On 10 November, we reported on the publication of a set of resources entitled ‘Living in Love and Faith’.

Every diocese in the Church of England has been asked to appoint an LLF Advocate who will encourage church communities to participate in the learning activities offered by the LLF resources and who will report to the The Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, the chair of the LLF Next Steps Group.  Bishop Robert has appointed Canon Prof Jack McDonald (pictured) as the Diocese in Europe’s LLF Advocate. 

Jack represented the diocese in the ‘shared conversations’ process. He is a former headteacher and Dean of a Cambridge College and currently teaches theology at university level along with other representative and diplomatic responsibilities in Belgium. He is well able to grasp the theological and educational challenges presented by LLF advocacy, and as a member of the cathedral canon chancellors network he is also well connected with theologians in other dioceses.

Jack says:

"I am honoured to be asked by Bishop Robert to take on this role. I look forward to a deep reading of the long and detailed LLF book and to liaising with the Bishop's Staff Meeting about the next steps for our diocese to take together in praying, reading and reflecting on the issues of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage raised by LLF.

Bishop Robert and I agree that such delicate and precious issues lend themselves to chaplaincy discussions in person rather than on screen, so we will need to be patient. It will be my pleasure to be in touch with chaplaincies about this important initiative as early as possible next year.”

Bishop Robert comments:

“We are all aware of the sensitivity and complexity of the issues addressed by the LLF process. They relate to matters that touch individuals personally and deeply. I believe Jack is well qualified to lead the process in our diocese, and I am immensely grateful for his willingness to accept this responsible role. Please do pray for him and for the whole diocese as we begin to engage with ‘Living in Love and Faith’.

Here is a reminder that you can find out more about LLF, and register to access the LLF Learning Hub resources at this link:

https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/living-love-and-faith