Church Society website is reporting:
Information has come to light that the Archbishop of Canterbury will be leading a service of Holy Communion for a secretive group of what appear to be homosexual clergy. The secretive nature and circumstances of the meeting suggest that they have something to hide. Moreover as is well known there are clergy in the Church of England who have refused to give assurances that they are celibate and Bishops who, contrary to their own agreed policy, apparently refuse to ask for such assurances.
The Archbishop might have defended the meeting with such a group on the grounds that he is engaged in a listening process. However, by leading the communion service he is clearly doing far more than just listening.
The meeting is with a group called The Clergy Consultation which says of itself that it is “a confidential support organisation for male and female lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender clergy, religious, ordinands, seminarians and their partners.” It has been involved with other homosexual groups in lobbying for the Church to accept homosexual practice.
For the sake of the Archbishop they have asked their members to keep the meeting secret and not to report what is said at it. The meeting is scheduled to be held on 29th November at St. Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, London and the Archbishop has apparently asked to know in advance who will be present.
For further details of the event (PDF file).
The recently appointed Co-Convenors are apparently Chris N and Christina B with the other Steering Committee members being given as Bryony M, Paul C, Richard C, Carole G, Charles B, John F, Irene C and Tim N.
David Phillips,
General Secretary, Church Society
Also see Ruth Gledhill’s report.