The Church of England’s transgender guidance should be withdrawn, clergy say

More than 3,150 lay and ordained members of the Church signed an open letter opposing the House of Bishops’ transgender guidance.

Dr Ian Paul, member of Archbishops’ Council, Archdeacon of Hastings Dr Edward Dowler, Church of England Evangelical Council and Fulcrum member, Rev Rachel Marszalek, and the Rev David Baker organised the letter.

They met with bishops and officials in London to raise their concerns.

Responding to the meeting, the delegation said in a statement: “The group was encouraged that the bishops agreed that the press release that accompanied the guidance had been unhelpful, and that they have undertaken to remove it from the Church of England website.

“We were further concerned that parish churches served by both ordained and lay signatories of the open letter had subsequently been collated and listed as ones that ‘trans people and parents of trans children might want to think twice about attending’.

“We were glad that the bishops shared our concern for respectful public dialogue.”

It was decided in December, 2018 that pastoral guidance produced by the House of Bishops Delegation Committee, whose chair Rt Rev Julian Henderson is president of the Church of England Evangelical Council, was to be incorporated into the Church’s Common Worship library of service resources.

Ceremonies should allow…