Shropshire campaigner pushes Church of England to allow same-sex marriages

But Peter Roscoe, who with his life partner Geoffrey Hardy were among the first couples to enter into a civil partnership 17 years ago, called on the CofE to move faster and follow the Methodists and Quakers in allowing marriages to take place in their buildings.

"They are allowing blessings but not marriages," said Peter who signed his civil partnership papers at 8am on December 21, 2005.

"So they are glacially moving forward - just how long will it take them?

"They fought tooth and nail against civil partnerships and I think the Church of England is pandering to reactionary Anglican churches in other parts of the world."

Mr Roscoe does not have a religious faith but added "Jesus never said anything about this" and urged the CofE to follow in the footsteps of the Christian denominations that have come to a different interpretation.

Some years ago Mr Roscoe was involved in a small group of activists called Shropshire 4 Equal Marriage and they talked to various churches about their positions.

"We talked to bishops but got absolutely nowhere with the Catholics, so we went to the cathedral in Shrewsbury," he said. "The bishop didn't want to talk but the congregation were very nice," he said.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2013, but the CofE did not change its teaching when the law changed.

In a statement earlier this week Church of England bishops covering the Shropshire region said they are sorry for the hurt caused to same sex couples but they won't be allowing them to be married in their ceremonies.

They say that they can bless same-sex couples after they have been married or have a civil partnership but they won't allow a priest to join them in holy matrimony.

Bishop Richard Jackson of Hereford said everyone is welcome in CofE churches and it is "not the end of the conversation but a milestone in our journey together".

He said: "Over the last few years, I have listened with great care to understand better the personal experiences of individuals who identify as LGBTQI+.

"I feel great sorrow that their experiences have been all too often hurtful.

"I know I bear some responsibility in this, and I am sorry for the hurt this has caused."

Mr Roscoe said: "If they know that they are causing pain then they should take action to stop causing pain."

He added that he thought same-sex couples who have a Christian faith "must be conflicted".

"The message they are giving is 'love the sinner and hate the sin'. If you apply that to any individual human being who is living their life and loving the person they are with, I can imagine the conflict."

But he added that although he is impatient for change he "did not want to throw the baby out with the bathwater".

"They are now doing blessings, so what is the problem?" said Mr Roscoe, who has been with his partner for a total of 43 years.

The couple were the first gay men in Shropshire to become civil partners in 2005, and helped organise a Shropshire LGBT history month and the Rainbow film festival.

The CofE has carried out a Living in Love and Faith consultation which is due to be considered by the ruling Synod next week. The issue has caused huge disagreement in the Church of England.

The four bishops in the Diocese of Litchfield issued a joint statement in the name of The Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield; The Rt Revd Sarah Bullock, Bishop of Shrewsbury; Rt Revd Matthew Parker, the Bishop of Stafford, and The Rt Revd Clive Gregory, Bishop of Wolverhampton.

They said: "Following the outcome of the College of Bishops’ discussions this week of the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process in the Church of England, we encourage all in our diocese to read the bishops’ proposals with care when they are published on Friday (20) in preparation for General Synod.

"That will mark the beginning of a new stage of decision making and practical discussion, and we are well aware that there will be many complex and contested issues to be resolved, both in the Church of England nationally and in our own diocese."

The statement added: "We have heard both painful stories of rejection and joyous stories of inclusion and fruitful ministry. In all of this, we have sought to encourage and uphold the mutual flourishing of all, emphasising that all are welcome in God’s Church, and everyone has a place at the table, and each of us must attend to the views and experiences of one another with attentiveness and courtesy.

“Our heartfelt prayer is that, in addressing these deeply contested matters, we may all be committed to seeking the mind of Christ and to the faithful flourishing of all the members of Christ’s body. Following the publication of the proposals from the College of Bishops, a letter will be sent to clergy and lay ministers setting out our views in more detail.”

The decision not to back the change ahead of the Synod puts the Church at odds with the Church of Scotland, which voted in May at its General Assembly to allow parish ministers and deacons to marry same-sex couples if they wish.

In August, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, acknowledged that there are "deep differences" within the Church, as he faced criticism for reaffirming a 1998 Anglican declaration rejecting same-sex marriage.