We believe that the Bible teaches that God designed two distinct sexes, men and women (Gen 1:27). We hold that God intends sex to be enjoyed within the marriage of a man and a woman (Gen 2:24), and that all sexual activity outside of this context is what Jesus called “sexual immorality” (Matt 15:19 & 19:4-6).

We believe that God, in His grace, welcomes anyone into a relationship with Him, whatever their sexual orientation or experience of gender (1 Cor 6:11). We affirm that being made in God’s image gives every person inherent value and dignity, and that the church should be a place of welcome and safety for all. Within the need for a Christian’s primary identity to be found in their relationship with Jesus (2 Cor 5:17), we respect a breadth of opinion in the language used to describe sexuality and gender.

We believe that, as a consequence of the Fall (Gen 3), all people fail to conform to the whole of God’s moral law. We believe that part of the Bible’s good news for every Christian is that God works with us in the lifelong task of freeing us from sinful behaviours and making us more like Christ in all areas of our lives (Rom 6:1-14). We believe it is possible to work towards these goals regardless of the ongoing temptations we all face (Heb 4:15). As such, we do not aim to change anyone’s same-sex attractions or their gender incongruence, which we recognise are not chosen. We also do not practise any form of so-called ‘conversion’ or ‘reparative’ therapy.

We believe that both marriage and singleness are gifts from God (1 Cor 7:7), and that a meaningful and fulfilled life is possible without any form of sexual relationship. We seek to encourage the important role of the church in fostering healthy intimacy and meaningful community (Eph 2:13-22).

We accept that some people hold to alternative viewpoints on same-sex practice. Although we don’t consider this to be an area where Christians can simply agree to disagree (compare 1 Cor 6:9-10 with Romans 14:1-6), we lament the damage done to both the church and LGBT people when Christians have not exercised grace. We respect the freedom of everyone to choose how they live their lives before God, and we seek to encourage the church to respond with truth and grace (Ephesians 4:15).