“If it was good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for us” – Lesbian Episcopal Bishop tells Irish Anglicans

Matty Zaradich of the Community of St Laurence, Fr Kevin O’Brien acting chair of Changing Attitude Ireland, Bishop Bonnie Perry, Dean Dermot Dunne and Mark Bowyer former chair of CAI.

By David W. Virtue, DD

www.virtueonline.org

June 17, 2025

“If it was good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for us” was the message delivered by Episcopal Bishop Bonnie Perry at a special service of Evensong to mark Pride in Dublin recently. Bishop Perry, who is XI Bishop of the Diocese of Michigan, was the preacher at the annual service organized by Changing Attitude Ireland in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

Perry went on to claim that the early Christian movement was fueled by love and filled with pride, exhorting her hearers to be like Peter and John and not to relinquish their determination to tell the story of Jesus, urging LGBTQI panseualists to tell their stories and to let everyone “know that your life is changed, and that’s not something you keep inside.”

Bishop Perry told the congregation that for decades society and the institutional church has told LGBTQ+ people that they are not good enough and their lives are wrong and their love is less than.

“For centuries the church has said that who we are – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, non–binary, the categories keep evolving much like the universe – for decades the structures of power have said no to us and they have said: ‘Stop speaking. Be silent. Don’t tell us. Do not speak your truth’. And I say to you … as someone who is made in God’s image and likeness, as a bishop in a Christian church, as an out, proud, partnered lesbian, I say to you: speak your truth. We are made in God’s image and likeness and fully embraced by Christ just as we are. We of the queer community are good enough. We are called to tell the stories of who and how we are and how God lives and moves and has God’s being in our lives. For as we tell our stories others will see God in our lives and they will know that they too are beloved of God,” she said.

BISHOP OF DOWN & DROMORE

But Perry’s appearance at the cathedral got pushback from Bishop David McClay, Bishop of Down and Dromore who called Bishop Bonnie Perry’s appearance a departure from the historic faith, the teaching and the discipline of the Church of Ireland. The Church of Ireland clearly teaches that marriage is as taught by Jesus “a union of one man and one woman’, Canon 31.”

The bishop said the doctrine of marriage is a first order issue.  “For me what is at stake is the Gospel. This wonderful and beautiful Gospel is still the power of God for salvation for all who repent and believe.”

“We love this Gospel, and we as a Diocese are committed to its proclamation in word and deed to all regardless of their age, sex, gender, race or colour.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, we seek to proclaim this Gospel clearly. We know that God’s love reaches the depths of the hearts and lives of all who turn to Christ, who repent and who believe.  Truly He came “to seek and to save the lost.”  When we have experienced God’s mercy and been saved by Christ forever, it becomes our privilege, joy, duty and delight to make Him known.”

What we believe concerning marriage is in line with what 85% of Anglicans in our world today also believe, he said.

We are part of a worldwide Anglican communion where many are coming to know Christ every day. The church is growing in those nations which hold to biblical orthodoxy in doctrine and lifestyle.  Here in the West where parts of the church are embracing the liberal culture of society the church is in decline and we hear much by way of talk about this decline.  This is not so in the nations of the world and places where the church remains faithful to its calling and is proclaiming Christ faithfully, making disciples and baptising new believers in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

When some in the West forsake this Gospel and move away from what the church teaches, we are saddened and we grieve, but we pray that in humility we will remain faithful, and that they will repent and return to the scriptures and to the Gospel we love.

We consider it pure joy however, to align ourselves with Anglicans across the world who hold to the teachings of the bible as we have received it. 

IRISH EVANGELICALS PUSHBACK

A group of Irish evangelicals protested the invitation to the TEC bishop to preach at the Dublin cathedral “pride” service, saying it signified a deeply concerning departure from the historic faith and established discipline of the Church of Ireland.

The Holy Scriptures and the Church of Ireland are unequivocal that marriage is, “according to our Lord’s teachings…a union…of one man with one woman” (Canon 31). In issuing this invitation – presumably, with the agreement of the Archbishop of Dublin – the Dean and Chapter are, in effect, promoting the teaching or publishing of a doctrine that is contrary to the doctrine of the Church of Ireland, an offence under the Constitution (VIII.25), they said.

They said her appearance compounds the offence and raises deep concerns over the integrity and reputation of the Church of Ireland to many faithful members within our Church, along with brothers and sisters in other churches on this island and across the world.

They said it is well known that this issue, especially in contemporary western Anglicanism, has caused deep division, whilst across the world-wide Anglican Communion, irreparable damage has resulted following the introduction of same-gender marriage.

We are grateful to God that, by far, the majority of Anglicans in our worldwide Anglican Communion hold firmly to the faith once delivered to the saints. We treasure our fellowship with these our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

Their statement was Issued on behalf of First Things, which comprises the following evangelical groups, and represents a significant number of clergy and laity across the Church of Ireland:

•⁠ ⁠Evangelical Fellowship of Irish Clergy (EFIC)

•⁠ ⁠Church of Ireland Evangelical Fellowship (CIEF)

•⁠ ⁠New Wine Ireland

In addition, this statement is also supported by:

•⁠ ⁠Gafcon Ireland

END