THE
P RTAL
January 2019
Window on
the CofE
Page 11
Anglican
News
The Revd Paul Benfield reports on the CofE Bishops’
announcement on a liturgy for transgender people
T
he House of Bishops met in London from 10th to 12th December. The official notice on the Church
of England website said this (which I did not find very informative!)
‘The agenda was wide ranging. On the first day, the
bishops considered the priorities for the Church over
the three-year period 2020 to 2022. They reviewed
progress with the Church’s body of work called
Renewal and Reform, which is intended to bring more
people to know the good news of Jesus Christ. They
explored the Church’s mission with children and
young people and made a renewed commitment
to that mission. They agreed to examine some areas
where Church law might be simplified.
Bishop of Blackburn, Julian Henderson, Chair of
the House of Bishops Delegation Committee, which
oversaw work to produce the guidance said: “We are
absolutely clear that everyone is made in the image of
God and that all should find a welcome in their parish
Church.
“This new guidance provides an opportunity, rooted
in scripture, to enable trans people who have ‘come to
Christ as the way, the truth and the life’, to mark their
transition in the presence of their Church family which
‘On the second day the Chair of the National is the body of Christ. We commend it for wider use.”
Safeguarding Panel, Ms. Meg Munn, addressed the
A few days later the Church of England Evangelical
House with her initial observations on taking the role.
A more detailed briefing on safeguarding followed. Council (of which the Bishop of Blackburn is
The bishops engaged with the issues facing the nation president) issued a long statement on the matter. It
in the current turbulent political climate. The Pastoral said, ’We appear here to have a hybrid liturgy, not
Advisory Group reported to the House on its recent just theologically but legally. Whilst there has been
work on gender, identity and sexuality. On the third a refusal to authorise or commend a service to mark
day the Bishops participated in exploratory work or recognise a person’s gender transition, the House
related to the Living in Love and Faith project. The now commends a quite different authorised rite “as the
House of Bishops prayed for the nation and all our central feature” of a service “to recognise liturgically a
person’s gender transition”.
politicians at this challenging time’
It went on “Affirmation of baptismal faith, like both
the gospel and dying and rising with Christ in baptism,
is never simply about ‘unconditional affirmation’ of
anyone. It involves confession of faith and a personal
decision in which there is renunciation, repentance
and turning to Christ. Whilst any service focussed on a
person’s affirmation of baptismal faith clearly should be
celebratory, the language of ‘service’ was previously used
in the guidance for a ‘service to recognise liturgically
a person’s gender transition’. A celebratory liturgical
In January 2018 the House issued a statement stating recognition of a process of gender transition is very
that it did not consider that special liturgies were needed different from celebratory affirmation of baptismal
to recognise a transgender person’s new identity, but faith by someone following gender transition. It raises
suggested that the Affirmation of Baptismal Faith major questions for many Christians.”
found in Common Worship is an ideal liturgical rite
It concluded “We therefore seek and hope for
which trans people who are already baptised can use
reassuring clarifications and, where necessary,
to mark this moment of personal renewal.
modifications from the House of Bishops in relation
The Pastoral Guidance built on this approach. The to the Guidance.”
On 11th December, during the House’s meeting,
Pastoral Guidance on welcoming transgender people
was issued. This followed a motion from Blackburn
Diocesan Synod brought to General Synod in July 2017
which ‘recognising the need for transgender people to
be welcomed and affirmed in their parish church, call
on the House of Bishops to consider whether some
nationally commended liturgical materials might be
prepared to mark a person’s gender transition’.