The House of Bishops met on Monday 9 October to agree the next stages for consideration of Prayers of Love and Faith at the meeting of General Synod to be held in London, 13 – 15 November 2023. The full national press release from the meeting can be found here.
This meeting followed the debate at General Synod in February this year.
The main points in the press release are:
- The prayers and readings in Prayers of Love and Faith for use with same-sex couples will be commended by the House of Bishops for use in public worship.
- Special standalone services set out in Prayers of Love and Faith will be brought to the General Synod to decide whether to authorise them under Canon B2, after consultation with dioceses.
- There is also more work underway to explore further forms of pastoral reassurance and the possibility of formal structural pastoral provision to ensure everyone’s conscience is respected.
Due to the complex nature of the decision, we will be gradually releasing more information to clarify what it means for individuals, parishes and church communities. The bishops discussed the need for pastoral reassurance across all dioceses and it is forefront of our minds to find a way for all to live well, with our different perspectives and convictions.
Work is being done nationally to provide further resources and advice, which will inform how we progress within the Diocese of Bristol, and we will align our timeline with this release of support.
In the meantime, this comes with our concerned prayers for each of you and for the Diocese which we love, and serve together in the name of Christ.