Justin Welby’s LGBTQ+ legacy leaves several issues for the next archbishop of Canterbury to address
Justin Welby’s LGBTQ+ record as Archbishop of Canterbury dates back to 2013. (Filippo Monteforte/Getty)
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has announced his resignation following a report into child abuse within the Church of England (C of E).
Welby will step down in the wake of the Makin Report – an independent review into British barrister John Smyth, who is believed to have abused more than 100 boys and young men – which was published last week.
He initially refused to quit saying, however, that he had given “a lot of thought” to doing so, but now believes it was his “personal and institutional responsibility” to resign.
Welby, who has been the archbishop since 2013, has a divisive history regarding LGBTQ+ rights within in the Church of England, and his departure leaves questions that his successor will need to address.
Here are some of his key moments regarding LGBTQ+ issues, from gay weddings to the growing divide between the global Anglican communion when it comes to progressive social attitudes.
Church weddings for same-sex couples
Last year, the CofE clarified its stance that it would not allow gay marriages in churches. However, there was an agreement to bless same-sex couples. Around the same time, Welby claimed he had been “summoned twice to parliament and threatened with parliamentary action”, in an effort to force same-sex marriage on the Church.
The move allowed same-sex couples to attend church services, including prayers of dedication, thanksgiving and God’s blessing of a legal marriage ceremony.
However, despite this promising move, there are still calls from Anglican bishops for “homosexual practice” to be “rejected.”
At the 2022 Lambeth Conference, the dissenting bishops insisted that “God’s power” would help gay people with the “ordering of relationships”.
Groundbreaking engagement with PinkNews in 2014
In 2014, Welby became the first primate of the Anglican Church to conduct an interview with an LGBTQ+ media publication when he spoke to PinkNews.
Asked during an exclusive PinkNews interview whether he had a message for the community, he replied: “As you know, I have said, and got a fair amount of flak for it within parts of the Church, we have to accept that the same-sex marriage act is law, and that it’s right and proper. It’s the law of the land, and that’s great.
“We are struggling with the issues across the Church globally. It’s complicated [by] ramifications that are very difficult to deal with in many parts of the world.”
Gay priests
The Church of England has allowed gay and lesbian priests to be in civil partnerships since 2005. Transgender priests have been allowed to serve since 2000.
Now, The General Synod of the Church of England has approved proposals that would allow gay members of the clergy to marry.
The Church’s legislative body has initiated steps towards permitting same-sex civil marriage ceremonies between two members of the clergy, or one member of the clergy and a layperson – anyone not ordained as a deacon, priest or bishop. The proposals passed by 22 votes to 12 in the House of Bishops, by 99 votes to 88 among clergy, and by 95 to 91 among the laity.
The next step is for Church leaders to discuss the proposals, which should happen in February.
Division within the Anglican Communion over homosexuality
In the shadow of Welby’s resignation, the head of Uganda’s Anglican Church said that the archbishop had split the global communion.
The archbishop of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba, released a statement on Wednesday (13 November) that detailed how his Church had lost trust in Welby’s authority because of his “inability to uphold the historic and biblical teaching” of the C of E on marriage and family.
“Unfortunately, this is the same compromised leadership that has led to the fabric of the Anglican Communion being torn at its deepest level,” Kaziimba claimed.
The pair had been at odds for years, with the disagreement rooted mainly in the C of E’s stance on homosexuality.
Last year, Kaziimba supported Uganda’s strict anti-homosexuality law that prohibits advocating or promoting LGBTQ+ rights. The new legislation includes an “aggravated homosexuality” clause, defined as having sex with a minor or while HIV positive, and carries the death penalty.
Welby wrote to Kaziimba condemning the law, saying: “I make this public statement with sorrow and with continuing prayers for reconciliation between our Churches and across the Anglican Communion.
“I am deeply aware of the history of colonial rule in Uganda, so heroically resisted by its people. But this is not about imposing Western values on our Ugandan Anglican sisters and brothers. It is about reminding them of the commitments we have made to treat every person with the care and respect they deserve as children of God.”
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