Priests told to STOP calling God MALE to make services 'gender-neutral' and more inclusive
THE Church of Sweden is encouraging clergy to stop referring to God as male in an attempt to make services more inclusive.
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Swedish priests will be encouraged to use the gender-neutral “God” instead of “he” or “the Lord”.
It is the latest move by Sweden’s national Evangelical Lutheran church to modernise its 31-year-old guidelines for services.
There are now a variety of gender-neutral options that can be used throughout services.
For example, services can now be opened by referring to the traditional “Father, son and Holy Ghost”, or the neutral “in the name of God and the Holy Trinity”.
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The decision was made on Thursday, concluding an eight-day meeting of the Church’s 251-member executive.
It will come into effect on May 20, 2018, during Pentecost.
Church of Sweden spokesperson Sofija Pedersen Videke told The Telegraph: “We talk about Jesus Christ, but in a few places we have changed it to say ‘God’ instead of ‘he’. A wide majority of people decided on the book.”
Sweden’s Archbishop, Ante Jackelen, defended the decision to a national news agency. She said: “Theologically, for instance, we know that God is beyond our gender determinations, God is not human.”
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The Church of England has also moved to become more inclusive in recent months.
In July, its ruling body moved to support transgender people by holding special services to mark their transition.
The General Synod backed Rev Chris Newlands’ motion which said transgender people should be “welcomed and affirmed in their parish church”.
Rev. Newlands, of the Blackburn Diocesan Synod, said the Church has “turned a corner” on LGBT rights.
However unlike Sweden it continues to use masculine language when referring to God, although it tries to avoid divisive language in its services.
A spokesperson for the Church of England told the Telegraph: “The Church of England has always used masculine language when speaking about God, for example in the words of the Lord’s Prayer – ‘our Father, who art in Heaven’ – and in referring to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and continues to do so.”
They added: “When liturgy is revised we also seek to use inclusive language where appropriate when referring to people.”
