The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) has today (25 May 2022) released the third in a collection of films designed to help churches engage with issues around human sexuality.
‘How important are our differences?’, is the latest film in CEEC’s God’s Beautiful Story series addressing the differences that exists across the Church of England regarding issues of marriage and sexuality. These differences were brought into sharper focus by the recent Living in Love and Faith (LLF) Consultation. To view the film, click here.
The film suggests that these differences are profound rather than superficial and that they cannot simply be ’covered up’. The film asks whether the way forwards for the Church of England can be built on the idea of ‘agreeing to disagree’.
“There is an honesty in the way this film calls out the fundamental gap between the different views in the Church of England. My conversations with people who think very differently to me over these issues suggest they want us to be able to name this reality”, says John Dunnett, Director of Strategy and Operations, CEEC and Chair of the Evangelical Group on General Synod.
The film is offered with accompanying notes for leaders – which can be downloaded from the CEEC website here.
“In the New Testament, disagreement is allowed on certain areas. In the areas of sexuality, however, there is no latitude, there is no area in which this is called ‘adiaphora’ or indifference and therefore I don’t believe we are at liberty to simply rewrite scripture and introduce into the life of the church areas in which the early Church of the apostles were very clear as to what the Lord was teaching us”, says Keith Sinclair, National Director, CEEC.
The films have been launched as the Church of England considers potential change in this area, which could impact its teaching, liturgy or practices, on the back of its Living in Love and Faith (LLF) consultation.
In his contribution to the film, Santhosh Thomas says: “If we imply that somehow there’s a range of different things you can believe and live, it doesn’t really matter, you find your own way, that’s fundamentally dishonest to the teachings of Jesus. His teaching tells us this is a matter of primary importance.”
