5 Christian Reactions to Church of England's Controversial Transgender Affirming Vote
1. Ed Shaw
Ed Shaw, a same-sex attracted Christian from the Living Out group, which says it offers people with such attractions support to live faithfully according to biblical principles, revealed that he voted against the so-called conversion therapy ban and the transgender welcoming motion at the Synod.
Shaw, who is an associate pastor at Emmanuel Bristol, said in an article for Premier on Monday that although the conversion therapy ban attested to the "appalling practices" that have occurred in this field in the past, the motion did not guarantee that ministry to people with unwanted attractions would be protected.
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"Ambiguity was allowed to develop about what we were trying to get rid of — would responsible prayer ministry and every day pastoral care of LGBT people be affected by the ban?" Shaw asked.
"We were told not, but given no guarantees, and without such clarity I couldn't support a motion that could undermine the Church's future loving care of people like me."
Similarly, he said that the transgender affirming motion left it unclear what bishops were asked to do, given that "we (like many in society around us) have yet to get our minds around the incredibly complex experience of the growing number of people experiencing gender dysphoria."
