In an interview with the Christian Today, Jayne Ozanne, Church of England Leader, has come out. In the past, Ozanne partnered with the strict Orthodox wing of the Church opposing accepting views of sexuality and the LGBT community. However, facing personal challenges, she came out to a few friends and leaders of the church a few years ago in a confidential letter disclosing the details of her sexuality. After years of praying for "the grace" to be celibate, she knew she couldn't "cope with the loneliness," quoting Genesis 2, where God states that it is not good for people to be alone. Today, she has made the decision to go public with her sexual orientation, stating:
"God is a God of surprises. We can never be sure of what the future may bring, but what I do know is that He will always look to transform our darkest hours into something beautiful. I'm personally thrilled to be able to serve Accepting Evangelicals during such an exciting and important time for us as a Church."
With this statement Ozanne also announces her new position as director of Accepting Evangelicals, a group of Evangelicals that welcomes and integrates LGBT couples at all levels of church life. This new evangelical community includes Baptist minister Steve Chalke and worship leader Vicky Beeching, who courageously came out earlier this year.