A British bishop has become the first in the Church of
England — the mother church of the worldwide Anglican faith
— to announce he is homosexual, in an interview published
Saturday.
Nicholas Chamberlain, the Bishop of Grantham in central
England, told the Guardian newspaper he was in a long-term
relationship with his male partner, after a Sunday paper
reportedly said it was about to publish a story on his private
life.
“It was not my decision to make a big thing about coming
out,” he said, adding that he adhered to church guidelines
which stipulate that gay clergy must be celibate.
“People know I’m gay, but it’s not the first thing I’d say to
anyone. Sexuality is part of who I am, but it’s my ministry
that I want to focus on.”
The church knew he was gay when he became a bishop last
year, he revealed.
“I was myself. Those making the appointment knew about
my sexual identity.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the world’s
Anglican faith, said Chamberlain’s sexuality was “completely
irrelevant”.
“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 said.
“He lives within the bishops’ guidelines and his sexuality is
completely irrelevant to his office.”
Chamberlain said of his relationship: “It is faithful, loving, we
are like-minded, we enjoy each other’s company and we
share each other’s life.”
A Church of England spokesman said it would have been
“unjust” not to appoint him based due to his sexuality.
The Church of England dropped its opposition to gay
clergymen in civil partnerships becoming bishops in 2013,
although many of the Anglican faith worldwide — who number
80 million — were opposed.
The Anglican Church of Uganda in 2014 said it may consider
breaking away from their mother church in England if it put
Uganda under pressure over its tough anti-homosexuality
law.
source :vanguard
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