It was soon after the Bishop of Dover reminded General Synod members of the rules against "argumentative questions" that the drama began at the Q&A last Friday evening.
Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin chaired the session during which members asked supplementary questions to the ones they had already put in writing before the July meeting of the Church of England's legislative body in York. Written answers from bishops and senior Synod officers had been circulated to members in advance.
She reminded members of the rules as set out in Synod standing orders that supplementary questions should be "strictly relevant to the original question or to the answer given".
"Your questions should be about facts and not be asking for an expression of opinion or be accusatory," she said.
It was a supplementary question about rainbow gay pride flags in cathedrals that drew an out-of-order ruling from the Bishop. In his written question, Richard Brown, a lay member from Chelmsford Diocese, had asked the Bishop of Bristol, Vivienne Faull:
"Bearing in mind the imagery of the rainbow, as described in Genesis 9, as being the sign that God will never again destroy the world He has created, what steps do the House of Bishops intend to take to discourage the use of the rainbow in any political context being displayed on cathedrals and church buildings?"
In her answer published initially on the Synod notice paper, Bishop Faull had replied: "At present the House of Bishops does not intend to take any steps in this area." But this was changed in a subsequent notice paper and a fuller answer from Bishop Faull was then published:
"The rainbow is a powerful symbol of hope within the Judeo-Christian tradition. As such, it is used in a number of 'secular' contexts: to symbolise support and gratitude for the NHS; to herald the post-apartheid era of the Republic of South Africa as a 'rainbow nation'; as well as a symbol of support for the gay Pride movement.
"Given its multivalence, the House of Bishops does not have any plans at present to take steps to discourage the displaying of the rainbow on cathedrals and church buildings."
In a supplementary question Mr Brown then tried to ask why the rainbow gay pride flag has been "shown over a number of cathedrals in defiance of the law of the land" under which, he said, only the flag of St George and the Union flag are allowed to be flown.
"I think your question is argumentative," said Bishop Hudson-Wilkin, "so I am going to say stop to that."
"I was quoting fact there," said a perplexed-looking Mr Brown before leaving the stand.
Shortly after this, perhaps, Monty Pythonesque incident, leading LGBT activist, Jayne Ozanne (Oxford – lay) rose to question the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who is overseeing the CofE's Living in Love and Faith "discernment process" on marriage, sexuality and gender identity.
Ms Ozanne's initial question had asked "what practical steps have been taken by the House of Bishops to define and combat homophobia in the Church of England?" She began her supplementary by thanking Bishop Mullally for her sympathetic reply to the previous question from Alexander Berry (Leeds - lay) about whether the CofE is "institutionally homophobic".
Ms Ozanne continued: "But given the clear evidence that we witness even in this chamber of homophobia – those of us who have experienced it right now as well as in the past – would you consider giving a clear..."
But then Dr Ian Paul (Southwell and Nottingham - clergy), who is theologically opposed to her revisionist stance, got up to raise a point of order. He was not microphoned so it was difficult to hear what he said. But he seemed to be arguing that Ms Ozanne's question was against the rules Bishop Hudson-Wilkin had just enforced in the case of Mr Brown.
Against a background of applause in the chamber, apparently for Dr Paul, Bishop Hudson-Wilkin ruled Ms Ozanne's question out of order.
"And I rest my case," Ms Ozanne declared as she left the stand.
The question arising from this Q&A drama featuring gay pride flags on cathedrals and institutional homophobia is: did the episodes starring Mr Brown and Ms Ozanne have the effect of displaying the deep divisions in the CofE over sexual morality even more clearly by their questions being ruled out of order?
Moreover, after witnessing the drama might a Synod activist on any subject think that they could gain publicity or kudos for their cause by having their supplementary question ruled out of order?
Julian Mann is a former Church of England vicar, now an evangelical journalist.
