The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd John Gladwin, is one of four new patrons announced for the campaign group 'Changing Attitude', which aims at 'full inclusion' of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-sexual people in the Church of England.

On its website, Changing Attitude lists its beliefs as follows:

• there is integrity in being both Christian and gay, lesbian or bisexual
• gay, lesbian and bisexual people are called by God to express their sexuality in loving, faithful and committed relationships
• same-sex orientation is a God-given reality for a large minority of people, not a sin or a sickness
• as the positive contribution of the gay community towards society becomes clearer, the church's mission to this expanding group becomes urgent
• our lives offer evidence of the fruits of the Spirit
• our present experience requires a re-evaluation of scripture and tradition
• to be gay, lesbian or bisexual is not limited to sexual activity or sexual identity but encompasses every dimension of life
• prejudice against gay people in the church is as unacceptable as racism or prejudice against women
• the church should stop colluding with cultural repression and discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual people in all parts of the world.

The decision by Bishop Gladwin to become a patron at this point in time is thus all the more surprising. It is also difficult to understand in the light of his repeated assertions that there is no plan to change the church's teaching on human sexuality. Changing Attitude clearly states in their list of beliefs that there is a need for 're-evaluation of scripture and tradition'.

Recently, Changing Attitude have also been actively and vociferously campaigning against the position of Archbishop Peter Akinola and the Anglican Church in Nigeria.

The other patrons of Changing Attitude include the bishops of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Hulme, Ripon and Leeds, Lincoln, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

Revd John P Richardson