Dictionary

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Anglican

Anglicans form the family of Christians closely related to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Whilst tracing their inheritance back to Christ and the earliest Christians and to the ancient Roman Catholic church, the sixteenth century Reformation was a crucial moment for Anglicanism.

Diocese

‘Diocese’ refers to the geographical territory in which a bishop exercises oversight. The Church in Wales is divided into six dioceses each with its own cathedral in which is housed the cathedra (the bishop’s ‘chair’ or ‘throne’).

Ecumenical

The Christian Church is divided due to different interpretations of the faith and different religious practices. The ecumenical movement promotes dialogue and understanding between Christians and works for visible unity.

Liturgy

Liturgy is a set form of words and action used for worship. In the Church in Wales (and many other churches) these forms follow the same pattern from one congregation to another. Most Anglican liturgies look back in some way to the Book of Common Prayer.

Prayer

Prayer sustains our human relationship with God and may involve words (formal or informal) or be silent. Prayer can involve adoration (‘I love you’), confession (‘sorry’), thanksgiving and supplication (‘please’).

Home Pobl Dewi: March 2026 In My View...

In My View...

Why we are staying

Samuel Patterson, Melanie Prince, Hannah Wilkinson & Jeremy Bevan, members of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Church in Wales, argue that concern about the move to same-sex marriages in church should be addressed from within.

Towards the end of November, the Bishops of the Church in Wales released a pastoral letter outlining their roadmap for the full authorisation of same-sex blessings, and then the introduction of same-sex marriage within the Church in Wales.

If you haven’t been following events, this follows the introduction of liturgy for the blessing of same-sex couples on a trial basis, in the autumn of 2021, by the Governing Body. The proposals lay out a vote this April for the full inclusion of the blessings in the Book of Common Prayer, thus making it a permanent addition to our liturgy and practice, and therefore changing the doctrine of marriage. This vote would then be followed by another in April 2027 in order for same-sex marriages to take place.

This has made a big impact across the Church in Wales. The announcement has been met with great distress and worry for many. Whilst the timing of the second vote on blessings was expected, as the trial provision expires this year, the quick move to a vote on marriage was very unexpected.

The Bench of Bishops are keen to emphasise that, for them, this shouldn’t be a church-dividing issue. However the evidence is clear that it already is. The initial vote approving blessings caused great damage in many churches throughout the province. In some cases this was very visible - clergy resigning posts, or taking early retirement.

We have within the Diocese of St Davids alone three new Anglican congregations outside the Church in Wales, which have formed precisely because of this question, with the hurt and the pain experienced both by those who have left the Church in Wales, and those who have remained.

But in many cases it was much more subtle. Clergy applying for other posts outside of the province as they became available, meaning a much slower trickle leaving; lay members of churches deciding after much wrestling to worship elsewhere, if indeed there was anywhere else locally to worship.

Taken as individual cases, they don’t have much impact, but looking at what we’ve seen anecdotally, it is not an inconsequential number. With this pain and damage still so fresh, the idea of ripping the bandages off that wound so quickly by moving further on this is difficult to contemplate.

Those who hold to a traditional understanding of marriage, but who have remained, are united in wanting to continue to witness to, and contend for, the faith as revealed in the Scriptures, and to which the ecumenical Creeds and the historic Anglican Formularies, the Articles and the Homilies, which contain the deposit of Anglican doctrine, bear witness. We want to reveal in our lives and teaching faithfulness both to Scripture, and to the love of Jesus within the Church in Wales. For us Scripture and love are not in opposition, nor can they be divided from one another.

We may assume that the current debate is essentially, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to let same-sex couples get married in church?’ and therefore all who oppose are awful people who refuse to allow this. But actually the question before the Governing Body, and all of us, is the nature of marriage itself.

It also touches on deeper issues such as our creation in the image of God, and therefore the nature of Christ and the Church, how we read and interpret Scripture and its place in our lives, the nature of sin, and what it means to live life in all its fulness. These are not side issues, but go right to the core of our belief and identity as Christians. We want to uphold the truth of Scripture, and its authority in our lives, and proclaim the love of Christ, as revealed in the Scriptures, who died so that our sins, our failure to live as God calls us, can be forgiven when we repent and turn back to him; knowing the new life, renewal, and eternal hope that he brings.

We believe that these issues are of the utmost importance and would encourage you to bring these questions and issues to God in prayer. And if you are looking for fellowship, support and encouragement please get in touch with us and we can connect you with others.