Women bishops – House of Laity meeting confirmed – July might be too soon to return to fray, bishops; Gay marriage: Religious ‘opt-in’ offered, but not to CofE; Top Tories Launch Gay Marriage Campaign; Media review – Final service in gay split church; Churches could become police access points
Women bishops – House of Laity meeting confirmed
The date of the meeting of the House of Laity to debate a motion of no confidence in its chair, Dr Philip Giddings, has now been confirmed as 18 January 2013. Members of the House were sent this email –
Dear Members of the House of Laity
An extraordinary meeting of the House has been called to debate a motion of no confidence in Dr Philip Giddings as Chair of the House. Sufficient of you indicated your support under the provisions of Standing Order 2(c) of the House to require the meeting to take place.
Given the nature of the motion that will be before the House, the Standing Committee has determined that the meeting should take place as soon as possible and has consequently called the meeting for Friday 18 January 2013. The meeting will take place from 1.30 p.m. in the Assembly Hall in Church House, Westminster.
Tea and coffee will be available free of charge in the Bishop Partridge Hall. Cold snacks will also be available for a charge.
If members wish to claim expenses incurred in attending the meeting, they will need to agree this with their diocese. Those members whose expenses are met centrally will need to agree reimbursement with the Synod Office as usual.
The Standing Committee has agreed that there will be only one item on the agenda – namely, the motion of no confidence – and that no other business will be in order.
I shall circulate an agenda and supporting papers this week.
With all good wishes
Nicholas Hills
Administrative Secretary
Central Secretariat
The Archbishops’ Council
Dr Giddings’ local paper, the Reading Post, has published this article by Linda Fort: Top church of England figure faces no confidence vote. This report states:
In his speech to the General Synod last month he said: “In 1992 I voted in favour of ordaining women to the priesthood knowing it was unacceptable to some of my fellow Evangelicals because of their understanding of the Bible’s teaching on headship.
“I was able to vote for it because it was designed to ensure that those who could not in conscience accept it could remain with us.
“Today’s legislative package rescinds those arrangements. Are we asked to believe that such diversity of opinion no longer exists?”
Dr Giddings, 66, was also an opponent of the appointment of gay deacon Canon Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading in 2003. He is a lay minister at Greyfriars Church in the town centre.
http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2125432_top_church_of_england_figure_faces_no_confidence_vote
Women bishops – July might be too soon to return to fray, bishops warn
Madeleine Davies, Church Times – Campaigners who want to see a fresh Measure to admit women to the episcopate at the General Synod next July may be disappointed, two bishops have suggested.
On Wednesday of last week, the Archbishops’ Council stated that the women-bishops issue should be resolved “as a matter of urgency” ( News, 30 November). It urged the House of Bishops at its meeting next week to “put in place a clear process for discussions in the New Year, with a view to bringing legislative proposals before Synod in July”.
On Tuesday, however, the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Revd Trevor Willmott, suggested that the House “ought to be able to share with people a process” at the Synod in July. “That will lead in due course to fresh legislative proposals.”
Also this week, the Bishop of Chester, Dr Peter Forster, called for a “concentrated period of reflection”. There were “good reasons” why the legislative group and Synod had not pursued a single-clause Measure or “stronger safeguards”, and “the greatest problem would be if we started the process quickly and ended up with another mess.”
Bishop Willmott, who was a member of the steering committee for the last Measure, also expressed concerns about restricting it to a single clause. “We are trying to get away from some of these words which actually are too blunt: so, for example, a ‘single clause’.
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2012/7-december/news/uk/july-might-be-too-soon-to-return-to-fray,-bishops-warn
Gay marriage: Religious ‘opt-in’ offered, but not to CofE
The Church of England and Church in Wales will be banned in law from offering same-sex marriages, the government has announced.
Other religious organisations will be able to “opt in” to holding ceremonies, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said.
But she added that the Church of England and Church in Wales had “explicitly” stated strong opposition and would not be included.
The plans are due to be introduced before the next election, in 2015.
Labour backs the changes, which apply to England and Wales, and urged ministers not to be “too reserved” in promoting them.
The Church of England and Roman Catholics, among other denominations, have voiced opposition to same-sex marriage.
But some religious groups, including Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Judaism, are in favour.
In her statement, Mrs Miller promised a “quadruple lock” to protect religious freedom, involving:
– No religious organisation or individual minister being compelled to marry same-sex couples or to permit this to happen on their premises
– Making it unlawful for religious organisations or their ministers to marry same-sex couples unless their organisation’s governing body has expressly opted in to provisions for doing so
– Amending the 2010 Equality Act to ensure no discrimination claim can be brought against religious organisations or individual ministers for refusing to marry a same-sex couple
– The legislation explicitly stating that it will be illegal for the Church of England and the Church in Wales to marry same-sex couples and that Canon Law, which bans same-sex weddings, will continue to apply
Mrs Miller said the Church of England and Church in Wales had “explicitly stated” their opposition to offering same-sex ceremonies, so the government would “explicitly state that it will be illegal for the Churches of England and Wales to marry same-sex couples”.
Continue reading the main story at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20680924
Analysis by Norman Smith – Chief political correspondent, BBC News Channel
Although Culture Secretary Maria Miller has stressed the government’s determination to press ahead with this plan for gay marriage, she has unveiled a series of legal concessions.
The upshot of that, it seems to me, is that only a very small number of churches or establishments are likely to be available to same-sex couples for wedding ceremonies.
That will undoubtedly appease many of her critics, particularly on her own backbenches.
The danger with the explicit legal ban on same sex marriage in the Church of England and Church in Wales, is it will anger many supporters of gay marriage who feel she has given far too much ground.
Top Tories Launch Gay Marriage Campaign
David Cameron supports the plans to allow same-sex weddings to be held in places of worship and has promised a free vote, but more than 100 Tory MPs are expected to oppose the change in the Commons next year. Mr Cameron has pledged to give MPs a free vote on the plans, meaning they will be able to vote against the Prime Minister’s position without facing disciplinary action.
The new group has been put together by Nick Herbert, the former police minister who resigned from the Government in September’s reshuffle.
As well as Mr Johnson and Mr Gove, it includes Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who is Catholic, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt, an evangelical Christian, former Tory ministers Lord Fowler and Nicholas Soames and Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson. It has since received public support from former Prime Minister, Sir John Major.
In a letter to The Sunday Telegraph announcing the formation of the group, the 19 declared: “Marriage should be open to all, regardless of sexuality.
“We recognise that civil partnerships were an important step forward in giving legal recognition to same sex couples.
“But civil partnerships are not marriages, which express a particular and universally understood commitment.”
Mr Herbert, who is in a civil partnership, said changing the law was “the right thing to do”.
“It is precisely because marriage is such a uniquely important institution that we should ensure that all couples who want to enter into it, regardless of their sexuality, can do so,” he added.
“Conservatives who believe in marriage should feel this most strongly.”
However, Mr Herbert insisted it would be wrong to “compel religious organisations to marry same-sex couples against their will” and called for legal “safeguards” to prevent it.
Under the proposals, due to be fleshed out this week, churches and other venues will be allowed to “opt in” to holding civil marriage ceremonies.
Ministers will offer a guarantee that no institution will be forced to marry gay people on their premises – but Tory MPs and religious groups have questioned whether it would stand up to challenges under the Human Rights Act.
Legislation is expected to be introduced before Easter, and could take effect about a year later – with the first ceremonies likely be held in spring 2014.
Ministers have promised to introduce a Bill before 2015 but the legislation may be fast-tracked to bring it before Parliament early next year.
Organisations that wish to host gay weddings will be allowed to opt in to the proposed new laws, which come in response to a public consultation by the Home Office during the summer.
Culture Secretary Maria Miller will also propose legal protection for organisations that reject gay marriage, such as the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, when she spells out the Government’s plans next week.
Some religious groups, including Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Judaism, are in favour of gay marriage and are thought likely to apply to be allowed to stage ceremonies.
No religious organisations will be forced to conduct same sex weddings under the proposals.
Speaking on a visit to the West Midlands, Mr Cameron said: “I’m in favour of gay marriage because I’m a supporter of marriage and I don’t want gay people to be excluded from a great institution.
“But let me be absolutely and 100% clear, if there is any church, or any synagogue, or any mosque that doesn’t want to have a gay marriage, it will not, it absolutely must not be forced to hold it. That is absolutely clear in the legislation.
“Also let me make clear this is a free vote for Members of Parliament, but personally I will be supporting it.”
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg added: “It’s very important to remember that in our plans we’re not going to force any church or any religious denomination to hold same-sex marriage ceremonies if they don’t want to but I do think it’s time that we allow any couple, no matter who they are, to marry if that’s what they want to do.”
The Church of England has previously warned such a move would effectively result in the definition of marriage being rewritten by Parliament.
It has said the proposals would lead to a clash between its law – that marriage is between a man and a woman – and that of Parliament.
BBC report – Senior Conservative MPs and peers. back a campaign to allow religious bodies to conduct gay marriages – but not compelling them to do so.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20656207
MEDIA REVIEW
Final service in gay split church
BBC News – The congregation of a Glasgow church has held its final service before leaving the Church of Scotland. St George’s Tron Church took the decision over the Kirk’s acceptance of gay ministers. The dispute between it and the Church of Scotland has led to a bitter dispute over assets.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-20652600
Churches could become police access points
Christian Today – Churches could become ‘access points’ for members of the public to report crime under new plans. Scotland Yard has proposed that access points be opened in places of worship, coffee shops and even football stadiums to make up for the closure of police station counters, The Times reports.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/3/churches.could.become.police.access.points/31220.htm