The College of Bishops of the Church of England has formed a “reflection group on sexuallity” to be led by the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt. Rev. Graham James. The announcement came at the close of the bishops’ fall meeting on 15 Sept 2016. The membership and objects of the reflection group will be published “in due course” the bishops’ statement announced.

Statement:

As is the usual pattern of meetings of the College every third year the College of Bishops are joined for part of their meeting by bishops from the Scottish Episcopal Church, Church of Ireland and Church in Wales. Representatives from each of the sister churches made presentations to the college and engaged fully in discussions during the first days of the meeting.

 

A wide-ranging agenda included presentations and discussions on safeguarding, the Renewal and Reform programme, the post-Brexit political landscape, clergywomen in leadership, clergy well-being and issues of sexuality.

 

Discussions on issues of sexuality took place as part of a new process of episcopal discernment which will continue during the meetings of the House of Bishops in November and December of this year and in January next year at the next meeting of the College of Bishops. These discussions were undertaken by the College of Bishops alone.

 

Whilst the process of episcopal discernment is in the public domain the Bishops agreed that the contents of their discussion should not be shared in public during the process so as to enable those discussions to be conducted freely and in a spirit of full collegiality. Consequently the contents of the conversations will remain private and participants have agreed not to comment on the contents of the discussions beyond their own views.

Following the conclusion of the Shared Conversations process the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have invited some bishops to take forward work on sexuality to assist the episcopal discernment process. The Bishops’ Reflection Group on Sexuality will be chaired by Graham James, the Bishop of Norwich. The full membership of the group and its terms of reference will be published in due course.”