Bishop of Maidstone to retire
The Bishop of Maidstone, the Rt Revd Rod Thomas, has announced his intention to retire on 2 October 2022 – see here (scroll down).
75 CommentsAppointment of Bishop of Salisbury
Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office – there is more on the Diocese of Salisbury’s website.
Appointment of Bishop of Salisbury: 13 January 2022
The Queen has approved the nomination of The Very Reverend Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester, for election as Bishop of Salisbury.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 13 January 2022
The Queen has approved the nomination of The Very Reverend Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester, for election as Bishop of Salisbury, in succession to The Right Reverend Nicholas Holtam following his retirement.
Background
Stephen trained for ministry at Chichester Theological College. He served his title at Sherborne Abbey with Castleton and Lillington in the Diocese of Salisbury and was ordained Priest in 1989.
He became Vicar of Branksome St Aldhelm from 1992 and was additionally appointed Rural Dean of Poole in 2000. In 2001, Stephen was appointed Sub Dean of St Albans, and took up his current role as Dean of Gloucester in 2011.
Stephen is a Church Commissioner and Lead Dean for Safeguarding. He is married to Carol and they have three adult children.
48 CommentsOpinion – 12 January 2022
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Tutufication of the Church: A Path for the Future?
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Sorting out the disagreements about homosexuality
Harry Williams – Life Abundant or Life Resisting?
Peter Collier Ecclesiastical Law Society 50 Years of Safeguarding – 950 Years of Clergy Discipline: Where do we go from here?
There are links to a YouTube video of a lecture given in December 2021 and to an extended version of the text of the lecture.
There is a summary of the lecture in the Church Times.
Third Church Estates Commissioner
News from the Church of England
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has announced the appointment of the Rev’d Canon Dr Flora Winfield as Third Church Estates Commissioner
11/01/2022
Canon Winfield was ordained deacon in 1989 and priest in 1994. She has worked in parish and cathedral ministry, university and military chaplaincy, ecumenical and Anglican Communion relations, and humanitarian diplomacy, representing the Anglican Communion at the United Nations. Canon Winfield is currently the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advisor on Reconciliation.
As Third Church Estates Commissioner, Canon Winfield will join the Church Commissioners for England’s Board of Governors and will chair the Mission, Pastoral and Church Property Committee and the Bishoprics and Cathedrals Committee.
Welcoming the appointment, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “Flora has an exceptional record of service to the Church and will be a valuable addition to the Church Commissioners’ leadership.
“I am very pleased that Flora is joining the Church Commissioners, bringing to this role her breadth of ministerial experience, her extensive leadership and theological expertise and her service as a senior member of staff at Lambeth Palace.”
Commenting on her appointment, Canon Winfield said:” I welcome the opportunity to make this contribution to the life and work of the Church of England in a time of change, development and possibility, as we respond to Christ’s call to grow as disciples, building on our historic inheritance and looking forward together with confidence and hope.”
The Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, deputy chair of the Church Commissioners, said: “Flora’s deep faith, experience with the Church at a local and international level and passion for furthering the Kingdom of God makes her an ideal Third Church Estates Commissioner. I am very much looking forward to working with her in this role.”
Canon Winfield has taught ecclesiology and church history and has published books and articles in the field of ecumenical theology. In 2010, she was awarded a DD by Virginia Theological Seminary for her 20 years of service to the Communion as a theologian.
Canon Winfield has been a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London since 2010, is a Director of the Anglican Alliance, is a member of Chapter at Bradford Cathedral, and a Trustee of the Community of St Andrew. She assumes the role of Third Estates Commissioner on 1 February.
Further information:
Particular priorities for the new Third Commissioner will be:
- A review of the church legislation which establishes the Commissioners’ role for oversight of change at parish, deanery and diocesan level (Mission and Pastoral Measure review – read it here).
- The establishment of the co-regulation of cathedrals by the Commissioners in an important new partnership with the Charity Commission.
- Reaching the Church of England’s carbon net zero targets for 2030.
Opinion – 8 January 2022
Theo Hobson The Spectator Divided we stand: Anglicans need to agree to disagree
Stewart Clem The Living Church Building for Humans: a primer on Christian Architecture
Mark Hill Law & Religion UK The Great Strasbourg Bake Off
Paul Hackwood Church Times Church faces a stark choice for the future
“The drive towards centralisation is not working. Power must be shifted downwards to parish clergy”
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church CDM – A Case Study
Safeguarding. A follow-up account of Church discipline in operation
Stephen Knott to be new Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments
It has been announced from Lambeth Palace that the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have appointed Stephen Knott as the new Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments, who plays a key role in the nomination of bishops and cathedral deans. He will take up the role at the end of January 2022.
The Lambeth Palace press release is copied below, and there is further information at the Church Times.
47 CommentsOpinion – 5 January 2022
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Collegiality and Tutufication
Duncan Wilson Worship Words A letter to Melchior
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Passionate Church Leadership and the Cause of Justice and Integrity
1 CommentIn memoriam Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu (picture from the Church Times)
The funeral of Desmond Tutu was today. Below are links to a number of articles about him.
Church Times: Obituary: The Most Revd Desmond Tutu and From our archives: Interview: Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town (2006)
Desmond Tutu’s long history of fighting for lesbian and gay rights.
Follow this link to reach the full text of the chapter from which the above article is an excerpt.
Andrew McGowan The Conversation July 2021 Radicalism mixed with openness: how Desmond Tutu used his gifts to help end Apartheid
Chris McGreal Guardian When Desmond Tutu stood up for the rights of Palestinians, he could not be ignored.
Two archive news items (hat tip Rod Gillis) on the ordination of women:
1989 Washington Post: Ban on ordination of women causes anguish for Tutu
2014 Huffington Post: Archbishop Desmond Tutu Awesomely Calls Out Religious Leaders Who Won’t Ordain Women
Earth and Altar Richard Pryor Desmond Tutu: The Full Flowering of the Anglican Social Gospel
Here is the text of a sermon preached at Southwark Cathedral in 2004 and you can listen to a 2007 sermon preached at St Albans via this link: St Albans gives thanks for the life and witness of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
34 CommentsOpinion – 1 January 2022
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Diocese of Winchester: Questions about the Future
Paul Hackwood Church Times C of E’s crisis is about more than money
“Behind financial problems lie existential questions about purpose and vision”
Simon Jenkins The Guardian Churches could double as banks, or even serve beer. We can’t leave them empty
“These mainly listed buildings sit at the heart of almost every community – we are squandering a precious legacy”
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The True Wilderness: Harry Williams’ guide to living from within the depth of experience
32 Comments