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JUSTIN WELBY LAMBETH CONFERENCE SANDI.jpg
Lambeth Conference
World News

'I would love to sit down over a coffee': Justin Welby accepts offer to meet Sandi Toksvig following criticism on Anglican LGBT stance

by Kelly Valencia

The Archbishop of Canterbury has accepted Sandi Toksvig's offer to meet to discuss the Anglican Communion's position on same-sex marriage. 

On Thursday, the broadcaster and comedian wrote an open letter to Most Rev Justin Welby accusing him of making "a terrible mistake" by affirming the validity of Lambeth 1.10, a resolution that describes homosexuality as "incompatible with Scripture". 

"If we were, I'd call you and say, 'Justin, Justin, what are you doing?'. We'd have had a chat and maybe I could persuade you that you have made a horrible mistake. It's what friends do for each other," Toksvig wrote. 

Archbishop Justin had previously posted a letter addressed to all bishops attending the Lambeth Conference recognising that the Lambeth 1.10 Resolution from 1998 was the stance of the majority of members of the Communion. 

He also refused to impose sanctions on those provinces who already bless same-sex marriage following calls from members to do so. 

Now Archbishop Justin has thanked Toksvig for her correspondence and agreed to meet her to talk about his letter.

"I would love to sit down over a coffee to talk with you about it," he wrote. 

In his letter to Toksvig, Archbishop Justin condemned the threats and suffering she and other members of the LGBTQ+ community have experienced and called it "a sin". 

"I have absolutely no doubt about that and want you to be in not doubt of my position. The Church of England agrees with this view and vigoursly opposes conversion therapy," he said. 

"The Anglican Communion is a complicated global group of churches. We can talk about this when we meet. There are deep differences in many areas. This week we have been honest about the differences and nevertheless accept each other," he continued. 

The letter concluded: "There's so much more to say about Christianity being based and founded and lived in love, and we can talk about that more in depth later".

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