Church of Ireland evangelicals and EFIC, CIEF, New Wine Ireland and GAFCON Ireland object to gay Bishop Bonnie Perry presiding over annual Pride Service in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
There has been growing dissent in the Church of Ireland in light of a gay American bishop being invited to preside over an LGBT service in a Dublin Cathedral this weekend.
The United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough issued a statement on Tuesday saying that Christ Church Cathedral Rev Dr Bonnie A Perry, Bishop of Michigan in The Episcopal Church in the United States, will be the special guest at the annual Pride Service on Friday this weekend.
The diocese said she previously made history “as the first woman and openly lesbian bishop in Michigan" when she was consecrated in 2020.
The statement said she resides in Detroit with her spouse, the Rev Dr M Susan Harlow, a pastor in the United Church of Christ.
Bishop Perry will lead a workshop at Christ Church Cathedral and will preach at the Cathedral’s Trinity Sunday Patronal Eucharist on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
The programme is organised by Changing Attitude Ireland (CAI), a church–based organisation aiming to change attitudes to the LGBT community.
The Bishop of Down and Dromore, Rev David McClay issued a statement this week saying he was deeply concerned by the news.
In his view, this is "something that very clearly signifies a departure from the historic faith" of the Church of Ireland.
He said the events were at odds with the beliefs of 85% of Anglicans globally.
It has now emerged that a further statement of concern was published by the diocese of Down and Dromore on the same day.
The group 'First Things' says it represents "a significant number of clergy and laity across the Church of Ireland" and includes, the Evangelical Fellowship of Irish Clergy (EFIC), Church of Ireland Evangelical Fellowship (CIEF), New Wine Ireland and was supported by GAFCON Ireland (Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans in Ireland).
First Things said the announcement "signifies a deeply concerning departure from the historic faith and established discipline of the Church of Ireland".
It added: "Although the cathedral has hosted similar services in previous years with invited speakers, this marks the first occasion where a serving bishop in a same-sex marriage has been invited to preach."
The group said that "the Holy Scriptures and the Church of Ireland are unequivocal that marriage is, 'according to our Lord's teachings...a union...of one man with one woman' (Canon 31)".
And because the invitation was "presumably with the agreement of the Archbishop of Dublin - the Dean and Chapter are, in effect, promoting the teaching or publishing of a doctrine that is contrary to the doctrine of the Church of Ireland".
This, it claimed, is an offence under the church's Constitution part VIII.25, and the fact that the full statement promoting the event was published on the Church of Ireland Facebook page "compounds the offence and raises deep concerns over the integrity and reputation of the Church of Ireland”.
Dissenting statements by Bishop McClay and First Things were also posted – but only in link form. Together, the three posts prompted dozens of comments.
A separate statement was issued on behalf of GAFCON Ireland by Rev Trevor Johnston, rector of St Nicholas and All Saints Parish, Belfast.
It expressed "deep distress and concern" about the forthcoming weekend of events and said the Archbishop of Dublin and the Primate of All Ireland had failed to address related issues.
The Church of Ireland declined to comment.