Friend or Foe?

In December of this year the Archbishop of Canterbury, nominal head of the Anglican Church, Dr Rowan Williams, is stepping down.

 

After months of speculation in the media and furious debate in religious circles, the decision has been made and from December 2012, Justin Welby the Bishop of Durham will become Archbishop of Canterbury.

That's him below.

In recent years one of the most divisive issues within the general synod has been that of homosexuality. Everything from LGBT clergy, same-sex marriage, civil partnerships and gay adoption have been hot topics that have in many case polarised the pulpit as much as the pews. Often at times, Dr Williams has been the source of controversy himself, inside and out of the church, but he has spent a great deal of time over recent years trying to hold a Church together that has often been at war with itself.

And into the breach now steps the Right Reverend (soon to be the Most Reverend) Justin Welby.

In time gone by, Bishop Welby has defended the Church's opposition to same-sex marriage, insisting that Civil Partnerships should be a more than adequate public display of acceptance. Unlike other bishops he has conceded that the State should have the right to define the status of co-habiting couples, something in stark contrast to some of his more conservative colleagues in similar positions, but he has been clear that marriage should be between a man and woman only, and previously indicated he would defend his position.

This has led to more the more liberal media refer to him as a "homosceptic".

In a positive step, he has taken a liberal stance on woman in the leadership of the clergy saying "I'm strongly in favour of women as bishops. What we're struggling with is how you make the change and ensure that women have the full authority as bishops without making it impossible for those who have real conscientious objections." He recently encouraged the synod to vote in their favour, definitely a positive sign as far as women are concerned.

I am left to ponder how he would feel about a lesbian, female minister in a civil partnership being promoted to Bishop though...

Back on topic though.

Following his appointment to the position, the incoming Archbishop has stated he reassess his position on same-sex marriage "prayerfully and carefully" in coming months, perhaps showing a genuine reconsideration on the issue.

Or perhaps this shows that he realises how politically charged a position he is now in.

Whichever, the Church is due to publish it's thoughts on sexuality in the coming year and so it will be interesting to see if there is any softening of their previously conservative position. With congregations numbering the millions in violently homophobic countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Malawi and homosexuality being prominent issue in the States, the new Archbishop will have to think very carefully about his next move.

I deeply hope that we find Bishop Welby to be an ally to the LGBT community during his tenure; with the attacks stemming from the Catholic Church in Scotland, goodness knows we need all the friends we can get.  But only time will tell.

The winds of change are coming, my friends, and maybe they're coming to a pew near you!