Oxford, England
The first openly gay man to be selected as a bishop in the Church of England stepped down this week. The Rev. Jeffrey John, 50, was appointed last month, but declined the post because of “the damage my consecration might cause to the unity of the church.” The leader of the church, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, said angry churchgoers sent him a stack of “very unsavory” letters that “displayed a shocking level of ignorance and hatred” toward gays. A lay preacher who spearheaded opposition to John’s appointment said he was right to resign, because the Bible teaches that “the only acceptable place for sexual intercourse is heterosexual marriage.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 fairly vain cartoons about Vanity Fair’s interviews with Susie WilesCartoon Artists take on demolition derby, alcoholic personality, and more
-
Joanna Trollope: novelist who had a No. 1 bestseller with The Rector’s WifeIn the Spotlight Trollope found fame with intelligent novels about the dramas and dilemmas of modern women
-
Codeword: December 20, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
