Updated Friday – The press release has been updated so that the first paragraph now reads:
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Andrew Zihni, Canon Precentor of Southwark Cathedral, to be appointed Dean of Gloucester, in succession to The Right Reverend Stephen Lake following his appointment as Bishop of Salisbury.
Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office
Appointment of the Dean of Gloucester: 19 January 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Andrew Zihni for election as Dean of Gloucester.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 19 January 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Andrew Zihni, Canon Precentor of Southwark Cathedral for election as Dean of Gloucester, in succession to The Right Reverend Stephen Lake following his appointment as Bishop of Salisbury.
Andrew was educated at Merton College, Oxford, and trained for ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford. He served his title in the Parishes of Goldthorpe and Hickleton in the Diocese of Sheffield and was ordained priest in 2003.
In 2006 Andrew was appointed Minor Canon and School Chaplain, St George’s Chapel Windsor. In 2014 he was appointed Assistant Director of Vocations in the Diocese of Southwark and Honorary Minor Canon of Southwark Cathedral and additionally served as Priest Vicar, Westminster Abbey from 2018.
Andrew took up his current role as Canon Precentor of Southwark Cathedral and Chapter Safeguarding Lead in January 2021.
14 CommentsUpdated again Thursday
Church of England press release
Bishops propose prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and for God’s blessing for same-sex couples
The full text of the press release linked above is also in this PDF document: Prayers of Love and Faith 18.1.23.
There is a second press release here.
The Church Times has some additional information, and quotes from bishops, in this report: Bishops opt for blessings for same-sex couples in church, but not marriage.
And there is a further article reporting reactions to the press releases: Campaigners respond with fear and dismay to Bishops’ proposals to bless same-sex unions.
Thursday updates
Two further articles from the Church Times:
Conservative Anglicans add their criticism of the Bishops’ same-sex blessing plan
Bishops’ same-sex plans do not need General Synod’s consent
144 CommentsUpdated Tuesday
The Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North, Penny Mordaunt, has written to Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Portsmouth, about LLF. You can see her letter in full here. Her tweet summarises:
I have written to the Bishop of Portsmouth in advance of February’s General Synod regarding discussions on how the Church will move forward on the issue of same sex relationships. I hope they will back reform.
The Diocese has replied on Twitter:
Dear Penny, thank you for your letter. The views of @JonathanHFrost have been in the public domain since last November. You can find them at portsmouth.anglican.org/LLF Scroll down for more
Updates
Church Times reports further: MPs seek movement from Bishops on same-sex marriage
…The Church Times understands that at least 16 MPs have written to their area or diocesan bishops recommending that the Church change its position on same-sex marriage. This is understood to include the Labour MPs Saron Hodgson, Lilian Greenwood, Nadia Whittome, Alex Norris, Lyn Brown, Kim Leadbetter, Angela Eagle, and Luke Pollard. Neil Coyle, who sits as an independent after his suspension from the Labour Party last year, is also reported to have sent a letter, as has Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton…
20 Comments
The Church of England issued this press release this morning.
Bishop of Stepney to be new lead safeguarding bishop
16/01/2023
The Bishop of Stepney, Joanne Grenfell, is to be the Church of England’s new lead safeguarding bishop, taking over from Bishop Jonathan Gibbs who leaves the role at the end of March, when his three-year term ends.
Bishop Joanne, who will attend the House of Bishops, will work closely with the national director of safeguarding, Alexander Kubeyinje, who took up the role in September. As the Church continues to develop its safeguarding practice, there will be a particular focus on responses to and implementation of the recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, IICSA and the Church’s second Past Cases Review, PCR2, published at the end of 2022.
Bishop Joanne will chair the National Safeguarding Steering Group (NSSG), the delegated House of Bishops body responsible for making national safeguarding decisions, and will work closely with the deputy lead bishops for safeguarding, the Bishop of Bristol, Viv Faull and the Bishop of Birkenhead, Julie Conalty.
Both as a former archdeacon and currently as an area bishop in London Diocese, Bishop Joanne has chaired a number of safeguarding reviews and currently is the diocesan safeguarding lead, working closely with the Bishop of London. Bishop Joanne also chairs the national working group looking at the Seal of the Confessional.
Bishop Joanne said: “I believe that how the Church of England deals with safeguarding is of the utmost importance. It reveals our values and identity as a Church and is therefore a matter of spiritual integrity. I am committed to working for culture change, drawing on the wisdom of survivors and engaging with NST colleagues and leaders across the Church of England. My aim is that together we will not only prevent church-based abuse now, but also deal honestly, thoroughly, and proactively with what has previously been perpetrated and covered up.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “I am grateful to Bishop Jonathan who, as lead safeguarding bishop, has led the Church’s response to the IICSA and PCR2 reports, leading on the response both to the recommendations and the important calls for change from survivors. While recognising the safeguarding failures of the Church, Bishop Jonathan has been committed to seeking change in our safeguarding culture and practice.
“I am now very pleased to welcome Bishop Joanne to the role of lead safeguarding bishop. I commend her commitment and experience as well as her willingness to take up this role, which is a vital part of the work of the Church. I am aware of the immense time commitment that this role rightly involves and pray for Bishop Joanne as this new chapter begins.”
7 CommentsStacey Rand ViaMedia.News Leadership for Change: A Response to ‘The Sexism Women Continue to Face in the Church of England’
Rebecca Glover ViaMedia.News Emerging Adults: A Priority for the Churches
Martine Oborne The Guardian Why are female clergy cheering for a bishop who doesn’t believe in female priests?
Rambling Rector Retired Atonement or fakery?
46 CommentsThe Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse published its final report on 20 October 2022.
The Church of England’s initial responses were reported here.
Today, the National Safeguarding Steering Group, the House of Bishops and the Archbishops’ Council have published a joint response to recommendations in relation to the safeguarding work of the Church of England. It’s a six-page PDF, available here. The covering press release is over here.
Following the October report publication, there was also a response from the (then new) National Safeguarding Director, reported here.
An earlier report relating to the Seal of the Confessional, was reported in this further roundup of responses.
7 CommentsThe Church Commissioners have published their full report into historic links that Queen Anne’s Bounty (one of the Commissioners’ predecessors) had to transatlantic chattel slavery*. It can be found here: Church Commissioners Links to Historic Transatlantic Slavery. There is this accompanying press release
which starts
The report follows an interim announcement in June 2022, which reported for the first time, and with great dismay, that the Church Commissioners’ endowment had historic links to transatlantic chattel slavery. The endowment traces its origins partly to Queen Anne’s Bounty, a fund established in 1704.
In response to the findings, the Church Commissioners’ Board has committed itself to trying to address some of the past wrongs by investing in a better future. It will seek to do this through committing £100 million of funding, delivered over the next nine years commencing in 2023, to a programme of investment, research and engagement…
* ‘Chattel slavery’ is the enslaving and owning of human beings and their offspring as property, able to be bought, sold, and forced to work without wages. This is distinguished from other systems of forced, unpaid, or low-wage labour also considered to be slavery.
There is also a press release about a related exhibition at Lambeth Palace Library.
The report has attracted much press attention.
Church Times Church Commissioners to set aside £100 million to compensate for slave-trade links
The Guardian C of E setting up £100m fund to ‘address past wrongs’ of slave trade links
The Guardian C of E’s historic slavery fund – worth £100m but how far will it stretch across communities?
Third Sector Charity’s £100m promise to address ‘shameful’ slave trade links
BBC News Church of England announces £100m fund after slavery links
The Telegraph Justin Welby defends £100m fund to ‘address past wrongs of slavery’ as churches struggle
Bishop John Inge has written an open letter to the Diocese, setting out why he believes that the celebration and honouring of monogamous, faithful same-sex relationships by the Church of England would be consonant with the scriptural witness.
The letter begins:
Dear Friends in Christ,
In our recent letter to the clergy of the Diocese of Worcester, the Bishop of Dudley and I wrote that we think the time has come for the Church of England to celebrate and honour monogamous, faithful same-sex relationships. We added that we believe this to be consonant with the scriptural witness but did not set out our reasoning. We merely commended the Bishop of Oxford’s booklet, Living together in Love and Faith.[i] I feel I should summarise my own thinking on the subject and shall attempt to do so here.
The full text of his letter can be read here.
21 CommentsUpdated Wednesday
A number of relevant links have been included in the comments on this article. For convenience I have these listed below the govenrment press release.
Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. There is more on the diocesan website.
Appointment of Bishop of Blackburn: 10 January 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Philip North, Suffragan Bishop of Burnley, for election as Bishop of Blackburn.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 10 January 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Philip North, Suffragan Bishop of Burnley, for election as Bishop of Blackburn, in succession to The Right Reverend Julian Henderson following his retirement.
Philip was educated at the University of York and trained for ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford. He served his title at St Mary the Virgin in the Diocese of Durham and was ordained priest in 1993. In 1996 Philip took up the role of Vicar at Holy Trinity and St Mark’s Hartlepool and was also appointed Area Dean of Hartlepool in 2000.
In 2002 Philip was appointed Priest Administrator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, in the Diocese of Norwich, before being appointed Team Rector of the Parish of Old St Pancras, in the Diocese of London, in 2008.
Philip took up his current role as Bishop of Burnley in 2015.
Update
WATCH The Nomination of The Rt Rev’d Philip North as the next diocesan Bishop of Blackburn
Bishop Philip’s Address at the Cathedral during the announcement of the next Bishop of Blackburn.
Women in Ministry Statement from our new Bishop-Elect of Blackburn
From the Independent Reviewer’s Sheffield Report – Bishop North’s position on the ordination of women
Statement from the Society
Christopher Peak was the registrar to the Diocese of Gloucester between January 1985 and November 2012. During this period he also represented the then-bishop of Gloucester, Peter Ball, in his personal capacity, when indecent assault allegations were made against the bishop. The Solicitors Regulation Authority, in response to a complaint from the National Secular Society, found this constituted a conflict of interest with his official duties towards the diocese. Mr Peak has accepted their findings, and has agreed to permanently remove his name from the roll of solicitors maintained by the SRA.
The matter is reported in detail as follows:
Solicitors Regulation Authority Christopher Peak
Law Society Gazette Retired solicitor agrees to quit roll over conflict of interest in defending bishop
National Secular Society Solicitor struck off for conflict of interests in defending bishop
25 CommentsAnother dean has announced his retirement, in this case the Rt Revd David Conner of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. This is not yet on the Chapel’s website, but I have been sent a copy of the current Chapel newsletter which starts with this.
The Dean of Windsor
Bishop David Conner has announced his intention to retire at the end of July 2023, twenty-five years after his appointment as Dean of Windsor.
As Dean he holds the role of Register of the Order of the Garter and was also, from 2001 to 2009, Bishop to the Forces.
David and Jayne Conner will be much missed but, given that July is several months away, there will be plenty of time to give them our heartfelt thanks and wish them a happy retirement.
62 CommentsThe Very Reverend Doctor John Davies has retired as Dean of Wells. The announcement is here and here.
7 CommentsCharlie Bell ViaMedia.News Time to Step Up and Take the Heat: Allyship or Cowardice?
14 CommentsThe Bishop of Wolverhampton, the Rt Revd Clive Gregory, has announced that he is to retire in April. He is an area bishop in the diocese of Lichfield.
18 Comments