The new Archbishop of Wales has rebuffed criticism of her appointment by conservatives in the church.
Most Rev Cherry Vann, who is gay and living in a same-sex partnership, was selected as the 15th Archbishop of Wales last month in a move that has delighted Anglican progressives, but dismayed those who say it goes against Biblical teaching.
Speaking to Premier about the controversy over her appointment, she said she had lived with the knowledge that she was gay all her life and had “never heard God say to me, who you are is wrong. Who you love is wrong. You are living in sin. I have never heard that from God, and that's all I can say.”
Responding to criticism over her appointment on the grounds of her sexuality, she said the Bible was open to interpretation:
“Christians hold different views on all manner of subjects, divorce, remarriage, abortion, assisted dying, to name but a few. I mean, we are not all of one mind on most things. And you know, the church changes its position. It learns a broader understanding of God's love.
“There is not one view on this matter, even amongst theologians and Christians. My understanding is that the kinds of relationship that the Bible talks about are purely sexual for sexual gratification. They are abusive. They are not talking, in my view, about long-term loving relationships that I and many other LGBT+ people enjoy. I cannot see how loving somebody as I love my partner could be wrong.”
The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (Gafcon), which represents conservative views, said her appointment was "another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy". The Nigerian Primate, Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, called her election "a signal that some sections of the global Anglican world have resolved to abandon the truth of God’s word by sacrificing the authority of the Scripture for a postmodern agenda that has no divine backing".
But Archbishop Vann said: “There are primates across the world who are shocked and horrified, and I entirely understand that it will put strain on the Anglican primates. But I would be very sad if anybody felt that they had to leave the church because of my appointment, I would ask them to reconsider.
“People are perfectly entitled to their views, but I want to preside over a church where we can learn to disagree. I believe that the church is better and richer for being more inclusive and more diverse.
“It's the beginning of a conversation, a relationship, hopefully, of mutual respect, where we're not trying to change each other's minds, but we recognise that we're all children of God, and God calls us to love one another as Jesus loves each one of us.”
Asked whether it was now inevitable that the Church in Wales will eventually accept same-sex marriages being conducted in church, she said she believed that would happen “in the not too distant future”, although she wouldn’t force through the issue.
Her overriding hope is to lead “a church that reflects the nature of God as we see it in Jesus Christ, open, transparent, honest, accountable, so that when people look at us, they see the good news of the gospel, not the bad news of human failing.”
“I am the person for this moment," she added. "I know that I'm where God wants me to be, and that's all that matters.”