Anglican churches reject Sydney archbishop’s stance on same-sex marriage

Anglican churches around Australia have pushed back against Sydney Archbishop Glenn Davies’ suggestion to same-sex marriage supporters that they “please leave” the church.

In an address to the 51st Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, Davies said those who supported same-sex marriage should abandon the church.

“I fear for the stability of the Anglican Church of Australia. These developments have the potential to fracture our fellowship and impair our communion. I have stated this on numerous occasions at the annual National Bishops’ Conference, but sadly to little effect,” he said.

“My own view is that if people wish to change the doctrine of our church, they should start a new church or join a church 0more aligned to their views – but do not ruin the Anglican Church by abandoning the plain teaching of Scripture. Please leave us.

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“We have far too much work to do in evangelising Australia to be distracted by the constant pressure to change our doctrine in order to satisfy the lusts and pleasures of the world.”

The Sydney Anglican diocese is notoriously conservative. As well as their official opposition to same-sex marriage, they do not allow women to be ordained as priests or bishops.

Other, more progressive, sections of the church have rejected Davies’ position. In a letter to ministers on Thursday, the Southern Queensland archbishop’s commissary Reverend Jeremy Greaves said there had been “deep distress” about Davies’ comments and his views did not reflect that of the Anglican Church in Southern Queensland.

“The Anglican Church in Southern Queensland has taken a different view, expressing its desire to be a welcoming and safe church for all and together to work through admittedly complex issues on which people hold diverse views,” he said.

“All God’s children are welcome and affirmed in the Anglican Church Southern Queensland and no one is asked to leave,” he said. “We treasure the unity of the church and the reconciliation of all people and the whole creation wrought by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

“Asking people to leave the church undermines this fundamental truth.”

He also noted the Brisbane Diocesan Synod had recently affirmed that trans and gender diverse people can attend Anglican schools.

Archbishop of Perth, Kay Goldsworthy said all members of the LGBTIQ community were welcome in the Anglican Church in Perth and said it is “troubling that the welcome is not universal.”

“The Perth Diocese of the Anglican Church has long been a strong supporter of the LGBTIQ community and it is an appropriate time to reiterate and emphasise the message of a 2017 resolution of the Perth Diocese,” she said.

“It affirmed that ‘all people are made in the image of God regardless of their race, sex, economic background and political affiliation …’ and offered a heartfelt apology to, and sought forgiveness from, the LGBTIQ Community ‘whom we have hurt by words and behaviour that have not displayed the love of God’.”

She said the diocese of Perth is committed to fostering churches where compassion and grace abound.

“We desire to be places where all people will feel safe. We want to be welcoming of all people.”

In a statement, the Melbourne archbishop Philip Freier also said the church would not turn people away.

“The Anglican diocese of Melbourne welcomes all Christians and anyone else to attend Anglican services in Melbourne. Anglicans hold a wide variety of views on social issues, and that is a matter for their consciences,” he said.

The position of the Sydney Anglican diocese is not surprising, considering it donated $1m to the “no” campaign during the 2017 postal survey, but it is being seen as a push back against more progressive elements of the church.

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In September, the Synod of the Diocese of Wangaratta in Victoria agreed to allow blessings of same-sex marriages. There was expected to be a blessing of the civil marriage of two gay priests from the area, but it was delayed after the decision was challenged to the church’s appellate tribunal.

The tribunal will consider whether the blessings go against the Anglican Church’s constitution.

The church has been grappling with the issue of same-sex marriage during the nearly two years since it became legal in Australia.

Next year the Anglican Church’s general synod will hold a conference alongside its special session where delegates can discuss issues facing the church, including same-sex relationships and marriage, and discuss ways forward.

In a book of essays published by the church’s general synod in July, some of the church’s leading figures in Australia have debated whether the church can bless same-sex unions, arguing the positions both for and against.