Church of England General Synod halts work on LGBTQ+ equality

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Harriet SherwoodFebruary 12, 2026 at 08:41 PM

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The Church of England's General Synod voted to halt the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process regarding LGBTQ+ equality after years of debate. Meeting in London, the Synod backed a proposal acknowledging the inability to reach consensus between conservative and liberal factions within the church. This decision effectively ends three years of work on potentially allowing clergy to bless same-sex couples and removes the possibility of clergy entering same-sex marriages. The issue is now postponed until a new synod is elected later this year. The motion passed by a vote of 252 to 132, with 21 abstentions, despite expressions of pain and disappointment from many synod members who felt the church had failed to progress on LGBTQ+ issues.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Newcastle 30% Claire Robson 50% London ×250% Charlie Bączyk-Bell 50% Sarah Mullally 60% Stephen Cottrell 60% Living in Love and Faith ×370% General Synod ×480% Church of England ×490%

Keywords

lgbtq+ equality 100% church of england 90% general synod 80% same-sex marriage 70% living in love and faith 70% clergy 60% liberal 50% conservative 50% civil marriage 40%