Synod decision sees launch of 'parallel province'

The decision to approve the bishops’ proposals at July’s General Synod meeting has kicked off the launch of the de facto parallel province, as warned of by the Alliance (a coalition of groups within the Church of England who are committed to upholding the existing biblical and historic doctrine of marriage and sexual ethics). CEEC will now work with our partners in the Alliance to make this a reality.

Following the Synod decision, standalone services of blessing for same sex couples will now happen in the very near future in a church near you. The timetable has also been set for the removing of discipline and rules around clergy marrying their same sex partners. It is dismaying that the leaders of the Church of England seem intent on leading the church away from the Biblical teaching and doctrine passed down through the centuries and shared by millions of Christians in the Anglican Communion today.

It is deeply disappointing that despite hearing repeatedly in speeches of the need to build trust by avoiding bad process, and CEEC’s continued advocacy of the insufficiency of the proposed delegated arrangements, Synod passed the Motion, and the Prayers of Love and Faith bus continues to move forward.

The Alliance will now ask its supporters, which include members of the CEEC, to request the temporary and informal ‘Alternative Spiritual Oversight’ (ASO), which is already available through the CEEC, to sign up to the Ephesian Fund and to write to their bishops. In keeping with its letter, the Alliance will now begin construction of a pipeline for orthodox ordinands.

CEEC facilitated ASO in order to help clergy and parishes receive spiritual oversight without having to look outside of the Church of England. This is a temporary provision which will support evangelicals until a settlement based on structural provision is made available. A group of Honorary Assistant bishops will undertake this ministry alongside other non-consecrated overseers from across the evangelical constituency (spanning charismatics and conservatives, egalitarians and complementarians).

It is more important than ever that churches use the Ephesian Fund as both a vehicle to pay share to their dioceses and as a vehicle to withhold or divert their giving elsewhere, should they wish to. For churches in dioceses with orthodox bishops this will not lead to a reduction of giving but it will enable your giving to be part of a nationwide message to the House of Bishops.

While many of us, both clergy and lay, are weary, CEEC is clear, from speaking to bishops, that the vast majority of clergy/churches have not expressed their concerns to their bishops. We are told it is being reported in the House of Bishops that the concern is less widespread than we are reporting.

CEEC continues to believe that structural reorganisation is the only provision that will guarantee orthodoxy going forward and enable many of us to remain in the Church of England. The provisions outlined will serve as a stepping-stone to the formal and permanent provision which we hope and pray will be agreed. Our hope is that the bishops will come to the table to negotiate an acceptable settlement.