Same sex marriage history and events:

Since 1950s Church of England has struggled with different beliefs on homosexualism.

There were lots of questions, such as - should homosexualism among church members and
communion even exist? Should the church approve this or dissmiss it and think of this as a
sin? Homosexual members of communinion must they to be ignored, respected or cured,in
some way?

In the 1950s the Church of England's Moral Welfare Council was one of the major
influences that led to the setting up of the Wolfenden Commission, which supports
recommendation to abolish the law against male homosexual activity and to set the age of
homosexual consent at 21, which became law in 1967. The Church of England, while being
clear that homosexual acts were not morally right, led the call for the decriminalisation of
male homosexual acts . Cases of female homosexual acts were not mentioned.

Three reports on homosexuality were released by the Church of England between 1970 and
1989 but not all of them very published or/and official.

But The view on the issue of the Church has been expressed formally on two occasions;

First, on 1987 of November 11, the General Synod at the end of the debate
iniated by Reverend Tony Higton was agreed, that the Synod:
'...the biblical and traditional teaching on chastity and fidelity in personal relationships in a response
to God's love and in particular affirms:

that sexual intercourse is an act of total commitment which belongs properly within a permanent
married relationship;
that fornication and adultery are sins against this ideal,
that homosexual genital acts also fall short of this ideal, and are likewise to be met by a call to
repentance and the exercise of compassion;

So, it meant, that homosexualism is a sin, according to General Synod. It was thought that
allChristians are called to be exemplary in all morality spheres of life, including sexual
morals and those, who practise homosexualism is somehow immoral.

Secondly, in December of 1991, the House of Bishops published a

statement Issues in Human Sexuality (CHP 1991). This endorsed the
traditional Christian belief that the teaching of the Bible is that heterosexual
marriage is the proper context for sexual activity between two people. It went
on declaring that human was created as heterosexual. Even then it was
impossible for the Church to come with integrity to any other conclusion.
Heterosexuality and homosexuality are not equally congruous with order of
creation or with the insights of revelation.

But on the bright side, the statement also argued that the decision of those who enter into such
relationships must be respected, and that the Church must 'not reject those who sincerely believe it
is God's call to them'.

Nevertheless, the clergy cannot claim the liberty to enter into sexually active homophile
relationships.

Anglican churches are diverse in their views, from churches which do not accept
any LGBT members, to churches which are happy to have openly LGBT, partnered, non-celibate
bishops
As a member of the Anglican Communion, the Church of England also respects the teaching
of Resolution 1.10 on Human Sexuality of the 1998 Lambeth Conference (the ten-yearly meeting
of all bishops of the Communion) which expresses the declared mind of the Anglican Communion
as a whole. During the conference different beliefs of the Church were expressed:
We must confess that we are not of one mind about homosexuality. Our variety of understanding
encompasses:
those who believe that homosexuality is a disorder, but that through the grace of Christ people can
be changed, although not without pain and struggle.
those who believe that relationships between people of the same gender should not include genital
expression, that this is the clear teaching of the Bible and of the Church universal, and that such
activity (if unrepented of) is a barrier to the Kingdom of God.
those who believe that committed homosexual relationships fall short of the biblical norm, but are
to be preferred to relationships that are anonymous and transient.
those who believe that the Church should accept and support or bless monogamous covenant
relationships between homosexual people and that they may be ordained.
It appears that the opinion of the majority of bishops were not prepared to bless same sex unions or
to ordain active homosexuals.