“All the District Synods have now met to consider the Conference Report, God in
Love Unites Us. We are grateful that, for the most part, the discussions have
been held in an atmosphere of mutual respect and loving Christian conferring.
We were disappointed that some things were said that clearly breached
Connexional guidelines on homophobic speech, and we look to see that those
incidents are dealt with appropriately.
The overall result is a clear endorsement of the recommendations in the report.
In nearly every part of our Connexion, they received the overwhelming support of
members of Synods.
We believe that this has been achieved through the hard,
but necessary, work to ensure that the consciences of all our members and
ministers are respected.
We continue to believe that enough space has now
been created to allow divergent positions to sit together and remain in fellowship.
We look forward to the Conference in June where the results of the Synods’
discussions will be received and final decisions on the report will be made.
If the recommendations of the report are accepted, it will represent an important
step along the road to the full participation of LGBTQ+ people in our church.
We recognize the difficulty that some will face in accepting the changes as
proposed. We continue to work and pray for a time when we can celebrate
together the full inclusion of all and join hands in love and fellowship.”
The Dignity and Worth Leadership Team
25/04/2021