Archbishop of Canterbury Challenged Over Claims of Being ‘Threatened with Parliamentary Action’ to Bring in Same-Sex Marriage in the C of E

Anglican Mainstream ^ | 2/12/23

[marshmallow]

CLAIMS by the Archbishop of Canterbury to global Anglican leaders in Ghana that he was “threatened with parliamentary action” to “force same-sex marriage” on the Established Church of England, have been challenged as “playing with the full truth!”

The Most Revd Justin Welby is currently speaking at the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) meeting in Ghana, where over 110 representatives from over 40 Anglican provinces (national churches) are gathered. The significant event comes just days after the CofE’s General Synod voted to bring in prayers to ‘bless’ same sex unions and, to remove the ban on gay clergy in civil partnerships having to remain celibate.

In a Presidential Address, Mr Welby told those present in the Ghanian capital, Accra, that “I was summoned twice to Parliament, and threatened with parliamentary action to force same-sex marriage on us, called in England equal marriage. When I speak of the impact that actions by the Church of England will have on those abroad in the Anglican communion, those concerns are dismissed by many, not all, but by many.”

But the archbishops’ comments – to an audience representing provinces (national churches) which are vastly supportive of the traditional and biblical views of marriage and sexuality – have been roundly criticised by the leader of Anglican Orthodox, a grassroots movement of clergy and parish officers opposed to the Synod’s recent vote.

The Revd Paul Eddy is a vicar in Oxfordshire, Convenor of Anglican Orthodox, and the public relations adviser to the influential Global South Fellowship of Anglican ChurchesLambeth Conference. The GSFA’s provinces represent around 75 percent of global Anglicans.

Mr Eddy said: “Sadly, as we found at the Lambeth Conference, the archbishop tells church leaders something which, in their culture, means something different to ours, knowing they don’t have independent advisers on hand to explain.

[Albion Wilde]

The Revd Paul Eddy is a vicar in Oxfordshire, Convenor of Anglican Orthodox, and the public relations adviser to the influential Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) which publicly challenged the archbishop liberalising leadership at last year’s Lambeth Conference. The GSFA’s provinces represent around 75 percent of global Anglicans.

Mr Eddy said: “Sadly, ...the archbishop tells church leaders something which, in their culture, means something different to ours, knowing they don’t have independent advisers on hand to explain. The truth is ‘parliament’ does not mean the UK ‘government’, which is what Anglican Communion delegates, from 40-plus nations, just arrived in Ghana, will think.

“I’ve discussed these issues with MPs from both sides. There was an Urgent Debate in the Commons on the issue at which (from the BBC Parliament Channel), I counted 11 MP’s present. I think almost all of them gay, and several in gay civil partnerships. There were less than 30 MPs at any time in the chamber. With over 400 MPs, that’s hardly a ‘strong challenge from parliament.”

Go, Vicar Eddy! Tell it like it is!