motion, after lengthy debate, at its meeting in February. The motion also determined that two groups will be set up to continue work that is unresolved from LLF:

• Relationships, Sexuality and Gender Working Group. This will explore what would be needed to take forward the two potential changes above, namely the approval process for bespoke services of blessing for same-sex couples under canon law, and what legislation would be needed to license or ordain same-sex married clergy. It will also have a remit to resource the House of Bishops on wider issues around relationships, sexuality and gender.

• Sexuality and Gender Pastoral Consultative Group. This will give pastoral advice to bishops and archdeacons on specific cases in the interim and facilitate consistent practice across the Church.

The motion also stated ‘that this Synod recognise and lament the distress and pain many have suffered during the LLF process, especially LGBTQI+ people.’ Opening the debate, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell said ‘I want to acknowledge that wherever you stand on the LLF debate, I know that many of you are feeling angry and disappointed’ and ‘I also recognise that we are not yet at a place where other developments can be made. We do now know what questions need to be asked theologically, liturgically, synodically and legally to map a way forward, and we need to bring LLF to a close so as to create the space where this work can breathe.’

Speaking as the debate concluded, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally added ‘Hope is a muscle that we need to flex. So I would encourage you today not to have hope in the church, but to have hope in God upon whom our foundation is made, who sees each one of us made in the image of God, and to take that step and flex that muscle of hope, trusting in God in these next steps.’

Alistair Smith