Church of England Synod freezes reforms on same-sex unions in the Church

Church of England Synod session. Photo: Christian Today

On February 12, 2026, the General Synod of the Church of England decided to formally end the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) program, which addressed the issue of blessing same-sex unions. The decision was approved at a meeting in London by a majority vote across all three houses of the Synod, Christian Today reports.

The LLF program was launched in 2020 as a church-wide initiative to discuss marriage, sexuality, and gender identity. Its outcome was the approval in 2023 of the so-called Prayers of Love and Faith, but the question of introducing separate services specifically for blessing same-sex couples remained the subject of intense dispute. The process will now formally conclude in July, and separate services will not be introduced.

The motion to end the program was introduced by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell. Addressing Synod members, he acknowledged: “This is not where I want us to be, nor where I hoped we would be three years ago. And I want to acknowledge that wherever you stand on the debate, I know that many of you are feeling angry and disappointed.”

The document also calls "to recognize and lament the distress and pain many have suffered during the LLF process, especially LGBTQI+ people."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, said the program had been a severe trial for the entire church community: "I recognize that LLF has been hard. It has left us wounded as individuals and also as a Church,” she said, stressing the need for a more structured framework to further discussion.

The bishops confirmed that the official doctrine of marriage in the Church of England continues to be defined as a union of a man and a woman. Despite the program’s conclusion, the Church’s leadership acknowledged that disagreement over same-sex relationships has not been resolved, and said it intends to pursue further discussions within new working groups.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a prayer service was held at a parish of the Phanar’s archdiocese in the USA with an LGBT “female bishop.”

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