#Love in faith series#
In response, the bishops pressed on with their plan for a new document - which was later titled Living in Love and Faith - although it was tweaked to become not a proposed solution to the division on sexuality, but instead a series of resources on theology, sociology, history and science to help the church properly understand the issues.Ī parallel process was also launched produce pastoral guidelines to shape how clergy and parishes could care for LGBTQ+ people within the existing doctrine. In an unusual move, the General Synod of the Church of England voted in 2017 against the bishops’ proposal, after a campaign by pro-LGBTQ+ campaigners to register dissatisfaction with the hierarchy. It called for a new teaching document to be produced by the bishops offering guidance on same-sex relationships, aiming to allow “maximum freedom” without changing doctrine. In response to the shared conversations, the bishops concluded there would be no change to the church’s doctrine on sex or marriage.
#Love in faith professional#
These saw small groups from each diocese spend a weekend at a time at an hotel or conference centre being led through discussions on sexuality by professional facilitators to understand better each side’s position. It did, however, recommend clergy be allowed to offer public services to “mark” same-sex relationships and called for several years of “facilitated conversations” between both sides in the church to discern a way forward.Ībout 700 clergy and lay people across the C of E took part in the “shared conversations” called for by the Pilling Report from 2014 to 2016. It explored issues around sexuality, marriage and homophobia, but did not put forward any new doctrine. In 2013 as the legislation (which forbade the church from opting in to offer gay weddings) worked its way through parliament, the church’s Pilling Report was published. It began in 2017 and published a suite of resources and research in 2020, although without proposing any policy changes to church teaching or practice What is the background to Living in Love and Faith?Īlthough debates within the Church of England around sexuality date back to the 1950s, the roots of Living in Love and Faith (LLF) lie in the church’s response to the legalisation of same-sex marriage. By Tim Wyatt Living in Love and Faith is a major project in the Church of England exploring sexuality, gender and marriage.
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