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Will the Church of England soon follow the Church in Wales on same-sex marriage?
By Julian Mann
https://www.christiantoday.com/
09 September 2021
If Church of England traditionalists are to stand up for the counter-cultural Christian sexual ethic, they are going to have to defy the allegedly conservative newspaper, The Daily Telegraph.
The 'news report' on the Anglican Church in Wales's vote on Monday to bless same-sex marriages pointed out that "the Church of England is now the only Anglican church in Great Britain not to either bless or marry same-sex couples". The Scottish Episcopal Church has allowed same-sex marriage since 2017.
The story by the DT's social and religious affairs editor, Gabriella Swerling, quoted the rapturous welcome for the Church in Wales vote from two leading CofE campaigners for ditching the traditional sexual ethic, Bishop of Liverpool Paul Bayes and General Synod member Jayne Ozanne.
She said: "I'm thrilled to hear of this significant step by the Church in Wales towards a fully inclusive church today. If we want all in our care to flourish and thrive, and for our churches to grow, we must learn to embrace diversity and be known as people who practice what we preach.
"I yearn for the day when the Church of England has the courage to make the same step - we need to be a Church for all England."
The DT story also gave a platform to "the Very Reverend Jeffrey John, a Church of England priest who made headlines in 2003 by being the first person to have openly been in a same-sex relationship to have been nominated as a Church of England bishop". Disappointed that the Anglican Church in Wales was not allowing same-sex marriage services, he described the vote as a "halfway house".
No CofE traditionalist was quoted in Ms Swerling's report.
Jayne Ozanne enthusiastically tweeted Ms Swerling's story with its quote about the CofE being the odd one out. Ms Swerling re-tweeted Ms Ozanne's endorsement.
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