LGCM Conference comes at crucial time for Church

At no time in its 2000 year history have lesbian and gay people played such a crucial role in the destiny of the Church as we do today.” says Richard Kirker, general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement.

Over 100 delegates are expected to attend the 28th Annual Conference of the Movement at St Alban's Centre, Baldwin Gardens, Holborn, London next Saturday 24th April 2004.

Prof. Adrian Thatcher (Professor of Applied Theology at the College of St Mark and St John, Plymouth, UK) will give the key note address reflecting on the unprecedented events of the last 12 months.

Speaking to leaders of the Movement at a planning meeting in London this week Mr Kirker said that the place of Lesbian and Gay people in the Christian Church had reached a defining moment: “Events are fast moving, attitudes are hardening in many denominations and schism of some form seems inevitable within Anglicanism.”

At the moment we emerge finally from the shadows with the election of the first honestly gay bishop in America, the fear that once enslaved us appears to be descending on the Church in many parts of the world.

As we cast off the cloak of self-loathing that caused homosexual people to hate and reject their God given sexuality, the mantle of darkness has fallen on those who clearly despise our new found freedom in Christ.

We have seen in the statements of many Anglican Provinces throughout the world the blatant homophobia many cherish as an article of faith, . Other Churches have couched their intrinsic hatred of homosexuals in more guarded terms, but nobody is misled by this.

We already hear that the Lambeth Commission is locked in ways of dividing the Communion so it may continue in some form or another. We are advised that the degree of that unity will depend on how much the West is willing to sacrifice the hard won freedom of their lesbian and gay members.

"We must not become the sacrificial lambs on the altar of a Church bent on perpetuating homophobia.” he said.

The Conference will also see two re-enactments of ancient church rituals for celebrating the unions of same sex couples. The church services date from the 9th and 14th centuries and are representative of the many identified by scholars as practiced by the Church at times when it was less “stressed” by homosexuality.

Notes to Editors:

1.The ceremony of same sex marriage will be in costume appropriate to the age of the ritual and would make an excellent photo opportunity. More information on the rites can be found at www.samesexunions.org.uk

Ends