The Bishop of Grantham, Nicholas Chamberlain, has become the first Church of England Bishop to publicly announce that he is gay and in a relationship.
Chamberlain made the decision to go public after a Sunday newspaper threatened to reveal his sexuality. But he says he would rather be known for his ministry than for having a male partner.
“It was not my decision to make a big thing about coming out,” he told the Guardian. “People know I’m gay, but it’s not the first thing I’d say to anyone. Sexuality is part of who I am, but it’s my ministry that I want to focus on.”
Chamberlain said he and his partner are celibate and have no plans to wed, in keeping with church guidelines for homosexual clergy, and he has insisted that he does not want his sexuality to overshadow his ministry.
Of his relationship, he said: “It is faithful, loving, we are like-minded, we enjoy each other’s company and we share each other’s life.” But he declined to criticise the church’s official position on homosexual relationships, saying: “My observation of human beings over the years has shown me how much variety there is in the way people express their relationships. Physical expression is not for everyone.” READ MORE
