The General Synod of the Church of England (their top governing body, like our Provincial Assembly) sat yesterday and passed several resolutions that are of great concern to us in Uganda. They have decided to allow clergy to preside at Blessings of Same-sex Unions and have approved supplemental prayers and liturgies for such occasions.

But emotionally charged speeches from those advocating full equality for LGBTQ+ Christians and those arguing that traditional biblical teaching on marriage and sex must be upheld signalled that the debate is set to continue.

The synod also agreed that the church will apologise for the harm it has caused to LGBTQ+ people. It welcomed a forthcoming review of a ban on clergy entering into same-sex civil marriages and a celibacy rule for clergy in same-sex relationships.

The Church cannot 'bless' in God's name the union of same sex partnered individuals, much less sexual relationships between same-sex persons which in God's Word He declares to be sinful.

CDSP is a subsidiary of a far wealthier institution: Trinity Church Wall Street, with $10 billion in assets thanks to a 1696 land grant of real estate in what came to be known as Lower Manhattan. In 2019, Trinity reached across the country to acquire the Berkeley, California-based CDSP. The Rev. Phillip A. Jackson, rector of Trinity and a CDSP alumnus, also chairs the CDSP board of trustees (which consists of the vestry of Trinity Wall Street).