Today one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in the last couple of years, the Sexual Orientation Regulations, become law.
Having previously said that we are confident that the SORs do not pose a threat to Christians, Faithworks has continued to stand by our statements, and have been busy over the last month engaging with church leaders on how we can all work within the legislation.
On April 19th we held a meeting of denominational leaders to think about the way forward. It was a very positive discussion. From that we hope to soon be able to publish a resource to help churches and Christians provide services ina way that is non-discriminatory, while still maintaining their distinctive Christian ethos.
I continue to encourage all parties to show grace and respect in their tone, and not to fall into the trap of playing to people's fears and anxieties concerning diversity, as these issues are discussed. We must continue to ensure that the church avoids sounding homophobic and be committed to a credible, relevant and biblically authentic expression of our faith.
While I recognise that there are Christians who have a different view, I am committed to dialogue and discussion that will support the church and harness the commitment that we all share to reflect Christ in a broken world.