Dear Editor,
Re the appointment of Stephen Knott, as the new Archbishops’ Secretary for appointments (en February, pp 2 & 8):
Reaction in church press has quickly turned sour. Questions are coming fast over the transparency of the process, its speed and the membership of the independent panel who appointed him. But the fire has been particularly stoked because Stephen Knott entered into a same-sex marriage in July 2021 and Lambeth failed to mention this key fact in its announcement. All this at a time when same-sex marriages are still forbidden in the CofE’s official teaching. Discussions about what the official position should be are still not decided, supposedly, until General Synod 2023.
Would it not be reasonable to expect the CofE to uphold its own teaching? If it doesn’t believe its own teaching, why should they expect anyone else to do so? Can you imagine a political party appointing a chief officer for selecting future MP candidates, who himself fails to subscribe to the values of the party?
Many faithful in the CofE are disgruntled. However, is it finally time for compromise to be over? If people won’t leave, what will they do instead? They need our prayers. There is a wider church (and world) that is watching.
Yours sincerely,
Revd Steven Hanna Christ Church Exeter, (Former CofE minister for 18 years)
