170 Bishops Affirm “Holiness” of Same-Sex Love

170 Bishops Affirm “Holiness” of Same-Sex Love

170 bishops from within the Anglican Communion signed a document supporting same-sex marriage and other issues promulgated by the LGBT community.  This means 480 of those bishops in attendance did not sign.  Over three hundred bishops chose to not attend the Lambeth Conference.  Of all Anglican bishops within the Communion roughly 800 were in disagreement.  Those bishops in favour of the letter of support were from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Wales.

Jayne Ozanne, member of the General Synod and Director of the Ozanne Foundation which lobbies on behalf of LGBT issues said on social media, 

“It is unprecedented to have such a powerful affirming statement recognising the validity of same-sex love from so many bishops across the Communion. I have been overwhelmed with the level of support and concern that there has been for the global LGBT+ community.  We now need to look at practical ways to help educate people about matters of sexuality and gender identity, and to share the theological basis that has led so man to affirm and celebrate same-sex relationships.”

107 of the 170 signing bishops were from The Episcopal Church USA. The next biggest group were from the Anglican Church of Canada with twenty-three signatories.  Seventeen signers were from the British Isles:

Church of England:

Bishop Wilson, Oxford

Bishop Hamid, Europe

Church of Ireland

Bishop Colton, Cork

Bishop Burrows, Tuam & Limerick

Scottish Episcopal Church

Bishop Person, Glasgow & Galloway

Bishop Swift, Brechin

Bishop Dyer, Aberdeen & Orkney

Bishop Armes, Edinburgh

Bishop Riglin, Argyll & The Isles

Bishop Paton, St Andrews, Dunkeld, & Dunblane

Primus Bishop Strange

Church in Wales

Bishop Vann, Monmouth

Bishop Penberthy, St Davids

Bishop Cameron, St Asaph

Bishop Osborne, Llandaff

Bishop Stallard, Bangor

Archbishop Andy Johns