The Church of England has been embroiled in decades of bitter arguments between its conservative and liberal factions over equal marriages and LGBTQ+ equality, a dispute that has frequently threatened to split the institution. This complex history is marked by shifting stances, controversial appointments, and ongoing debate.

The discussion began surfacing publicly in 1979 with the Gloucester report, prepared for the synod, which acknowledged that individuals “may justly choose to enter a homosexual relationship involving a physical expression of sexual love.” However, deemed too radical, it was quietly shelved. By 1987, the synod passed the controversial Higton motion, stating that “homosexual genital acts are to be met by a call for repentance and the exercise of compassion,” though a stricter version advocating removal of unrepentant clergy was not passed. Deep divisions over gay issues were further exposed in 1988 at the Lambeth conference of Anglican bishops, which acknowledged the issues remained “unresolved.”

Official positions became clearer in 1991 when the house of bishops published ‘Issues in Human Sexuality’, concluding that homosexuality was not an equal alternative to heterosexuality and praising gay Christians who chose celibacy. The 1998 Lambeth conference reinforced this, upholding marriage as between a man and a woman and rejecting homosexual practice as incompatible with scripture. This move, influenced by American conservative bishops and their African and Asian allies, opposed same-sex unions or any form of blessing, although it did condemn irrational fear of homosexuals. In response, 150 bishops pledged to work for the full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community into the church.

The early 2000s saw significant challenges to these conservative stances. In 2002, the diocese of New Westminster in Canada became the first Anglican church to offer to bless same-sex unions. The following year, May 2003, saw Jeffrey John, a gay priest in a long-term celibate relationship, chosen as the bishop of Reading. However, he withdrew under pressure from then archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, after conservatives threatened to cut ties with the Church of England. In November 2003, Gene Robinson, an openly gay man living with his partner, was appointed as the bishop of New Hampshire, prompting some conservatives to leave the US church and form a breakaway Anglican denomination.

Legal changes in England and Wales also impacted the church. The introduction of civil partnership in 2005 led the Church of England to instruct clergy entering such unions to pledge celibacy. When same-sex marriage was legalised in England and Wales in 2014, the house of bishops explicitly barred such unions for clergy, citing traditional teaching, though this ban was widely ignored. In 2020, the Church of England reaffirmed that sex belonged only within heterosexual marriage, stating that sex in gay or straight civil partnerships “falls short of God’s purpose for human beings,” a move seen as appeasing conservatives.

A potential turning point emerged in 2023, following calls from some bishops to end the ban on same-sex marriage. A compromise was proposed to the synod: the ban would continue, but blessings for same-sex couples would be allowed. The synod narrowly agreed to back blessing same-sex couples on a trial basis, though they were asked to refrain from standalone services until a registration process was in place. In July 2024, the synod further voted to remove restrictions on using prayers for same-sex blessings in standalone services, a decision that led the conservative C of E evangelical council to announce plans for a parallel province.

However, despite these movements towards greater acceptance, hopes for progressive Christians in the Church of England suffered a major setback recently. At a subsequent meeting in London, the General Synod backed a document from bishops concluding that consensus between conservative and liberal camps could not be reached, effectively halting all work on LGBTQ+ equality. This decision means that three years of work on the “Living in Love and Faith” (LLF) process, aimed at allowing clergy to conduct special services to bless same-sex couples in a civil marriage, will end. The prohibition on clergy being married in a civil ceremony to same-sex partners will remain in place, and the issue will be ‘put in the deep freeze’ until a new synod is in place, likely after elections later this year.

The decision has caused immense distress. Sarah Mullally, the archbishop of Canterbury, acknowledged that LLF had “left us wounded as individuals and a church.” Many synod members expressed pain, anger, and feelings of betrayal. Charlie Bączyk-Bell, a London priest and LGBTQ+ equality campaigner, questioned, “How dare you and how dare we come again to lament and recognise distress and pain while we continue to inflict it?” Another priest, Claire Robson, lamented that the changes she longed for would be too late for many, stating the “cost to my life and ministry is incalculable.” Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell acknowledged the widespread anger and disappointment, attributing the halt to deep divisions and the inability to find ways forward that honor differing conscientious readings of scripture and tradition. A new working group on “relationships, sexuality and gender” will be set up for “continuing work,” which a lay member described as the definition of insanity.

This ongoing conflict has repeatedly brought the Anglican church close to schism. The 2023 decision on blessings prompted church leaders in some developing countries, including South Sudan, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to declare they no longer recognized Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, as the head of the global church. The C of E evangelical council’s threat of a parallel province in July 2024 further underscores this risk. Anecdotal evidence suggests LGBTQ+ Christians are leaving the Church of England, feeling unwelcome, while some clergy continue to defy the hierarchy by offering standalone services of blessing, which are seen as de facto church weddings despite lacking legal standing. The future of LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Church of England remains deeply contentious and unresolved.