The governing body of the Church of England has voted to endorse on a trial basis a special service to bless same-s*x couples
The CoE, the centerpiece of the entire Anglican Communion of 85 million believers in 165 countries, adheres to the teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman and does not recognize same-s*x unions.
However, the church is looking for ways to make people in the LGBTQ community feel more welcome and apologized in January for the “hostile and homophobic responses” some have faced.
On Wednesday evening, November 15, the church narrowly voted to bless same-s*x couples.
After years of debate, the Anglican Church announced that in Wednesday’s vote it agreed to introduce a pilot service “in the near future.
This is a pilot, not a final church policy.
Welby, who is also a leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said he recognizes that divisions remain.
I have abstained because my pastoral responsibility extends to everyone in the Anglican Communion and the worldwide Anglican Communion,” he said in a statement released Thursday, March 16.
A conservative group of Anglican leaders from Uganda, Rwanda, Brazil, and other countries declared in April that they no longer have confidence in Welby over his stance on same-s*x marriage.
After a nine-hour debate among the bishops, clergy, and lay people who make up the Synod Assembly, a vote was taken, and it was agreed that the pilot solo service would center on a text known as the “Prayer of Love and Faith.”
It is a collection of prayers, readings, and other materials for same-s*x couples who “desire to love one another, give thanks for their love, and demonstrate their faith before God,” the church said.
