Consider for a moment the position of your average orthodox clergy who believes that the Bible teaches marriage can only be between a man and a woman, sex is something which should take place only within heterosexual marriage; that biological gender is fixed and immutable, and that we do not have the authority or power to bless something which God teachers directly against in scripture. In our present culture, these views are perceived as old-fashioned. Now consider this scenario: a local gay couple comes to the rectory and asks the vicar if he will conduct a blessing of the same-sex relationship after the civil marriage. He politely explains his position and clarifies that he is not required to do the service if it is against his conscience.

The following day, he wakes to find himself on the front page of the local newspaper, and the telephone rings, and it's the local BBC radio station; the couple decided to take a stand, and he is being portrayed as homophobic. He feels very vulnerable, so he rings the Diocesan and communications team; he knows that his bishop doesn't consider this a first-order matter and believes we can live in reasonable disagreement. He begins to feel very vulnerable and anxious.

The bishops in their ivory tower have not considered the practical, everyday implications of their actions commending the prayers under Canon B5a, as it won't be the bishops who will face the day-to-day reality of complexities of implementing the blessings they have commended for use. They will not be vulnerable for standing by the doctrine, which the bishops insist hasn't changed. L

A few years ago, for an unexplained reason, my car, my wife's car and the rectory were attacked; windows were smashed, car tyres slashed, and bricks were thrown at the front door. The impact was profound; my daughter found it hard to sleep, and my wife, to this day, is nervous. And we always make sure the gate is shut on the drive before we go to bed. This may become an everyday reality for many clergy who will not use prayers that the bishops have commended.

Then, take a moment to stop and consider the impact of these prayers on the clergy's ability to work in schools. I know of a clergyperson who has openly spoken about the orthodox nature of his views on marriage; this has led to him being told his views are not in line with the schools inclusion policy and that because of this he shouldn't take assemblies in his local school because having him attend school would be bad for the school's image.

Over the last few years, we've seen that the anger of the trans-community and the LGBGTQ plus community has no limits and how ready they are to commence legal actions against cake shops and other people. The clergy will be next.

The life of the clergy is already challenging enough in an increasingly secular society, with increased paperwork and demands from both the diocese and secular authorities. The clergy don't need to become the focus of a hate campaign because they've made a stand for something the Church of England says is an acceptable view to hold. We are deluded if we believe certain sections of society will allow this to go unnoticed and will take no steps to enforce modern secular ideas using whatever methods they deem appropriate. The clergy will be in the eye of the storm, not the bishops. I fully suspect they will be like First World War generals living 30 miles behind the lines in relative comfort, refusing to experience the pain of the front-line soldiers and unwilling to support them.

This isn't just a matter of academic and intellectual interest or even a matter of social justice; this is something that leads to the destruction of the well-being of another human being, a brother or sister in Christ.

I recently read the following statement on the Church of England website.

"Our vision is that the work of supporting clergy in their ministry will become an integral part of the life of the Church and part of the DNA of every aspect of our mission and ministry."

On the 10th of February 2020, the archbishops signed "THE CLERGY COVENANT FOR WELL-BEING ACT OF SYNOD 2020", and in that document is the following paragraph.

"Conscious that such a calling is both a privilege and a demand, we as the Church of England commit together to promote the welfare of our clergy and their households in terms expressed in the Covenant for Clergy Care and Well-being."

The actions of the House of bishops proceeding as they propose to commend the prayers for use will break the covenant as they will not promote the welfare of the clergy and will put a significant group of the church and clergy at risk of substantial harm. This is not just a matter of social justice, academic theological development of doctrine, or even a point of bringing the church into the 21st century; for many clergy, it will bring real pain and difficulty, hinder the mission and divide the church. Please stop, bishops and think about what you're about to do and the impact you've not considered on your front-line staff.

The Revd Duncan Beet is Rector of Sileby, Cossington & Seagrave