At the launch on Tuesday night in the Good Book shop, Belfast, of “Moving Forward Together: Homosexuality and the Church of Ireland” guest speaker and leading Church of Ireland lay woman Lady Brenda Sheil called on members of the Church of Ireland to make time to study and reflect on the issue of same-sex relationships.
She said that the new book would be a valuable contribution to this process and that she hoped that it would be widely read.
Canon Ginnie Kennerley who co-edited the book with Dr Richard O’Leary said it has been produced to assist in the discussion and mutual listening within the Church of Ireland in advance of the Church’s special conference on sexuality next month. Some of the contributors were present and spoke at the launch including the Ven Gordon Linney, retired Archdeacon of Dublin. The Ven Linney stated that “The issue of human sexuality presents huge difficulties for everyone, but the imperative of the Gospel is inclusive and accepting love”. On Civil Partnership and the Church of Ireland he added that “If the Church is prepared to acknowledge civil partnerships involving other gay couples, then it must apply to clergy”.
Contributors include the leading theologians Dr Nigel Biggar, Regius Professor of Moral & Pastoral Theology in Oxford and Dr Andrew Pierce from the Irish School of Ecumenics and the Bishop of Cashel & Ossory, the Rt Revd. Michael Burrows.
Dr Alan Acheson a well known Evangelical and former headmaster of Portora Royal School, in his chapter explains that he was prompted to intervene in the debate after listening at General Synod “to several hard-line speeches that made me ashamed that fellow Evangelicals could be so cruelly judgemental of and bitterly hostile to homosexual partners striving to live loving, faithful lives in Christ”.
Dr Elizabeth Butler a retired medical consultant who is the widow of Bishop Arthur Butler of Connor Diocese in her chapter writes on the election of openly gay USA Bishop Gene Robinson that “I cannot believe that Our Lord would withhold his blessing from many of the (gay) individuals that I have met during the past twenty years. Therefore, how could I reject a Bishop, simply on the grounds of sexual orientation?”.
The book is published by Changing Attitude Ireland and costs £4/ 5euro and the Dublin launch will be on Thursday 9th February at 6.15pm at Trinity College Dublin chapel where the guest speaker will be Judge Catherine McGuinness.