Progressive Christians speak of pain and anger as issue is put in deep freeze after London meeting

• The General Synod debate on equal marriages – a timeline

The hopes of progressive Christians in the Church of England have suffered a big blow after years of bitter and divisive debate, with the C of E’s ruling body agreeing to halt work on LGBTQ+ equality.

At a meeting in London on Thursday, the General Synod backed a document from bishops concluding that consensus between conservative and liberal camps within the church could not be reached.