Church of England General Synod votes against blessing same-sex marriage after long debate
The Church of England’s General Synod has voted to end plans for stand-alone blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples in churches after extended debate. The decision also closes a years-long process that had examined whether such ceremonies could be introduced.
Members this week approved a motion from bishops to conclude the Living in Love and Faith process and halt further work toward permitting special services for same-sex couples in civil marriages, The Telegraph reported.
The vote followed hours of discussion and confirmed that agreement between conservative and liberal factions had not been reached.
The Synod supported forming new working groups on relationships, sexuality and gender to continue discussion in the future rather than advancing blessing ceremonies now, according to Church Times.
The motion included an apology for the distress and pain experienced during the process and formally drew the nine-year project to a close.
Bishops had concluded that theological and legal barriers prevented the introduction of stand-alone blessing ceremonies at this stage. The Synod nevertheless held that conversation on the issue should continue through newly established bodies.
Gay marriage and dedicated blessing services for same-sex couples are therefore excluded from current church practice.
Blessing prayers within regular Sunday services remain permitted under rules introduced in 2023.
The vote in favor of the bishops’ motion passed by 252 votes to 132, with 21 abstentions. Separate tallies recorded strong majorities in the houses of clergy and laity and unanimous support among bishops, with two abstentions.
Attempts to amend the bishops’ motion from both liberal and conservative sides failed. Proposals included extending the project, accelerating the movement toward blessing ceremonies or removing planned working groups.
The conclusion of Living in Love and Faith ends the nine-year program that included the past three years of work toward permitting special services for couples already married in civil ceremonies.
Documents released before the meeting showed the wider project had cost about £1.6 million ($2.18 million) between 2017 and 2025.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell acknowledged disappointment during the debate and said the denomination had reached a place he had not hoped for three years earlier, according to the BBC. He also said bishops accepted responsibility for failures in the process and for relying on ambiguity where clarity had been needed.
Cottrell apologized for the pain and tension felt across the denomination and said bishops sought to express sorrow for their role. He said they had been wrong to treat Living in Love and Faith as a project to be delivered.
Conservative members spoke about distress linked to uncertainty over traditional teachings. Some said the pain experienced by those holding historic biblical doctrine required recognition alongside the experiences of LGBT-identified members.
Busola Sodeinde, a lay member of the Synod, was quoted as saying that Anglicans in the Global South believed they hadn't been adequately consulted and objected to being labeled homophobic.
Some Anglican churches outside England have taken different positions on same-sex marriage or blessings. Decisions within the Synod do not determine teaching in other provinces of the Anglican Communion.
Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally told Synod the debate had touched core theological convictions and identity within the Anglican denomination. She said the process had left individuals and the institution wounded, but expressed gratitude that members remained engaged.
