The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has again rejected proposals for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion, narrowly voting down a motion that would have allowed committed same-sex couples to receive prayers within the church.
The votes took place at ACSA’s 38th Provincial Synod in Benoni, Ekurhuleni, from 20 to 23 September.
The gathering was the final Provincial Synod presided over by Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of Southern Africa Thabo Makgoba, who is due to retire in 2027.
Two separate proposals dealing with pastoral ministry for LGBTQ+ Anglicans were rejected.
The closest vote concerned a proposed “ministry of inclusion” for people in committed same-sex relationships.
It failed by just seven votes.
Prayer Motion Narrowly Defeated
The first motion was proposed by Dr Ashley Petersen of the Diocese of False Bay and seconded by Bishop Stafford Moses.
It would have allowed church members in committed same-sex unions to be prayed for and required a report back to the next Provincial Synod on how the ministry had been received.
The motion acknowledged that previous church decisions may have caused pain to LGBTQ+ people seeking recognition, pastoral care and theological engagement grounded in dignity and justice.
Makgoba supported the proposal.
However, Synod voted 78 against, 71 in favour and 10 abstentions.
For LGBTQ+ Christian organisation Inclusive & Affirming Ministries, the narrow margin offered some encouragement despite the result.
“To every LGBTQIA+ Anglican, and to every family and clergy member who hoped for a different outcome: we see your disappointment, and we share it,” IAM said.
The organisation noted that the vote came just two years after ACSA rejected similar proposals in 2024.
Separate LGBTQ+ Liturgy Also Rejected
A second motion proposed developing an alternative liturgy intended to meet the pastoral needs of LGBTQ+ people.
Importantly, the proposed prayers would have been separate from the church’s existing rites for marriage, blessings of civil unions, thanksgiving for marriage and reaffirmation of vows.
Its supporters argued there was a serious pastoral need for a form of prayer that could support LGBTQ+ couples without changing ACSA’s doctrine on marriage.
That proposal was defeated by a wider margin.
Synod voted 98 against, 61 in favour and 10 abstentions.
The result means ACSA has again stopped short of creating formal church-wide pastoral provision for same-sex couples.
A Church Still Divided On LGBTQ+ Inclusion
ACSA has spent years debating how to minister to LGBTQ+ people while maintaining its existing doctrine that Christian marriage is between a man and a woman.
The church has previously affirmed that LGBTQ+ people who are baptised and faithful are full members of the Body of Christ.
But agreement on what that means for same-sex couples in practice has remained elusive.
In his final charge to Provincial Synod, Makgoba reflected on the church’s long-running struggle with human sexuality and same-sex partnerships.
He also spoke about becoming more compassionate and inclusive during his years in ministry.
For LGBTQ+ Anglicans, however, the latest votes mean formal recognition of their relationships remains out of reach.
IAM Says Pastoral Care Can Continue
Inclusive & Affirming Ministries stressed that the Synod decisions do not prevent individual priests and chaplains from offering pastoral care to LGBTQ+ people.
“No one needs Synod’s permission to pray with a couple, sit with a frightened student, or welcome a family home,” the organisation said.
IAM also pointed to the closeness of the first vote as evidence that support for greater inclusion is growing within the church.
“The movement toward full inclusion is real, and it is gaining ground,” it said.
For LGBTQ+ Anglicans who had hoped this Synod would produce formal change, though, the outcome is another disappointment.
Two years after similar proposals failed, the church has once again chosen not to create a recognised pastoral pathway for same-sex couples.
The debate, however, is clearly far from over.
