Articles - From the Vicar

In the middle of June Canon Dr Jeffrey John was nominated by the Bishop of Oxford as the new Bishop of Reading, one of the three suffragan bishoprics in the large Diocese of Oxford. His nomination made headlines not only because Dr John had openly declared his homosexual orientation but also because he had been in a same-sex relationship for nearly thirty years. In a highly unusual move nine diocesan bishops wrote an open letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury questioning the appropriateness of the appointment. A few days later, eight other diocesan bishops (including our own) wrote to the Archbishop to affirm their support for Dr. John and for the manner in which his appointment was made. On 6th July it was announced that Jeffrey John had withdrawn his acceptance of the nomination.

The debate about Dr John's appointment was heated and at times intemperate. It was not helped by some of the media coverage which was, by turns, luridly sensational and ill-informed. Most disturbingly there was a confusion of the particular issue of Dr John's appointment and the wider issue of the Christian response to homosexuality, a confusion that has not served the Church of England well.

In December 1991 the House of Bishops published a document, Issues in Human Sexuality which was intended as a resource document for parishes, deaneries and dioceses. Its purpose was to promote a discussion of homosexuality within the wider context of Christian reflection on human sexuality in general (a discussion that Jeremy Trew helped us with here at St. Edmund's some years ago). Drawing on the resources of scripture and the Christian tradition the document affirmed lifelong heterosexual marriage as an ideal but also stated clearly that those in faithful homosexual partnerships, although falling short of this ideal, should be affirmed and welcomed by the local church. However for homosexual clergy a 'different standard' applied and the discipline was clear: they were required to remain celibate. In the context of Issues in Human Sexuality the nomination of Dr John was, on the face of it, uncontroversial: he does not live with his partner (indeed has never lived with him) and the relationship has been a celibate one for well over ten years. Moreover Dr John himself has written unequivocally about his obedience to the disciplines set out in Issues in Human Sexuality: "I have had, and still have, an overriding regard for the mind of the Church in its interpretation of scripture, whatever my personal interpretation." The Bishop of Oxford, as Dr John's nominator, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, as the one who was to ordain him, appeared to have full trust and confidence in Dr John's integrity in this matter. We must pray that those who challenged the grounds for this trust and confidence, including some senior bishops, did not do so lightly.

In his statement following Jeffrey John's withdrawal the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of the "shocking level of ignorance and hatred towards homosexual people" that had been apparent in letters sent to him. The scandal of such ignorance and hatred makes all the more urgent the need for debate among Christians about homosexuality to be informed, to have perspective and to avoid using arguments that are focused on particular individuals such as Dr John. We must be theologically serious in our debating, recognising the genuine disagreements that exist between us as Christians and being willing to engage in dialogue both with each other and with our holy scripture and tradition. But our debating must also take place with an awareness that our fundamental calling as disciples is to proclaim Jesus Christ to the whole of humanity, holding out to a broken world the healing and liberating grace of the Gospel and modelling in all our relationships the faithfulness, humility and integrity that flow from a life lived in and for Christ.

Let us pray for grace to listen as well as to speak, to understand before we judge and in all that we do to seek the mind of Christ in union with whom all things hold together.

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay