June 26, 2024

Dear Archbishop Justin and Archbishop Stephen,
We write as a broad coalition of leaders of networks across different traditions
supported by more than 2,000 clergy within the Church of England.
We have read the orthodox bishops’ statement published earlier today andwholeheartedly agree and support them in their endeavours to remain faithful to theorthodox teaching of the Church of England.
We have also seen the proposed agenda for General Synod (including GS 2358) and notethe intention of the House of Bishops to proceed with plans that are clearly contrary tothe canons and doctrine of the Church of England, in particular Canon B30 where theChurch of England affirms, “according to Our Lord’s teaching, that marriage is in its
nature a union permanent and lifelong, for better, for worse, until death do them part, of
one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others on either side.” What isproposed is clearly indicative of “a departure from the doctrine of the Church ofEngland in an essential matter”.
We have written to you and your colleagues in the House of Bishops on severaloccasions (copies attached - https://alliancecofe.org/letters/) setting out the unintended
consequences of these moves that you propose and the issues they raise in terms ofWestern elitism (ignoring the views of the Global South) and unlawfulness (failing tofollow the canons of the Church of England which are designed to preserve unity).
As you know, we have always urged that the General Synod be allowed to follow correct
legal processes requiring a two-thirds majority in all Houses for a change of liturgy. It isa matter of deep regret (and the cause of incalculable damage to the structure, integrity
and mission of the national Church) that the House of Bishops, having agreed in October
2023 (and in November 2023 with the whole Synod) that the correct canonical process
be followed, has reneged on its decision and that, as a result, no such process has
begun.
Given this, we want to inform you that we are now proposing a positive way forward toallow those churches who support the Church’s teaching to carry on their mission andpipeline of ministry securely, founded on the Church’s doctrine.

If the further departure from the Church’s doctrine suggested by the Synod papers does
go ahead, we will have no choice but rapidly to establish what would in effect be a newde facto “parallel Province” within the Church of England and to seek
pastoral oversight from bishops who remain faithful to orthodox teaching on marriage
and sexuality. We will encourage all church leaders who are in sympathy with The
Alliance to join the parallel Province.
We will take action with immediate effect to open up a new pre-ordination stream forpotential ordinands, in partnership with orthodox bishops, to reverse the decline causedin part by this unconstitutional and unorthodox process.
We are not leaving the Church of England or the Anglican Communion. We wish to stayloyal to the one holy catholic and apostolic Church throughout the world rather than bepart of a schismatic move which departs from the teaching received and upheld not onlyby the vast majority of the Anglican Communion (representing around 75% of theAnglican Communion’s 80 million members), the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox
Churches but also the vast majority of other churches around the world.
The new Province will seek to cooperate with the other orthodox Provinces within theAnglican Communion.
We believe that this positive way forward will allow the orthodox churches within the
Church of England to grow and flourish and raise up ordinands (reversing theconsiderable fall since the House of Bishops’ PLF proposals) and encourage the reevangelisation of our nation.
We urge you, even at this late stage, to honour your oaths as archbishops and bishops inEngland and to follow the lawful constitutional path to preserve the unity of the Church
throughout the Anglican Communion.
With love in Christ,
Busola Sodeinde, Church Commissioner and UK Global Majority rep
Ade Adebajo, Lay Chair of London Diocesan Synod, Chair of Lambeth Partners and UK
Global Majority rep
Canon Dr. Addy Lazz-Onyenobi, Member of General Synod and UK Global Majority
rep
Ven. Vernon Ross, Archdeacons who support The Alliance
Revd Dr. Rich Johnson, National Leader, New Wine
Revd Wole Agbaje, Head of Young Adults, New Wine
Revd John Coles, New Wine Ambassador
Revd Paul Harcourt, former National Leader, New Wine
Revd Canon Paul Langham, National Leadership Team, New Wine on General Synod

Revd Archie Coates, Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton and Head of HTB Network
Revd Nicky Gumbel CBE, President of Church Revitalisation Trust, HTB Network
Revd Sarah Jackson, CEO of Revitalise Trust, and Chair of HTB Network on General
Synod
Revd Jago Wynne, Vice-Chair of HTB Network on General Synod
Revd Canon John Dunnett, Chair of Evangelical Group on General Synod (EGGS)
Jane Patterson, Secretary of Evangelical Group on General Synod (EGGS)
Rt. Revd Julian Henderson, President of Church of England Evangelical Council
Sarah Tett, Trustee of Church of England Evangelical Council
Revd Kieran Bush, Chair of the ReNew Planning Team
Debbie Buggs, Member of ReNew and Member of General Synod and of the Crown
Nominations Commission
Revd Canon John McGinley, Church Planting Network Leader
Revd Lydia Corbett, Orthodox Female Clergy Group
Revd Elaine Sutherland, Orthodox Female Clergy GroupEd Shaw, Ministry Director of Living Out
Revd Canon Vaughan Roberts, Co-Founder of Living Out
Rt. Revd Keith Sinclair, Trustee of Living Out
Helen Lamb, Trustee of Living Out
Revd Dr. Lee Gatiss, Director of Church Society
All signatories are leaders of networks/organisations but are signing in their personal
capacities, recognising they cannot claim to speak for everyone that they lead.

cc- Members of the House of Bishops- First, Second, Third Church Estates Commissioners- Secretary to the Church Commissioners’ Board of Governors- Chair, Audit and Risk Committee, Church Commissioners- Secretary-General of the General Synod of the Church of England