Gay marriage battle set to strain Church of England

Splintering stances on the church's position on gay marriage may be the Church of England's most decisive battle yet.

The General Synod is scheduled to discuss this weekend the splintering issue of the church's position on gay marriage. About 500 delegates from around the world are expected to attend and attempt a unified stance during its three-day closed-door conference.

"I'm worried that there is a terrific battle ahead. If they try and force it through, it will be a bloodbath," Christian Today quoted an unnamed leading evangelical as saying.

According to CofE's wedding website, the church does not recognize same-sex marriages and prevents its ministers to bless or officiate in such marriages. What it does give space for are informal prayers as a way to support same-sex unions.

An unidentified leading conservative evangelical defended the church's current position and said that ministers are already performing pastoral care "for all sorts of people" including gay couples but are doing so according to the Church's official teaching and Scriptural understanding. The conservative evangelical leader also justified such position and refuted basis of homophobia, the fear of being ostracized, or the failure to listen to others.

Representing London diocese at the General Synod is Father Andrew Foreshew-Cain, married to Stephen Foreshew, who argued that the CofE needs to start recognizing civil partnerships and same-sex marriages and pegs hundreds of parish churches that are already doing so.

"There has to be some accommodation towards the progressive affirming wing of the Church," Fr. Foreshew-Cain told Christian Today. "There has to be change. The conservatives are not going to be able to stop it."

According to an earlier report by The Guardian, head of CofE Archbishop Justin Welby may only attempt to arrive at a compromise on the contentious debate in the hope of preventing a large number of progressive-leaning members from separating from the church.

The Diocese of Norwich also expressed its assumption that there is "no realistic expectation of achieving consensus" and that Archbishop Welby would do best to work on a "good disagreement."