Thinking Anglicans

LLF Implementation Working Groups – version 2

The LLF documents that I linked to last week, and which were subsequently taken down from the Church of England website, have reappeared (in each case as version 2). I cannot see any differences in the contents of the old and new versions.

Members of the LLF Implementation Working Groups
LLF Implementation Working Groups Terms of Reference

There is an accompanying press release which is copied below.

Update from the Living in Love and Faith implementation working groups
02/05/2023

A series of working groups taking forward proposals for the Church of England on identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage are up and running.

At its February meeting in London, the Church of England’s General Synod, considered proposals from the bishops which would enable same-sex couples who have marked a significant stage of their relationship such as a civil marriage or civil partnership to come to church to give thanks, offer prayers of dedication to God and to receive God’s blessing.

As well as a landmark debate on a motion (below), Synod members also met in smaller groups to consider and comment on a set of draft texts known as Prayers of Love and Faith, and to offer their views on proposed pastoral guidance.

At its meeting in March, the College of Bishops agreed to set up three working groups to implement Synod’s decision, tasked with:

  • Drafting new pastoral guidance
  • Further refining the texts of Prayers of Love and Faith in the light of feedback from Synod
  • Examining what pastoral reassurance will be required to ensure freedom of conscience for clergy and laity.

The full membership of the groups, drawn from across the Church of England, is below and the draft terms of reference for the groups can be found on the Living in Love and Faith section of the Church of England website.

Their work will be co-ordinated by a steering group co-chaired by the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, and the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen.

The groups met together in London recently and have been meeting individually regularly.
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14 Comments

Coronation Liturgy

Update Simon Kershaw’s compilation of texts now includes 2023 and its published commentary.

Update On the morning of the coronation Buckingham Palace published its own edition of the Coronation service, with the revised Homage of the People.

The Church of England published The Authorised Liturgy for the Coronation Rite of His Majesty King Charles III late yesterday. The full text is on this webpage. In addition there are these pdf files.

My colleague Simon Kershaw has published the texts of each previous coronation since 1689, which readers may find helpful for comparison with this year’s text. He has also written several articles on coronations here.

The Church Times has published this: Next Saturday’s Coronation rite unveiled by Lambeth Palace.

Update

Francis Young has published a side by side comparison of the 1953 and 2023 coronations: Coronation ordines compared: 1953 and 2023.

154 Comments

Interference with the ISB

We have published several news reports recently, that relate to the Independent Safeguarding Board, here, and also here, and earlier over here. These provide some context for a letter from David Lamming published in the Church Times this week under the heading Church Interference with the ISB that summarises the current difficulties:

Sir, — The Annual Report 2022-23 of the Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB), written by the two members, Jasvinder Sanghera and Steve Reeves, and published on 24 April, blows away any remaining claim that the ISB is independent, stating on page 19 that it “currently exists within the structure of the National Church Institutions with oversight from the Archbishops’ Council”.

That servile relationship with the Archbishops’ Council is highlighted by the fact that Meg Munn has been imposed on the ISB as acting chair, in clear breach of the ISB’s terms of reference, which state that the Archbishops’ Council “ratifies” board appointments and that each member is appointed following a process that includes “public advertisement of vacancies” and “the use of expert recruiters to ensure a wide field”. Added to this is the obvious conflict of interest in appointing a person who also chairs the National Safeguarding Panel.

It is especially disturbing to note, according to the report in the Sunday Telegraph on 23 April, that neither board members nor abuse victims were consulted over the appointment of Ms Munn, and that the members were “instructed not to engage with victims on matters of ‘independence and the arrival of the chair'”. Given, too, the expressed lack of confidence in her by many survivors of abuse, Ms Munn must surely now state that she will not take up the role of acting chair, and the Secretary-General, William Nye, must give a full account of how her appointment came to be made.

In February, General Synod members were denied the opportunity to debate the ISB (News, 2 February6 February). Patently, such a debate must take place at York in July, when those responsible for the current débâcle can be held to account.

DAVID LAMMING

3 Comments

LLF Implementation Working Groups

Update Tuesday 2 May As commenters have noted these documents have been taken down from the website. New versions and a press release were issued today and are linked in my post above. Please take subsequent comments there.

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The following two documents have appeared on the Church of England website in the last few days. They are internally dated 27 and 29 April 2023 respectively. I cannot find any reference to them on the Living in Love and Faith section of the website.

LLF Implementation Working Groups Terms of Reference
Members of the LLF Implementation Working Groups

19 Comments

Opinion – 29 April 2023

Stanley Monkhouse Rambling Rector Retired Struggle

Beth Keith Modern Church Is Liberal Theology Dead?

14 Comments

ISB Statement: Percy -v- Independent Safeguarding Board Case Resolved

The Independent Safeguarding Board has today issued the following statement.

Statement: Percy -v- Independent Safeguarding Board Case Resolved

The Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) is pleased to announce a settlement in the case brought against it by Professor Martyn Percy, the former Dean of Christ Church Oxford.

Professor Percy brought the claim following his request to the Archbishops’ Council and Diocese of Oxford that there should be an independent review of the alleged weaponization of safeguarding by individuals and agencies within Church of England perpetrated against him. The Archbishops’ Council and Oxford Diocese decided to commission the ISB to conduct this review. However, Professor Percy challenged the restricted terms of the draft terms of reference set out by those commissioning the review and the previous Chair of the ISB. In the event, the court dismissed the claim brought by Dr Percy against the ISB, in part because all parties agreed that the ISB was not a legal entity against which such a claim could be brought.

At the heart of the case is the need for a rigorous review of the processes and practices of the Church of England alongside other developments at Christ Church. The ISB consider that the original review’s published terms of reference would have needed significant amendment to ensure that any independent ISB review had sufficient scope and depth.

While the ISB’s review could have made progress, the absence of an Information Sharing Agreement with the Church of England significantly hampered the continuation of the work. The review was initially paused and then discontinued by the Archbishops’ Council which decided that it should be conducted by some other person. That individual has yet to be agreed. The ISB urges the Archbishops’ Council to act with urgency to ensure that an independent review is commissioned. Professor Percy’s assertion that such a review should be led by a KC or Judge has significant merit and is one with which the ISB concurs.
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12 Comments

Acting Bishop of Lincoln

We reported here in November 2021 that the Bishop of Ely, Stephen Conway, was to be Acting Bishop in the Diocese of Lincoln, following the retirement of Bishop Christopher Lowson in December 2021. That arrangement will now come to an end with the announcement today that the Bishop of Grimsby will be the acting bishop from 1 May 2023 until the the new Bishop of Lincoln takes up the role.

The Crown Nominations Commission has held its two meetings to consider Lincoln (the second on 28/29 March 2023), so an announcement of who is to be the new bishop may not be too far away. But as usual it will probbaly be some months after that before he or she takes up the role.

5 Comments

Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Ripon

Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. There are more details on the websites of the dioceses of Leeds and Southwark.

Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Ripon: 27 April 2023

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Anna Eltringham to the Suffragan See of Ripon in the Diocese of Leeds.

From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 27 April 2023

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Anna Eltringham, KHC, Team Rector of Oxted Team Ministry, in the Diocese of Southwark, to the Suffragan See of Ripon, in the Diocese of Leeds, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley following her appointment as Bishop of Newcastle.

Anna was educated at St John’s College, Durham and trained for ministry at the South East Institute of Theological Education. She served her title at Holy Innocents, South Norwood, in the Diocese of Southwark, and was ordained priest in 2009.

Anna was appointed Team Vicar, Oxted Team Ministry, also in the Diocese of Southwark, in 2014 and was appointed to her current role as Team Rector in 2019.

Additionally, Anna has served as Dean of Women’s Ministry since 2017 and has been an Honorary Chaplain to the Monarch and Honorary Canon at Southwark Cathedral since 2020.

18 Comments

Opinion – 26 April 2023

Bendor Grosvenor The Art Newspaper ‘Westminster Abbey charges £27 per ticket–even God might baulk at that price’
“If ever a ticket price reflected British history it is for this royal church, where the nation’s great and good are commemorated in profusion”

Karen O’Donnell ViaMedia.News Consent, Power, and BDSM in Theological Research

80 Comments

Independent Safeguarding Board claims its work is being obstructed

Updated Monday to include ISB’s own annual report puiblished 24 April 2023:

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Gabriella Swerling reports in the Telegraph: Church of England ‘obstructing its own safeguarding panel’ as calls grow for new chairman.

The Church of England is obstructing its own safeguarding panel by denying them their own computers, refusing to share data and treating them with “hostility”, whistleblowers have told The Telegraph.

‌The Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) was formed in January 2022 and tasked with scrutinising the work of the Church’s National Safeguarding Team (NST), as well as holding the Church to account regarding its safeguarding duties.

‌However, the ISB’s only two board members have come forward to claim that their experience working with Church officials is “an uphill battle and unnecessarily challenging”.

‌In an interview with The Telegraph, Jasvinder Sanghera CBE, who founded the Karma Nirvana charity which aims to end honour-based abuse, and Steve Reeves MBE, executive director of Global Safeguarding, raised the alarm.

They claim there has been “clear interference” with their work, a “lack of transparency” and a “reluctance to provide information” meaning that at times they have been “met with hostility”

Their concerns have been echoed by victims who claim that unless the Church revokes its “inappropriate and irresponsible” appointment of the new ISB chair as Meg Munn – the former foreign office minister who already holds posts within the Church of England – they will not only feel “re-abused” but they will also refuse to work with the ISB and share their testimonies…

And there is a great deal more detail, which should be read in full, if possible.

Donna Birrell has this follow-up report at Premier Christian News: Church of England accused of ‘obstructing’ Independent Safeguarding Board. That includes these reactions:

In a statement to Premier, Martin Sewell who is a member of General Synod said :

“These latest revelations confirm the serious concerns that I, survivors, and members of General Synod have repeatedly raised about the lack of independence in the Established Church’s responses to the IICSA enquiry. I thank the two ISB members for bravely aligning themselves with those of us calling for a comprehensive and open debate of this scandal on the floor of Synod.”

In a statement to Premier Bishop Joanne Grenfell, the Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop said:

“The Independent Safeguarding Board was set up to provide important external scrutiny for the Church’s safeguarding work and it is vital that the right structures are in place to do this.

“We look forward to working with them as they begin the next phase of their work to scope out what these structures are and to having conversations about concerns they have raised. An acting chair was put in place until the end of the year to ensure continuity and I look forward to working with all three Board members.

“We welcome their annual report (being published tomorrow) and note their comments around their work to date and desire to continue with this independent scrutiny of the Church’s safeguarding.  It is vital that we have independent scrutiny as this informs the core responsibility for all in the Church of ensuring good safeguarding in all our parishes kand settings across the country. This important work goes on every day of the year. “

Updates

Hattie Williams Church Times Independent Safeguarding Board seeks to extricate itself from the Church of England

House of Survivors has a useful ISB timeline on this page.

The response from Joanne Grenfell quoted by Premier can now be found here. It appears that it was not written as a response to the Telegraph article, but in order to link the ISB annual report to the CofE website.

32 Comments

Opinion – 22 April 2023

Martine Oborne Student Christian Movement blog Frustrated Vocations: Why We Need an Honest Church on Women’s Ministry

Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The essence of the Christian message – the primacy of God’s unconditional, infinite, intimate love

Marianne Rozario Theos The death of traditional funerals

33 Comments

GAFCON rejects all Anglican instruments of communion

Updated again Tuesday

The Church Times reports on the GAFCON IV meeting held in Kigali this week thus: Gafcon meeting in Kigali rejects all existing forms of Anglican authority.

Here is the full text of the communiqué issued by GAFCON today. Some information on the process of its construction is over here.

Lambeth Palace has issued Lambeth Palace statement on GAFCON IV Kigali Commitment.

Full Text of Archbishop Beach’s Address to GAFCON IV

New GAFCON chairman elected

REJOICING TO BE SAFE HARBOUR – ANiE response and endorsement of the 2023 Kigali Commitment

CEEC publishes response to GAFCON IV statement. This concludes with these words (emphasis added):

….Given that about 45% of the General Synod has clearly articulated the conviction that the proposals of the bishops are unacceptable, urgent consideration needs to be given to a form of good differentiation involving structural re-organisation without theological compromise. Following this path could prevent the unity of the Church of England being torn apart in the same way that the Communion has been.

Church Times: ‘We are not the weirdos’: English conservatives welcome Gafcon support

195 Comments

Further delay to Smyth review

Updated

The Church of England has this morning published the following statement from the independent reviewer in the Smyth case.

Statement from independent reviewer in Smyth case
18/04/2023

“I have made a report to the Police regarding matters that have come to light in recent weeks and in the course of my review, into the abuse perpetrated by John Smyth. I have subsequently passed extensive information to them in relation to this matter. This necessary development is in line with my obligations set out in the terms of reference for the review and in UK law and is therefore unavoidable. This impacts on the planned timescale for completion of the review, and I am aware from my regular contact with victims, of the distress that this is likely to cause them, their families, and others affected by this case. A further update on this will be provided as soon as is possible”.
Keith Makin, independent reviewer

The National Safeguarding Team has arranged continued support for victims through Nina Tanner, a specialist Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA). The formerly named Splitz organisation have changed their name to Fear-Less.org.uk Home – Fear Less (fear-less.org.uk) but still provide the same service to victim and survivors. Nina remains the independent lead for support for the victims of John Smyth and fulfils the same role as before. If you need support, she can be contacted on Nina.Tanner@fear-less.org.uk or on 07825 741751. If you have been affected by this latest update and need support, please do contact Nina.


Church Times: New information, passed on to police, delays Makin review of John Smyth case

Telegraph: Church of England review into John Smyth paused again as police handed new information

Previous TA report (December 2022): Smyth Review – further delay

38 Comments

Opinion – 15 April 2023

The Guardian has published several letters in response to the article by Simon Jenkins that I linked to a week ago.
Saving churches from decay should be a national responsibility
“Readers take issue with an article by Simon Jenkins in which he suggests that local authorities should step in to fund churches”

Kirk Petersen The Living Church GAFCON Meeting Could Reshape the Anglican Communion

Helen King sharedconversations Revenge of the Sticky Notes

60 Comments

Opinion – 12 April 2023

Judith Maltby ViaMedia.News Equal Marriage – 1928 Style

Peter Stanford The Guardian Is the UK prepared to let its rural churches rot – or can they be saved?
“A tour of abandoned Norfolk churches prompts reflections on the future of these sacred buildings in an age of declining faith”

Mark Vasey-Saunders scm press Disagreeing about our disagreements

Stephen Cottrell The Archbishop of York Easter Sunday reminds us to celebrate, not fear, our differences

Fergus Butler-Gallie Engelsberg Ideas Laughing with the Face of God

48 Comments

Opinion – 8 April 2023

Church of England bishops have highlighted the hope of the resurrection in a series of video and published messages ahead of Easter: Bishops speak of resurrection hope in troubled world

Christopher Howse The Spectator The surprising beauty of Mass in a burnt-out church

Calum Cockburn British Library Medieval manuscripts blog Picturing the Crucifixion

Simon Jenkins The Guardian The decline of churchgoing doesn’t have to mean the decline of churches – they can help us level up

Stephen Cottrell Archbishop of York Water is thicker than blood

Theo Hobson The Spectator Does the Church of England need evangelicals?

125 Comments

Opinion – 5 April 2023

Helen King ViaMedia.News Pressing ‘PAUSE’

Jonathan Chaplin Law & Religion UK Lost in transmission – on not romanticising the Coronation

Rebecca Chapman The Church of England Newspaper Justin Welby: What Has Changed After 10 Tumultuous Years?

45 Comments

Church Attendance in October 2022

Church Attendance in October 2022: Post-Covid-19 Trends, Patterns and Possibilities

This is a report that compares church attendance in October 2022 and October 2019 in five dioceses. There is a summary hosted on the Oxford diocesan website here, and the full report (pdf) is here.

The Church Times writes about the report under the headline: Cutting services is a key cause of decline in attendance, report suggests.

16 Comments

Opinion – 1 April 2023

Stanley Monkhouse Rambling Rector Retired Bashing on

Jayne Ozanne ViaMedia.News Hot Cross Bunnies & Religious Freedom

Philip Jones Ecclesiastical Law Electing the Parochial Church Council: Smith v Bishop of Barchester

44 Comments

City of London clergy set up new “deanery chapter”

174 Comments