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What is Living in Love and Faith?
Living in Love and Faith is a process initiated by the Church of England in 2017 to consider questions of sexuality, relationship and marriage. Over five years everyone was invited to come together to learn and listen to one and other and to God.
The findings of the responses to this churchwide engagement were published in September 2022 under the title, ‘Listening with Love and Faith’. A resource, ‘Friendship and the Body of Christ’, was also published to encourage reflection and conversations about what it means to be church with diversity and difference. They can be found here.
What is happening now?
The House of Bishops commended the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith in regular worship or private prayer from Sunday 17 December 2023. They have also published pastoral guidance whch sets out how they can be used. They may only be used as part of regularly scheduled Sunday or weekday services. It recommends that the PCC and incumbent discuss whether to use the prayers although their use is formally at the priest's discretion.
The discussion regarding possible standalone services continues and will be considered by General Synod after consultation with all diocese through their synods. The standalone services will be put forward for consideration under Canon B2. This is a legal process that will take approximately 2 years.
In the meantime, standalone services may be introduced on a trial basis sooner than this under a different legal process (Canon B5A).
What happened at the most recent General Synod?
Living in Love and Faith was discussed at the General Synod in November 2023, where, after very lengthy debate, a motion was agreed that said:
That this Synod, conscious that the Church is not of one mind on the issues raised by Living in Love and Faith, that we are in a period of uncertainty, and that many in the Church on all sides are being deeply hurt at this time, recognise the progress made by the House of Bishops towards implementing the motion on Living in Love and Faith passed by this Synod in February 2023, as reported in GS 2328, encourage the House to continue its work of implementation, and ask the House to consider whether some standalone services for same-sex couples could be made available for use, possibly on a trial basis, on the timescale envisaged by the motion passed by the Synod in February 2023.
The voting on this motion was:
Bishops: 23 for, 10 against, 4 abstained
Clergy: 100 for, 93 against, 1 abstained
Laity: 104 for, 100 against, 0 abstained
To find out more about General Synod see here.
For more information on the General Synod and the Diocese members see here.
You can find out more about the Living in Love and Faith journey here.
LLF Chaplains
If you wish to discuss the LLF process or you are finding it is affecting you personally, you are welcome to contact our team of LLF Chaplains, led by the Bishop's Chaplain Steve Benoy, who represent a diverse range of views and experience. Email Steve at steve.benoy@peterborough-diocese.org.uk to put you in contact with an appropriate Chaplain.