The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is being accused of undermining biblical ethics over sexuality.
Last month, Bishop Welby said in an interview with the Cambridge Union that he had been "thick" to oppose same sex relationships.
The church is grappling with shaping a way forward on sexuality through its Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process. However, at its current General Synod meeting in York, the issue won't be debated in full.
Rev Jonathan Ford, who was a member of General Synod for 23 years until his retirement two years ago, told Premier Christian News that the former Archbishop's comments hadn't been helpful at such a critical time for the church:
“Living in Love and Faith is on the agenda, but it's really a holding exercise - because they've got into real trouble. They can't find a lead Bishop, and the bishops aren't united on this in any shape, size, or form. There’s a sense in which they're all leaving this until the new Archbishop comes along. That's one of the first things the poor person's got on their desk... somebody's going to have to own this mess and nobody wants to own it.”
Rev Ford said Bishop Welby’s comments had risked dividing the church even further on the issue:
“One of the things that's really worried everybody is him saying: ‘Oh, I was a mug to follow biblical ethics.’ Biblical ethics have been the underpinning of civilization for the last 2000 years. If he says biblical morality is no longer important, then we are all in really big trouble, because what is morality then? If you say, 'No more biblical morality', well, what are we?
"The majority of Christianity is quite conservative, whether you like it or not," said Rev Ford, "So, it’s whether we are part of the main thrust of Christianity, or part of this very vocal, and very powerful, but liberal minority. Where does the Church of England fit? Where does the Church of England fit in its own community?”
Other issues on the agenda at this year’s York meeting include clergy pensions, stipends, and whether to give final approval to a redress scheme for abuse survivors.
Rev Ford told Premier that he would like to see the Church of England hold a “year of national repent” over some of its failings:
“I'm a committed Anglican. I love the Church of England, but I would say that we have made buildings and money our gods, and we haven't really followed Jesus with our whole hearts. I think, a year of national repent for the Church of England, if we just stood up and said: ‘We got this wrong, and we're going to start living much more Christ-like lives, and we're going to really make the Bible our authority’, I think people would stand up and applaud.”