The Listening Process, the Pilling Report and the Shared Conversations all have no specified outcome. This process of shared conversations was one of the key recommendations of the Pilling Report (2013), which the House of Bishops commissioned to look again at the ongoing Listening Process which the Church of England has been committed to since 1998, listening to the experiences of LGBT people. The gathering was carefully and skilfully facilitated by a very talented team of people each with a variety of experiences in facilitation, reconciliation and mediation. This is one of a dozen clusters of the 44 dioceses which comprise the Church of England. This gathering welcomed delegates from Liverpool, Chester and Manchester dioceses, each of whom had been invited by their bishop to take part in this three day event. SHARED CONVERSATIONS: What does that phrase conjure up in your mind? Well, from the 3rd to the 5th of September I was invited to participate in a regional Shared Conversation on Scripture, Mission and Human Sexuality. As my partner was invited to take part in the meeting for the north west of England last month, I’m handing over this post to his reflection on the experience: The Shared Conversations process is about half way through, with an uncertain outcome. Perhaps they meant that, rather than just talking to those we agree with, we should be talking with those with whom we profoundly disagree. This odd phrase was chosen by the Church of England to describe its facilitated listening process to seek some reconciliation, or at least ‘good disagreement’ over diverse views on sexuality and same-sex marriage. WHAT IS a conversation if it’s not shared? Talking to myself? Enjoying the sound of my own voice? Only hearing views I agree with?
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