Bishop of Liverpool, who called for LGBT reform, to retire

2 July 2021

A bishop who called for a "gender-neutral marriage canon" in the Church of England has announced he is to retire to spend "more time in prayer".

In a speech on Saturday, the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend Paul Bayes said he wanted to see ministers allowed "to bless same-sex unions".

Announcing his retirement, Bishop Bayes said it was "time for a new chapter".

The 67-year-old said his farewell service would be at Liverpool Cathedral on 12 February 2022.

The Church of England does not currently recognise same-sex marriages, forbids clergy to bless same-sex unions and only allows celibate gay and lesbian clergy to minister.

Delivering a speech to Mosaic, a movement campaigning for inclusiveness in the church, Bishop Bayes had said the "world beyond the church" saw "no difference between attending the marriage of their gay or their straight friends" and the church's stance as "increasingly offensive".

He told a conference the "arc of my own ministry is drawing near its end", but he wanted to see "an end to LGBTQ+ people hiding who they are for fear of being exposed to conversion therapy or to being forbidden to minister in churches".

"I want to see a gender-neutral marriage canon... and as a necessary but not sufficient first step, I want to see conscientious freedom for the church's ministers and local leaders to honour, recognise and... to bless same-sex unions," he added.

In a letter to church officials announcing his retirement after eight years in the city, Bishop Bayes said he was looking to contribute to the Church of England "in a different way" and wanted to spend "more time in prayer, reflection and stillness in resting and writing and reading and thinking".

He added that in his final months, he would "continue as best I can to contribute to a faithful, open, joyous, light, inclusive and just church".

The Church of England has been contacted for comment.