Dear friends,
Many of you will have heard that Prayers of Love and Faith have been commended by the House of Bishops for use at the discretion of the incumbent and those leading worship from Sunday 17 December 2023.
For some of you, these prayers will be an important resource as you welcome LGBTQ+ folk and celebrate their love. For others, this begins a time of further exploration of the issues raised in Living in Love and Faith.
I trust you in considering your decision carefully, communicating that decision well and following good pastoral practice in consulting your PCCs and preparing those who come seeking prayer. You may find the early sections of the Pastoral Guidance, linked below, helpful in this.
No incumbent or minister is, or will be, required to use the prayers, and if you find yourself under pressure to do so please do be in touch with your Archdeacon or with Bishop Neil or me. The Communications Team stands ready to support you in whatever decision you take, as do your Bishops. We will offer further reflections and resources in the New Year.
Meanwhile, we will be holding each of you, in the diversity of your views, in our prayers.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt Revd Vivienne Faull
Bishop of Bristol
Resources
Please find below links to the full text of Prayers of Love and Faith and the Living in Love and Faith Pastoral Guidance:
PLF Text LLF Pastoral Guidance
Contact
If you have pastoral questions regarding Prayers of Love and Faith, please contact your respective Archdeacon: Ven Becky Warring (Archdeacon of Bristol), Ven Christopher Bryan (Archdeacon of Malmesbury).
For questions or support related to press enquiries around Prayers of Love and Faith, please contact the Diocesan Communications Team.