In an attempt to heal the rift in the ranks of the Anglican Church over homosexuality, new guidelines issued by the Church of England will not allow priests to bless same-sex weddings or marry someone of the same sex themselves.
Reuters is reporting that the new guidelines will affect the world’s 80 million Anglicans and maintain marriage as being between a man and a woman. Even though same-sex marriage will become legal in England next month, the church’s bishops say the most their clergy will do is offer an informal prayer at their own discretion if a couple requests it.
“Services of blessing should not be provided. Clergy should respond pastorally and sensitively in other ways,” said the guidance from the House of Bishops.
In addition, people in a same-sex marriage cannot be ordained as a deacon, priest or bishop, and those already serving cannot enter into such a union.
“The House is not willing for those who are in a same-sex marriage to be ordained to any of the three orders of ministry,” the bishops said. “In addition, it considers that it would not be appropriate conduct for someone in holy orders to enter into a same-sex marriage.”
The Anglican church has suffered serious divisions within its ranks over homosexuality, particularly since the U.S. branch – the Episcopal Church – ordained the openly gay Eugene Robinson as a bishop in 2003.
Since that time, there has been a 25 percent decline in attendance rates in the U.S.
As Jeff Walton, Anglican program director at the Institute on Religion & Democracy, told The Christian Post just a few months ago, demographic trends as well as the hierarchy’s acceptance of liberal theology is to blame for this rapid decline.
“By effectively running off church planters, evangelists and many young families who hold closely to the Gospel, the Episcopal Church has eaten the seed corn of its future,” said Walton. “This is the natural consequence of a church that has lost its ability to critique wider culture. If all the Episcopal Church does is affirm every choice and echo the society around it, why would potential parishioners seek to hear the same message there that they can get anywhere else?”
The leaders of the Anglican Church may well be trying to stave off the same dire consequences by opting to follow the Bible rather than popular culture.
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