This week we’re exploring yet another bitter controversy in the church’s ongoing wrangling over gay marriage. The daughter of the iconic anti-apartheid leader and South African archbishop Desmond Tutu was refused permission by the Church of England to lead the service for her godfather’s funeral because she is married to a woman. She accused the church of a ‘stunning lack of compassion’, while the bishop who would not give her the licence needed admitted the decision ‘violated all of my pastoral instincts’. So what might this episode tell us about where the debate has got to, and where it might be heading, ahead of a crunch decision by C of E bishops in the next few months which could bring its torturous decade-long discussion on sexuality into its final showdown? I’m joined by Sam Hailes from Premier Christianity to try and read the runes about what this funeral row might mean for the future of the church.

Listen to the full interview with Mpho Tutu Van Furth on The Profile podcast from Premier here: https://pod.link/1188653078/episode/e2efb23707c7c3bd2b0640a6b5b9b5c8