Bishops have released hundreds of pages of resources to help guide the Church of England (CoE) towards making decisions on issues of identity, sexuality and marriage within two years.

Decisions on questions around same-sex relationships must be made “with some urgency”, according to a 480-page tome aimed at finding a way forward past deep divisions within the Church.

Churchgoers are being urged to “listen and learn together” by engaging with the Living In Love And Faith resources, which took three years to produce by around 40 people.

It is hoped discussions from now until late 2021 will help the CoE make “whatever decisions are needful for our common life regarding matters of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage”.

Potential scenarios following the period of engagement will be laid out, with a view to the House of Bishops putting any proposals before the General Synod in 2022.

The book, which is accompanied by podcasts, videos, a course and library of online resources, reads: “Some of those differences of view relate to the ethics and lifestyle of opposite sex relationships and some relate to questions around gender and pastoral provisions for transgender people.

“Most pressing among our differences are questions around same-sex relationships, and we recognise that here decisions in several interconnected areas need to be made with some urgency.”

The suite of resources is thought to be the most extensive work in this area by any faith group in the world.

Bishop of Coventry Christopher Cocksworth, speaking at a briefing to launch the learning material, agreed that a question he wants people to discuss is whether the CoE could conduct same-sex marriages.

He said this is “only one question among many that we want people to engage with in a really serious way”.

During the briefing, bishops acknowledged the Church has not always been a safe place for LGBTI+ people.

In a foreword to the resources, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, recognised the “huge damage and hurt” that has been caused.

They write: “As soon as we begin to consider questions of sexual identity and behaviour, we need to acknowledge the huge damage and hurt that has been caused where talk of truth, holiness and discipleship has been wielded harshly and not ministered as a healing balm.

“Especially amongst LGBTI+ people, every word we use – quite possibly including these in this very foreword, despite all the care we exercise – may cause pain.”

The Church should be “deeply ashamed and repentant” for the hurt and “unnecessary suffering” caused, they add.

However, while many people may wish the church could “jump to a quick decision”, they write that discernment will require time.

Some of the Church of England’s most senior bishops have reported receiving hate mail and death threats after speaking out on Downing Street adviser Dominic Cummings’ alleged breach of lockdown rules.

Bishop of Worcester John Inge tweeted that he received an email warning “stay out of politics or we’ll kill you” after he criticised Boris Johnson’s “risible defence” of Mr Cummings on Sunday night.

Helen-Ann Hartley, the bishop of Ripon, reported a similar threat, posting: “‘Stay out of politics or it will be the death of you’ was one of the emails I received today. Thank you to those who have sent supportive messages.”

She had earlier written about missing her father’s birthday during the lockdown as he recovered from radiotherapy.

Rev Hartley said she was “following up” the hate email with police.

Christine Hardman, bishop of Newcastle, wrote: “I too received such an email. I feel concern for the person who sent it and will hold him or her in prayer.”

The previous night she had posted that she was “deeply troubled” by the Prime Minister’s defence of his adviser.

“We can forgive mistakes and poor judgement and can understand and admire loyalty but forgiveness and understanding need openness and we did not see this tonight,” she wrote.

Paul Bayes, the bishop of Liverpool, added that he had also received abuse, writing: “Public life in Britain today. Many of us have received this sort of message. It doesn’t work.”

The bishops were among a number of Church of England representatives who had condemned the PM for standing by his adviser over a trip from London to County Durham during the national lockdown.

Paul Butler, the bishop of Durham, tweeted: “There will be those in Durham who defend #Boris for his standing by #DominicCummngs.

“But most who have worked so hard to abide by the rules and guidance of the past weeks will feel hurt, angry, & let down. Trust has been broken. For the nation’s sake rebuild it quickly.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has not commented publicly on Mr Cummings’ case, but recently warned the Government that cuts to public spending after the coronavirus outbreak would be “catastrophic”.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Welby had said “going for austerity again would be the most terrible mistake”.

The archbishops of Canterbury and York have apologised after the Church of England (CofE) declared only heterosexual married couples should have sex.

Archbishops Justin Welby and John Sentamu said they took responsibility for releasing the CofE statement last week which they acknowledged had “jeopardised trust”.

The pastoral guidance was issued to clergy after a recent change in UK law allowed straight couples to tie the knot in a civil ceremony instead of a traditional marriage following a lengthy legal battle.

It said civil partnerships should be no more than “sexually abstinent friendships”.

The archbishops said in a statement on Thursday: “We as Archbishops, alongside the bishops of the Church of England, apologise and take responsibility for releasing a statement last week which we acknowledge has jeopardised trust.

“We are very sorry and recognise the division and hurt this has caused.”

The CofE statement issued last week said: “With opposite sex civil partnerships, and with those for same sex couples, the Church’s teaching on sexual ethics remains unchanged.

“For Christians, marriage, that is the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows, remains the proper context for sexual activity.

“In its approach to civil partnerships the Church seeks to uphold that standard, to affirm the value of committed, sexually abstinent friendships and to minister sensitively and pastorally to those Christians who conscientiously decide to order their lives differently.”

The pastoral statement from the House of Bishops of the Church of England, added: “Sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purposes for human beings.”

The church has for decades grappled with how it addresses LGBT rights as the views of society become more liberal.

It is currently carrying out a “major study” on human sexuality called Living in Love and Faith, which is due to be published later this year.

The archbishops said they were continuing their commitment to the study.

“This process is intended to help us all to build bridges that will enable the difficult conversations that are necessary as, together, we discern the way forward for the Church of England,” they said in a statement.

Since New Year’s Eve, heterosexual couples have been able to opt for the civil option over a traditional marriage.

The CofE allows clergy to be in same-sex civil partnerships provided they are sexually abstinent.

The Church of England is to give more support to tackling racism and discrimination directed towards the travelling community, with a bishop declaring it is “still tolerated”.

The church’s governing body, the General Synod, voted in favour of a motion on Saturday to speak out publicly against racism and hate crimes directed against Gypsies, Irish Travellers and Roma.

The Synod voted overwhelmingly in favour of the motion, with 265 supporting it and one voting against.

The Bishop of Chelmsford, Stephen Cottrell – who put forward the motion, told the synod: “If one of us in any situation was to use racist language about some other person or group, it is very likely in today’s society that we would, and rightly so, be immediately called out.

“Racism against Travellers and Roma and Gypsies is still tolerated.

“The Equality and Human Rights Commission have found that discrimination and racism towards Gypsies and Travellers is common, frequently overt and seen as justified.

“The police have said that a prejudice against Gypsies and Travellers in endemic in our society, and often fuelled by stereotypes in the media.”

A report by Anglia Ruskin University was cited, which found that nine out of every 10 Traveller children had experienced racist abuse.

He then added: “Sorrowfully, we, the church of God are no exception, there are examples of the racist hostility and exclusion meted out by the church.

“Gypsy, Traveller and Roma people deserve particular support, hence the motions call to the leadership of the church to speak on these issues for every diocese to think about appointing a chaplain.”

The motion would call for each diocese to be encouraged to appoint a chaplain to Travellers, to help the potential for church growth, and work to combat racism in the church and wider community.

The Synod then discussed instigating a commission on sites for Gypsies and Travellers to encourage the local and national church to make land available for new sites managed by Housing Associations.

Mary Durlacher, a parishioner in the north of Chelmsford diocese, spoke in opposition and said: “Being near to the A12, we found one day, that one of our two churches had a car park completely full of Travellers.

“Police advice was, don’t go there, let us deal with it, in the meantime it meant no services, and on a Friday of a bank holiday, the church was inaccessible.

“People wanting to visit their relatives or their families buried in the churchyard couldn’t, there was a lot of upset and there was fear because there is a link with a rise in petty crime – I don’t know the exact figures, but there is a correlation.

“They did leave, but they left on the Saturday, about three o’clock and we had quite a job.

“There was the issue of excrement and my husband and I got on our gloves because the smell was quite interesting. They hadn’t done too much damage but they might be back said the police”.

Following the recent calls by faith leaders from across a range of faiths, the Church of England has released a letter it had written to the Prime Minister asking him for further action on allowing in more refugees from Syria into the United Kingdom.

The letter has been released and picked up by the Guardian newspaper and urges the Prime Minister to take a, “meaningful and substantial response to the scale of human suffering we see daily”.

The letter also acknowledges the steps taken by the Prime Minister to support refugees in countries like Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey where millions of Syrians have been displaced to and also highlights the public offer made by the Prime Minister of 20,000 refugees being resettled into the UK over the next 5 years. However, bishops urged the Prime Minister to rethink the numbers and to increase the figure to 50,000. Allied to this, the Church added that it would use its vast asset base and provide accommodation and shelter to refugees so that the burden would not have to be picked up primarily by Government.

The letter also asked for moral leadership and that the Government respond prior to a meeting this week of the College of Bishops where they will discuss the ongoing issue.

The release of the letter will cause some embarrassment to the Government given that so many leading figures in the Church of England have signed it and given that the Prime Minister has placed a form of ‘compassionate’ Conservatism within the heart of his recent speech at the Conservative Party conference.

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