In the second preference vote, the majority of Governing Body members -- a total of 92 votes -- indicated that they had no second-preference position.

If the Bench of Bishops brought a Bill forward to permit same-sex marriages to be solemnised in the Church in Wales, it would require a two-thirds approval in all three houses.

After the vote, the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said that it was not worth "ripping the Church apart" by bringing forward a Bill to permit same sex marriage.

"I don't want to pre-empt or prejudge what the Bench [of Bishops] will do," he said, "but, speaking purely personally, I don't think it would be profitable to bring a Bill before the Governing Body, given the state of opinion of the Church in Wales at the minute. It is quite obvious that, while a lot of people do want movement, quite a lot of people do not; and there is no point, it seems to me, in ripping this Church apart."

On the other hand, if the Bishops opt to preserve the status quo, they will find themselves supporting what is now a minority view in the Governing Body.

Archbishop Morgan praised the 34 members of the Governing Body who spoke in the debate, for what he said was "one of the best debates I have ever been to".

He said: "People didn't judge one another, they were gentle with one another, and they agreed to disagree. In the past, we have had debates where people have been rather judgmental with one another, and made to feel somehow that they were less than Christian in some of the attitudes that they were expressing.

"There was none of that in that debate. It was a charitable debate; it was an open debate. It was a good debate."

Dominic Cawdell is a co-opted member of the Governing Body to represent lay people under 30. In the debate, he explained that he was a gay ordinand, and had "two problems" with "the biblical passages that speak very strongly against the activities of two men, sexually.

"Firstly, they have no idea about homosexuality as we understand it today. This was the work of promiscuous men who couldn't find women, or were involved in Pagan cults, or whatever. They have no concept of the loving, stable, committed, self-giving, and even sacramental relationships which can exist, and do exist, between people of the same sex.

"Secondly, the overwhelming impression as you read scripture is that love should abound."

His views were not shared by the Rector of the Bro Moelwyn Ministry Area, in Bangor diocese, the Revd David Brownridge.

"This debate is unlike any other moral issue that we have previously debated in the Governing Body or as a Church," he said. "It is unlike the remarriage of divorcees; it is unlike women bishops; it is even unlike slavery. All of those key topics can use biblical language to go either way. . . This debate is entirely different. We cannot interpret the Bible in two different ways.

"When you look at same-sex relationships, it does speak with consistency and clarity, from the beginning of the Old Testament all the way through to the New Testament."

Dr Gillian Todd, of Swansea & Brecon, spoke of the "pain that has lived with me" for more than 35 years, because, as a divorcee, she was not allowed to marry her current husband in church. She was made to feel "not good enough".

She told the Governing Body: "I hope and pray that we won't continue to make others feel not good enough, and give them the acceptance of being included."

The Vicar of Dwylan, in the diocese of Bangor, the Revd Janice Brown, warned that the Church should not seek to "look like the marketplace. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, yes; to love all persons, yes; to show compassion, yes. But we have not been called to change God's mind and God's ways."

None of the bishops spoke in the debate. Dr Morgan explained that they wanted to listen to the views of the Governing Body. The bishops will report back on their deliberations to the Governing Body's next meeting in Llandudno, next April.

*****

Church in Wales votes on same-sex marriage

By David Pocklington
http://www.lawandreligionuk.com
September 19, 2015

On the second day of the meeting of the Church in Wales' Governing Body, 16-17thSeptember 2015, the views of delegates were sought on the following options:
 Option 1: No change to the Church's current teaching and practice on marriage and partnerships;
 Option 2: To allow same sex unions to be blessed in the Church in Wales;
 Option 3: To enable same sex couples to marry in the Church in Wales.

Background to the vote was provided by the Report by the Standing Doctrinal Commission "The Church in Wales and Same-Sex Partnerships", (2014), and a Note specific to this item of business, (Agendum 13). In addition to the Rt Rev Dr Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales, the Reverend Dr Ainsley Griffiths, a member of the Standing Doctrinal introduced the three options; further background papers were provided on the CiW website.

The Note emphasized:
"[w]hilst the outcome of the ballot will help to inform future consideration of how the Church in Wales might respond to recent changes in the Marriage law, it will not constitute a decision of the Governing Body, nor by itself provide any basis for a change in the Church's teaching or practice on marriage and partnerships. Should the Bench wish to propose a change in the current position, it would be necessary for a Bill to be brought to the Governing Body for debate".

In the Church Times, Gavin Drake reported

"In the first preference vote of the 120 members present, half of the Bench of Bishops, just over half of the clergy, and just under one half of the laity voted in favour of same-sex marriage: a total of 61 votes. One bishop, 21 clergy, and 28 laity voted in favour of the status quo (50 votes). Nine people voted in favour of the second option, of blessing same-sex unions.

In the second preference vote, the majority of Governing Body members -- a total of 92 votes -- indicated that they had no second-preference position.

If the Bench of Bishops brought a Bill forward to permit same-sex marriages to be solemnised in the Church in Wales, it would require a two-thirds approval in all three houses."

Comment

The Church Times indicates that after the vote, Dr Morgan said that it was not worth "ripping the Church apart" by bringing forward a Bill to permit same sex marriage.

"I don't want to pre-empt or prejudge what the Bench [of Bishops] will do," he said, "but, speaking purely personally, I don't think it would be profitable to bring a Bill before the Governing Body, given the state of opinion of the Church in Wales at the minute. It is quite obvious that, while a lot of people do want movement, quite a lot of people do not; and there is no point, it seems to me, in ripping this Church apart."

However, the article notes that should the Bishops opt to preserve the status quo, they will find themselves aligning with the minority view within the Governing Body. The bishops are scheduled to report back on their deliberations to the Governing Body's next meeting at Venue Cymru, Llandudno, 6 and 7 April 2016.

*****

Archbishop calls for new discussion on Archiepiscopal See

THE CHURCH IN WALES

The Archbishop of Wales today (Sept 17) urged church members to put reform of the office of Archbishop back onto the agenda for the benefit of his successors.

Dr Barry Morgan, who has served as Archbishop of Wales for the past 12 years, warned that increasing demands on the job put the current model at breaking point and he appealed to the church to reconsider alternatives for his successors.

At the moment, the Archbishop is elected from among the diocesan bishops and, once elected, also remains bishop of that diocese, based in that diocese. That means the Archbishop is doing two jobs -- leading the Church and running a particular diocese -- and doesn't have a permanent see. Several efforts at reforming the office have been made over the years but none have yet been accepted. A recent independent review of the church, however, recommended creating a permanent see for the Archbishop and that recommendation has brought the issue back onto the agenda.

In his Presidential address to members of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales, Dr Morgan highlighted the cost on the individual of the existing peripatetic model. He said, "In 1920, with only four dioceses and a more leisurely pace of life, that was fine, but four of my eleven predecessors have said that this model is at breaking point or have found the post very demanding for different reasons. I add my voice to that chorus.

"Now when five of the twelve archbishops of Wales have said to the church that this model is hard to sustain, the church needs to take that seriously.... I realise the argument about giving every diocese its moment of glory, if that's what it is by having the archbishop as bishop, but I ask you to consider the cost to the holder of the office as some of my predecessors have highlighted."

Dr Morgan outlined the full scope of the Archbishop's role, which included duties not just within the Church in Wales and the Anglican Communion but also in the wider society. That included preaching at events of national significance, acting as a church spokesperson for the media and liaising with Government at a local, national or UK level. Dr Morgan pointed out that he was currently patron or trustee of about 50 organisations. The public role, he said, had increased rapidly over recent years and so too had the administration involved in running a diocese.

He said, "Whoever the archbishop is, that person is seen as the 'symbolic head' of the Church in Wales and viewed as the church's chief representative by many organisations and institutions.

"Just as a parish priest is concerned, not just with internal narrow parochial affairs but the community in which the parish is set, so too the archbishop ought to have a concern, not just for the structures and internal affairs of the Church in Wales but for the wider society in which the church is set and therefore a concern for a whole range of issues which confront our nation and world because it is God's world and God has a concern for everything that happens in it."

Cardiff, said Dr Morgan, was the most convenient location for the Archbishop to live as it was where the Church's main office was based as well as all other church leaders and was the home of the Welsh Government. He said, "I know that Cardiff is not Wales but neither is Brecon, St Davids, Aberystwyth or Bangor. Cardiff seems to be the obvious location to place the archbishop (and don't forget I speak as a former bishop of Bangor), since that will cut down a great deal of travelling."

Dr Morgan proposed at least two bishops for Llandaff each with their own Episcopal area with the archbishop having one of those areas.

He said, "A small Episcopal area would enable the archbishop to fulfil his duties as archbishop and enable him to be a pastor and bishop. His fellow bishop would have jurisdiction in his own right over the rest of the diocese and would chair most if not all of its councils and committees. It also models at diocesan level what we are advocating in our dioceses and province as a whole -- ministry areas with teams of people working together."

Urging members to consider the proposal, Dr Morgan stressed its importance. He said, "I have no axe to grind because none of this will affect me but I do have a concern for the workload of whoever succeeds me."

The Governing Body of the Church in Wales is meeting on September 16-17 at the University of Wales Trinity St David, Lampeter.

END