9/2/2016

Bishop of Grantham rst C of E bishop to declare he is in gay relationship | World news | The Guardian

Bishop of Grantham rst C of E bishop to declare

he is in gay relationship
Nicholas Chamberlain has spoken out after a Sunday newspaper threatened to
reveal his sexuality
Harriet Sherwood Religion correspondent
Friday 2 September 2016 19.28BST

The bishop of Grantham has become the rst Church of England bishop to
publicly declare that he is gay and in a relationship. In a move that will be
embraced by campaigners for equality but is likely to alarm conservatives
who fear the church is moving away from traditional teachings, Nicholas
Chamberlain said there had been no secret about his long-term albeit
celibate relationship with his partner.
But a threat by a Sunday newspaper to reveal Chamberlains sexuality had
pushed him to speak publicly. He acknowledged that the revelation would
cause ripples within the church. It was not my decision to make a big
thing about coming out, he told the Guardian in an exclusive interview.
People know Im gay, but its not the rst thing Id say to anyone. Sexuality
is part of who I am, but its my ministry that I want to focus on.
Chamberlain was consecrated last November, and all those involved in his
appointment including Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury were
aware of his personal situation. During the process of being appointed as
suragan bishop of Grantham, he said, I was myself. Those making the
appointment knew about my sexual identity. His appointment was made
by the diocesan (senior) bishop of Lincoln, Christopher Lowson, and
endorsed by Welby.
Chamberlain said he adhered to church guidelines, under which gay clergy
must be celibate and are not permitted to marry. In the appointments
process, We explored what it would mean for me as a bishop to be living
within those guidelines, he said.

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Bishop of Grantham rst C of E bishop to declare he is in gay relationship | World news | The Guardian

In a statement, Welby said: I am and have been fully aware of Bishop

Nicks long-term, committed relationship. His appointment as bishop of
Grantham was made on the basis of his skills and calling to serve the church
in the diocese of Lincoln. He lives within the bishops guidelines and his
sexuality is completely irrelevant to his oce.
In a letter to parishes in his diocese, Lowson said: I am satised now, as I
was at the time of his appointment, that Bishop Nicholas fully understands,
and lives by, the House of Bishops guidance on issues in human sexuality.
For me, and for those who assisted in his appointment, the fact that Bishop
Nicholas is gay is not, and has never been, a determining factor.
The C of E has been deeply divided over issues of sexuality. For the past two
years, it has been involved in a series of painful internal discussions on the
churchs attitudes to LGBT people and whether it can accept same-sex
marriage. Its traditional belief that marriage is a union of a man and a
woman has come under pressure from societal change and growing
demands within the church that gay people should be accepted and allowed
to marry in church.
An increasing number of priests have married or plan to marry same-sex
partners in deance of the ban on gay clergy marrying.
This week, a group of C of E conservative evangelical parishes held a
meeting to discuss their response to what they claimed to be the wateringdown of the authority of the Bible on the issue of sexuality, in what was
billed as potentially the rst step towards a breakaway from the Anglican
church. It followed Welbys recent comments at a Christian festival, when
he said he was constantly consumed with horror at the churchs
treatment of lesbians and gay men.
Chamberlain said he had been with his partner for many years. It is
faithful, loving, we are like-minded, we enjoy each others company and we
share each others life, he said.
Stressing that he did not want to become known as the gay bishop, he
said he hoped that the impact of his openness would be that we can say
the bishop of Grantham is gay and is getting on with his life and ministry.
However, as a member of the C of Es College of Bishops, which meets this
month to discuss the next stage of the churchs discussions about sexuality,
Chamberlain may come under pressure to be a representative for LGBT
rights.
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Bishop of Grantham rst C of E bishop to declare he is in gay relationship | World news | The Guardian

I will speak [at the meeting], and this part of me will be known. I hope Ill
be able to be a standard-bearer for all people as a gay man. And I really hope
that Ill be able to help us move on beyond matters of sexuality, he said.
Its not to say this isnt an important matter Im not brushing it aside, he
added. But the church needed to focus on issues such as deprivation,
inequality and refugees, he said.
Asked whether other bishops might follow his lead in openly declaring their
sexuality, he said: I really can only speak for myself. If Im an
encouragement to others, that would be great.
Chamberlain said the C of E was still at the beginning of a process of
learning about issues of sexuality, describing it as a struggle. I dont think
weve reached a position where the church is going to be marrying same-sex
couples, he said. He declined to express objections to the C of Es celibacy
rule for gay clergy. My observation of human beings over the years has
shown me how much variety there is in the way people express their
relationships. Physical expression is not for everyone.
He hoped to be judged by my actions as a parish priest, a bishop and by
the Lord ultimately. My sexual identity is part of who I am, but its the
ministry that matters.
In a statement, the C of E said: The church has said for some time that it
would be unjust to exclude from consideration for the episcopate anyone
seeking to live fully in conformity with the churchs teaching on sexual
ethics or other areas of personal life and discipline.
Rumours about gay bishops have circulated for decades, but no serving
bishop has ever before gone public about their sexuality. David Hope, the
former archbishop of York, said that his sexuality was a grey area after
being threatened with being outed; and former archbishop of Canterbury
George Carey claimed to have knowingly consecrated two celibate gay men
as bishops in the 1990s.
In 2003 the Times reported that the Right Rev Peter Wheatley, then the
bishop of Edmonton, was gay and living with his partner. He said he was a
celibate Christian living by Christian teachings.
Also in 2003, Jerey John, now the dean of St Albans, was nominated as
bishop of Reading while being in a same-sex relationship with another C of
E priest. Despite publicly declaring the relationship to be celibate, John
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Bishop of Grantham rst C of E bishop to declare he is in gay relationship | World news | The Guardian

withdrew from the nomination after an outcry from conservative

Anglicans.
In the same year in the US, Gene Robinson was elected as bishop of New
Hampshire, a move that split the Episcopal church. Earlier this year the US
church was subject to de facto sanctions by the global Anglican
Communion for embracing same-sex marriage.
More news

Topics
Anglicanism LGBT rights Christianity Religion

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