22 Oct 2024
Dear Archbishops and Bishops,
Thank you so much for the generous invitation to pre circulate a letter to the House of Bishops
ahead of your meeting on Wednesday. We continue to lament the pastoral pain and division
the current LLF debate and its subsequent direction of travel is causing to the fabric of the
Church of England at a local, national and global level, and at deep personal cost to many on
all sides of the debate. We gratefully welcome this opportunity to communicate the scale of
pain and confusion felt by those we represent while seeking to bring clarity about who the
Alliance represents and what we are prayerfully seeking to achieve for the sake of the future
flourishing of the whole church in our nation. We humbly appeal to each of you to seek to
understand us and, in your episcopal leadership as focal points of Christ’s unity, to find a way
to support those we represent.
The Alliance continues to grow numerically with 2360 clergy whose churches currently
represent 42% of the Church of England’s average Sunday attendance and 53% of all under
eighteen-year-olds within the Church of England. The Alliance representatives in all 42
dioceses reflect the broad diversity of orthodox networks we are supporting, including
traditional Catholics, New Wine, the HTB Network, CEEC, Living Out, Renew, the Church
Society, 200 orthodox ordinands, the orthodox archdeacon group, the orthodox female clergy
group and the orthodox global heritage majority group. We are working closely in partnership
with a number of Alliance link bishops in the College and House who share our concerns and
objectives, and have strong support from Primates from across the Anglican Communion. We
represent the most diverse, youngest and fastest growing networks within the Church of
England and yet are repeatedly told we are a small extreme minority grouping despite offering
independent validation of our data.
The Alliance represents those who seek to hold to the received teaching of the Church of
England, aligning ourselves with the majority of the Anglican Communion and other Christians
across the world and through history. We affirm the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10 in its
entirety which includes a clear repudiation of all homophobia. We stand with “A Theological
Vision” as set out by a number of Bishops in February 2024. We are trying to combat the
schism that a de facto change of doctrine and a disregard of due process is creating within the
Church. We are passionate to serve the Church of England in mission and evangelism longing
to see the younger generation encounter Jesus through a confident revitalised church.
As our previous letters to the House of Bishops have sought to communicate, we believe that
changing doctrine without following the lawful process places all this at risk and goes well
beyond any issue of human sexuality. Sadly, many across the Alliance are already experiencing
discrimination towards those who hold orthodox views, with curacies being withheld, funding
withdrawn, promotions denied and being told there is no place for you within the future Church
of England. We have consistently heard stated – at General Synod, in working groups and even
on podcasts with Alastair Campbell – that the House of Bishops is committed to us having a
full and flourishing place in the Church of England. However, the experience on the ground
feels very different. If we are to continue to play a meaningful part in this vital gospel mission,
we have identified six essential criteria that will enable an ecosystem for us and future orthodox
generations to flourish in. These six criteria can only be met through the powers of the ordinary
of an orthodox diocesan bishop. Only orthodox diocesan episcopal oversight can fulfil these
criteria, and delegated oversight on a regional basis will not work. We have communicated
these six criteria repeatedly in our letters over the past two years, at every LLF working group
and recently to Bishop Martyn and the Leicester groups.
To our disappointment none of our criteria for flourishing have been taken into account or
integrated into the deliberations of the Leicester groups nor by the House of Bishops at General
Synod. Even the concept of having “three spaces” within the Church of England which was
proposed by the Leicester groups was dismissed by the House of Bishops. All this has resulted
in us being forced to begin setting up a de facto parallel province within the Church of England
in response to the de facto change in doctrine.
There are some who have sought to portray the Alliance as schismatic and have stated that
we are looking for the widest possible separation in the Church of England. Nothing could be
further from the truth. The creation of a de facto parallel province is with the purpose of
enabling clergy to stay in the Church of England who might otherwise feel they are being forced
to leave. Furthermore, we see it as a temporary measure that will help act as a stepping stone
to a suitable permanent provision in line with our six criteria.
We are not saying that we do not want any difference in the Church of England. We value and
recognise difference, and see one of the great strengths of the Church of England being
maintaining a breadth of diversity in the Church we all treasure. However, there are limits to
difference, and where theological innovations are being pushed forwards which amount to a
de facto change in doctrine, we are stating that there needs to be adequate legal provisions
made to enable all those in the Church of England to be able to flourish. Currently, flourishing
is only possible for those who support these proposed changes.
As you know, we have always urged that the General Synod be allowed to follow correct legal
processes requiring a two-thirds majority in all Houses for a change of liturgy. It is a matter of
deep regret (and the cause of incalculable damage to the structure, integrity and mission of
the national Church) that the House of Bishops, having agreed in October 2023 (and in
November 2023 with the whole Synod) that the correct canonical process be followed, has
reneged on its decision and that, as a result, no such process has begun. The only way for the
Church of England to introduce services of blessing for same-sex couples or same-sex
marriage for clergy would be to change Articles 7 and 20, Canon B30, the Book of Common
Prayer, the introduction to the Common Worship marriage service, the 2005 and 2020 House
of Bishops Pastoral Statements on civil partnerships and the 2014 Pastoral Guidance on same
sex marriage.
The Alliance continues to implore and commend the House of Bishops to reconsider following
the correct constitutional process of Canon B2, which exists to protect the unity of the church
by ensuring a two thirds majority is gained as a prerequisite for any alteration or departure
from current agreed doctrine. We believe the current process is unlawful and lacks integrity,
honesty and transparency.
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to write a heartfelt plea, building upon our previous
letters. Please be assured of our prayers on Wednesday, that you may have the mind of Christ
as you discern the way forward at this challenging and critical time for our church. As always,
we remain ready and available to be part of discussions in discerning the way forwards.
With love in Christ,
Ade Adebajo
Revd Canon John Dunnett
Fr Adam Gaunt
Revd Canon Vaughan Roberts
Revd Canon Paul Langham
Revd Sarah Jackson
Revd Jago Wynne
Directors of the Alliance
