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.
Church of England welcomes first openly gay bishop |
Photo courtesy of The Christian Post
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.
