Over 100 church leaders have written a response to four bishops in the diocese about their advice on welcoming LGBT people and the bishops have written a joint response back.
The original document, ‘Clothe Yourselves With Love’ written in October 2018 by Rt Rev Dr Steven Croft (Oxford), Rt Rev Colin Fletcher (Dorchester), Rt Rev Dr Alan Wilson (Buckingham) and Rt Rev Andrew Proud (Reading) says: “we want to encourage, above all, an attitude of inclusion and respect for LGBTI+ people across the Diocese of Oxford” and acknowledges that many have different views on the matter.
It reads: “We are concerned to listen well to LGBTI+ people from a variety of perspectives including both those seeking change in the Church of England’s polity and those seeking to to live faithfully within it”.
The response, called ‘Letter from Concerned Anglicans in the Oxford Diocese’ is signed by clergy such as Vaughan Roberts and Sam Alberry, who would say they experience same-sex attraction but remain celibate, as well as other ministers, lay people and retired clergy.
They said they have concerns with what they see as ambiguous language in the letter, such as whether ‘inclusion’ means welcoming people who act on an LGBT identity into leadership at every level and what it means in terms of the teaching of the Church of England.
They say: “We cannot see how it is right to accept as…
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