Publications relevant to this issue

Sexuality

Churches in western societies are under increasing pressure to accept homosexual practice as a legitimate lifestyle. Church Society was greatly encouraged by the stance taken by the majority of bishops from the worldwide Anglican Church at the Lambeth Conference 1998. We wish to affirm them in standing up for biblical truth and calling Christians to a lifestyle that is chaste and honouring to God.

A good statement of the Christian view on sexuality can be found in the Kuala Lumpur Statement issued by Anglican Bishops from the 'global south'.

The position of the Church of England was last affirmed by the General Synod in 1987.
Although there have been reports from the House of Bishops these were never put to the Synod because the Bishops feared that they would fail. The Bishops' reports DO NOT express the mind of the Church of England, they were produced as a reaction by liberal Bishops against the 1987 statement.

Sexuality in the purposes of God - page outlining God's revealed will in Scripture regarding sexual conduct

Pages on Civil Partnerships

Various texts and documents on this issue

• The obsession of the church with sex is destructive. News Release from 2003
  
• The House of Bishops' report Some Issues in Human Sexuality published in 2003 - analysis of the report.
  
• Personal Standards - Churchman Article by Professor Jim Packer
  
• Text of the Lambeth 1.10 resolution

• Lambeth Resolution 1.10 - including material produced for PCCs to respond to this resolution.

• The Gay Marriage Agenda : Lessons from Canada - talk by Paul Carter
  
• The Body's Grace by Archbishop Rowan Williams, a critique by Professor Gerald Bray.

• Taking Liberties with Grace and Truth.  David Phillips comments on James Jones' paper "Making Space for Truth and Grace."

• The Silent Witness - A personal response to the Church and homosexuality by Martin Hallett of the True Freedom Trust (Cross†Way Article)

• Employment Rights for Religious Organisations - An appeal by a group of Trade Unions to stop Religious Organisations from having the right to not employ homosexuals has been rejected by the High Court. (See full report)

• Can the ordinary person understand the Bible? David Wheaton explains why the Bible is to be trusted with regard to homosexual practice. (Cross†Way 91 Article)

• Homosexual Parenting: does it make a difference? A re-evaluation of the research with adoption and fostering in mind. (Churchman article by Joy Holloway)

• As Night Follows Day? David Phillips explains why the acceptance of women ministers inevitably leads to acceptance of homosexual practice in the church. Cross†Way article, Autumn 2009.

• Sexually Transmitted Infections. David Phillips comments on recent STI statistics. Cross†Way article, Autumn 2007.