The Archbishops also gave an indication of the timeline for "decision-making" on issues such as same sex marriage, saying they hoped to come to conclusions by 2022.

The report also said that while some controversial opinions relate to the ethics and lifestyle of opposite sex relationships and there are questions about gender and pastoral provisions for transgender people, the "most pressing among our differences are questions around same sex relationships".

Unfortunately some evangelical leadership up until this point has been characterised by what might be called the 'Sergeant Wilson' approach -- a kind of languid diffidence which seeks to fulfil the New Testament injunction to 'contend earnestly for the faith' (Jude 1v3) with an approach that seems to say, 'Well, really, you know this is all terribly difficult isn't it, and you know, if things aren't sorted out doctrinally, and brought into line, I mean really there may have to be some kind of

Penduck is a West Midlands vicar who is also the Chair of Fulcrum and a prolific blogger on recent church history -- he's currently writing a series on different evangelical 'tribes' in the Church of England. In this piece in CEN his arguments for evangelicals to 'stay in' briefly analyse the contemporary scene before turning to a historical example not well known by English evangelical Anglicans.

"In calling for the enquiry, through a letter to the then Home Secretary Theresa May in 2014, I was aware that although it would be something that survivors had demanded it would also be a deeply painful process to tell their stories. I am very grateful to them for their courage. We cannot and will not make excuses and I must again offer my sincere apologies to those to have been abused, and to their families, friends and colleagues.