Living in Love and Faith

Since 2017, the Church of England has been engaging with a range of questions around identity, sexuality, relationships, and marriage, through the Living in Love and Faith process.

Following a seven-year process of listening and engagement, on 12 December 2023, the House of Bishops of the Church of England commended a selection of readings and prayers of thanksgiving, dedication, and asking for God's blessing for same-sex couples.

They are called the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF).

Bishop Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Rochester, shared a pastoral letter following the commendation of the prayers. Read it here

The Prayers of Love and Faith

The Prayers of Love and Faith, have been commended (with effect from 17 Dec 2023) for use in:

• regular public worship
• or private prayer

They are accompanied by pastoral guidance which outlines:

• how a church may decide if to start using the Prayers of Love and Faith
• how they may relate to couples enquiring about the Prayers

Commendation of the prayers is permissive rather than prescriptive. This means they may be used, rather than must be used.
 

The Church's understanding of marriage

The Church’s understanding of marriage – or Holy Matrimony – remains as a lifelong, faithful, and exclusive covenant between one man and one woman.

The Prayers allow for those who may wish to recognise the commitment same-sex couples make to each other and publicly pray for God’s blessing on them.  
 

Since the Prayers of Love and Faith were commended

Since the prayers were commended, the Church has been exploring whether special ‘bespoke’ services using the Prayers of Love and Faith could be introduced and whether clergy could legally enter into same-sex marriages.

There has also been extensive consideration of possible new arrangements for how the Church is organised including so-called ‘Delegated Episcopal Ministry’.

In October 2025, the House of Bishops made a series of key decisions on the future direction of the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith process.

The bishops reviewed advice both from the Church of England’s Legal Office and the Faith and Order Commission.

While final decisions will be made by the House of Bishops in December 2025, the bishops agreed in principle that:

• both bespoke services and clergy same-sex marriage would need formal synodical and legislative processes to be completed before they could be permitted
• As a result, there is currently no need for a new code of practice setting out special arrangements such as Delegated Episcopal Ministry

The bishops also agreed some additional ways they would provide pastoral reassurance.

Read the full update on the Church of England website
Click to view the advice reviewed by the House of Bishops

Useful resources

There are several resources available to help clergy and churches work out how they may use the Prayers. Click the links below:

• Download a brochure containing the text of The Prayers of Love and Faith.
• Download the Pastoral Guidance which accompanies these Prayers and answers questions about their use.
• National Church press release announcing the Prayers.
• Bishop Jonathan's pastoral letter

Any incumbent or parish needing further assistance with a decision around using the Prayers of Love and Faith or not should please contact their relevant archdeacon. Contact your archdeacon

Pastoral support

Anyone experiencing a personal pastoral need in relation to this issue is welcome to contact:

• Living in Love and Faith Diocesan Advocate - The Rev Jane Winter is the LLF Diocesan Advocate - jane.winter@rochester.anglican.org
• Living in Love and Faith Chaplains - The Rev Steve Padfield and Rev Joss Walker - llf.chaplain@rochester.anglican.org

The Living in Love and Faith process in our Diocese

Our bishops encouraged the listening and conversations in our Diocese to be ones of grace and compassion:

"These issues go to the heart of what it means to be human, and especially touches upon the lives of people who feel marginalised by the Church.

So, we should debate with compassion and sensitivity, seeking prayerful wisdom from God and aiming at all times to show the fruit of the Spirit as St Paul describes it in Galatians 6; that is, with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."  

Bishop James Langstaff (former Bishop of Rochester), and Bishop Simon Burton-Jones, Bishop of Tonbridge

A consultative group representing different aspects of Diocesan life and experiences was set up to support engagement with the Living in Love and Faith resources. 

Throughout this time, many conversations happened at an individual, parish, and deanery level. 

The Rev Jayne Shillito a curate in the North West Kent Group of Churches, was one of those who engaged with the Living in Love and Faith process.  In this short film, along with others from across the Church of England, she shares her experience of doing the course:

The Church of England's Living in Love and Faith listening process closed at the end of April 2022. 

Two key roles were developed within the Diocese to help support the process:

• Living in Love and Faith Diocesan Advocate - The Reverend Jane Winter is the LLF Diocesan Advocate - this is a requirement in each diocese and is an advocate for the process itself and not any particular outcome. Jane can point people to resources and assist with learning events, including supporting parishes engaging with the LLF course: jane.winter@rochester.anglican.org
   
• Living in Love and Faith Chaplains - As chaplains, The Rev Steve Padfield and Rev Joss Walker are available to support anyone who might be grateful for pastoral support during the process. They can be contacted on email at: llf.chaplain@rochester.anglican.org

Groups
There are also other groups within but independent of the Diocese, who are also supporting dialogue and engagement with the resources. 

• Rochester Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship - The Rev Tim Edwards: rev.tim.edwards@gmail.com
• Rochester MoSAIC group - The Rev Cathy Knight Scott vicar.sjs.asfc@gmail.com

Key Contacts