A Private Member’s Motion seeking to affirm that committed, faithful, intimate same-sex relationships are compatible with Christian discipleship was narrowly defeated at this week’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod in York. 

The motion, proposed by Professor Helen King and amended by the Very Revd Christopher Dalliston, was debated on Monday 13 July as part of the Church’s continuing dialogue around marriage and sexual ethics. 

The original motion stated:  

‘… that there are no fundamental objections to being in a committed, faithful, intimate same-sex relationship, and that such a relationship can be entirely compatible with Christian discipleship.‘  

Following a short debate, the motion was subsequently amended and a final vote was cast. The amended motion said –  

“That this Synod: 

(a) affirm that all baptised, believing and faithful persons regardless of sexual orientation are full members of the Body of Christ; 

(b) delight in the lives and ministries of LGBTQIA+ people in the Church of England; 

(c) recognise a legitimate range of theological perspectives, held in good conscience, across the Church of England, on the right ordering of committed, faithful, intimate same-sex relationships, and; 

(d) recognise that this includes views that affirm and views that reject the position that there are no fundamental objections to being in such a relationship and that such a relationship can be entirely compatible with Christian discipleship and ministry”. 

The houses of clergy and laity voted strongly in favour of the amended motion, but the House of Bishops voted against it by a small majority. While the Synod as a whole had supported the amended motion, EGGS had called for it to be a vote by houses and so enabled the bishops to defeat it.

	Bishops	Clergy	Laity
In Favour	11	93	101
Against	14	79	83
Abstentions	4	0	0

 

Revd John Dunnett, National Director, Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), commented on the outcome following the debate on Monday morning: 

“Thank you to everyone who has been praying for General Synod over the past few days. On Monday morning, Synod defeated a motion seeking to affirm that same-sex intimacy is compatible with Christian discipleship. We thank God for this outcome and for all those who spoke and voted with biblical conviction. 

“At the same time, this result is no cause for complacency and, as in Peter’s first letter, we must remain ‘alert’. The Living in Love and Faith cause continues, since the House of Bishops’ working group is tasked with exploring what changes would be needed to enable clergy to enter same-sex marriages. And while we are grateful for the bishops who did vote against the motion, the majority of those present did not vote against it. It is therefore clear that the House of Bishops cannot be entirely relied upon to secure biblical orthodoxy. 

“Today’s outcome was close. Had a counted vote in each of the three Houses not been requested, the motion would have been successful. This reality underlines why it is so important to secure an orthodox majority in the General Synod elections.” 

CEEC continues to work in partnership with the Alliance to stand for biblical orthodoxy. It has called on those who share their convictions to get involved in the Alliance’s General Synod election campaign (click here for more information). CEEC has urged people to continue to pray as the House of Bishops’ working group begins its work.

Video: Revd John Dunnett summarises the debate on the King Private Member’s Motion and its implications. 

 

Notes to editors  

Private Members’ Motions function similarly to those in Parliament: once sufficient support is gathered, the Business Committee may schedule them for debate. While PMMs do not change doctrine or law, they can signal the theological and political ‘view’ of the Synod. 

*A number of amendments were proposed for discussion and can be found here