In a statement at the end of two days of talks the Church said General Synod members "have listened and been heard as they have reflected together on scripture and a changing culture in relation to their understanding of human sexuality".
The conversations were first held in every diocese across England involving 1,300 churchgoers. At the end of the Synod in York members were broken down into small groups before meeting in secrecy.
They were banned from using social media or talking to journalists about the content of the discussions.
"It is our hope that what has been learned through the relationships developed will inform the way the church conducts whatever further formal discussions may be necessary in the future," the statement added.
At the end of the shared conversations the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: "At the heart of it is to come back to the fact that together we seek to serve the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead and in whom there is never despair, there is never defeat; there is always hope, there is always overcoming; there is always eventual triumph, holiness, goodness and grace.
"That is for me what I always come back to when it all seems overwhelming.
"Thank you so much for your participation. Let us go in confidence. Confident in the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead."
The conversations were aimed at avoiding a split in the church over gay marriage and could lead to a more formal discussion at a future synod.
