A homosexual Church of England Dean will not become the next Bishop of Southwark, according to media reports.
At the weekend it was reported that Dr Jeffrey John was being considered for the post, but today it emerged that his name will not be put forward by the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) to the Prime Minister for approval.
Evangelicals have expressed concern that Dr John’s teaching on sexual ethics does not line up with the Bible.
Appropriate
The Revd Paul Dawson, from evangelical group Reform, said: “It’s appropriate that he shouldn’t be a bishop until he publicly changes his mind about what he teaches.
“But this issue won’t go away, whether it’s Jeffrey John or someone else.
“We know that, and we will continue to encourage those electing bishops to choose those who are willing to uphold the teaching of the Bible and the doctrine of the Church of England.”
Civil partnership
Now it has been revealed that members of the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), the church body responsible for selecting a bishop from a shortlist, decided not to put Dr John forward.
The decision was made during a meeting at a “secret location” in Stepney, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Dr John, who is in a civil partnership, is a controversial figure. He was appointed as Bishop of Reading in 2003 but resigned after protests.
In 2008 there was speculation that Dr John was to become a bishop in the Church of Wales, a church separate from the Church of England.
Equality
The Anglican Church currently has a moratorium on consecrating bishops living in same-sex relationships.
The appointment for Bishop of Southwark will need to be ratified by both the Queen and the Prime Minister.
Reports suggested David Cameron would have been keen for Dr John to be appointed.
In February Mr Cameron told gay lifestyle magazine Attitude that the Church of England should follow the Conservative Party’s example and recognise that “full equality is a bottom-line, full essential”.