User:Uncle Toby 09/sandbox

Anglican Mainstream describes itself as 'a community within the Anglican Communion committed to promote, teach and maintain the Scriptural truths on which the Anglican Church was founded'. It is best known through its website, which posts items of interest or concern to its constituency.

It brings together Anglicans in the British Isles who are concerned to maintain an orthodox position on controversial issues. Participating organisations include evangelical groups in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, such as Reform, Church Society, the Church of England Evangelical Council, the New Wine network, the Scottish Anglican Network, and mission agencies, and has close links with similar groups in North America and South Africa. Anglican Mainstream is also involved in partnering with growing churches in the developing world through Anglican International Development (AID). It has strong links with the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, and supports the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).

Anglican Mainstream draws a wide variety of issues into consideration, including abortion and end of life issues, the status of marriage and family, evangelism and the cultural challenge of secular society, and general Anglican church life in Britain and overseas. Of all the issues with which it is concerned, its stance on issues of sexuality has drawn the sharpest criticism, particularly its support for the ex-gays and those struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction, whom it considers to be a minority group often ignored or silenced. Groups such as Changing Attitude have been particularly opposed to Anglican Mainstream, particularly over Anglican Mainstream's challenge to the widely-held view that sexual orientation is an unalterable fact of human nature. Anglican Mainstream's view is supported by a number of professionals in the field.

The attempt to prohibit discussion or silence the expression of such views has itself become a significant concern for Anglican Mainstream, as for other groups working in this area. The 2012 Bus advertisement campaign was an example of this type of conflict, when Anglican Mainstream was part of a coalition of Christian groups intending to run a two-week campaign in which some London buses would carry a banner advert saying “Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it!”. The intention was to draw attention to the existence of ex-gays and the possibility of change. After receiving appropriate permissions campaign was then prohibited by London's mayor, Boris Johnson, because of the 'offence' he believed it would cause.