Jo Winn-Smith OneBodyOneFaith Lent
Andrew Goddard Psephizo What is going wrong with the Canterbury appointment process?
Tim Wyatt The Critical Friend Beyond reproach
“The torturously complicated process to choose the new Archbishop of Canterbury is losing the faith of one half of the church”
Mark Clavier Well-Tempered Clergy Burnout and the Cure of Souls
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Is Truth Dead?
123 CommentsThe Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, has announced that he will retire on 30 November 2025. Further details are on the Leeds diocesan website: Bishop Nick announces his retirement with thanks to all in our diocese.
72 CommentsIan Paul Psephizo Is Church of England ministry sustainable?
Andrew Goddard Psephizo Is there progress on the appointment of a new Archbishop?
John Smith Psephizo The Hidden Limits of Class in the Church
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Living by intuitive, experiential, emotional faith
110 CommentsThe full membership of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury is still not known, but it has been announced that the Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher, has been elected by the House of Bishops to be a member.
The Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher, has been elected as a member of the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) for the See of Canterbury, following an election by the House of Bishops.
As a Bishop from the Province of Canterbury, Bishop Graham will join the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, as the second Church of England episcopal member of the Canterbury CNC.
The remaining membership will be announced in early April. Once the full membership of the CNC is known, the Commission will convene for its first meeting in May, followed by at least two further meetings – one in July and another in September.
Through these, the Commission will agree the ‘Role Profile’ and ‘Person Specification’ for the next Archbishop of Canterbury, and discern the longlist, to shortlist and to interview candidates.
It is not possible to apply for the role of Archbishop of Canterbury. Instead, individuals will be invited into a careful and prayerful process of discernment.
Elections to the Canterbury diocesan Vacancy-in-See committee are continuing, and once complete, the committee will elect three of its members to the CNC. Additionally the CNC has five representatives from the worldwide Anglican Communion, and these names have also still to be announced.
19 CommentsThe minutes of the 20 January 2025 meeting of the House of Bishops have now been published.
This is in line with the earlier announcement. At the time of the January meeting, this press release was issued.
42 CommentsPress release from 10 Downing Street. The Leeds diocesan website has more information here, and the Sheffield website has a “farewell message” from the bishop-designate.
3 CommentsThe King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Malcolm Leslie Chamberlain, Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham, in the Diocese of Sheffield, to the Suffragan See of Wakefield in the Diocese of Leeds.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 19 March 2025The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Malcolm Leslie Chamberlain, Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham, in the Diocese of Sheffield, to the Suffragan See of Wakefield in the Diocese of Leeds.
Background
Malcolm was educated at the University of York and trained for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St John’s Pleck and Bescot, Walsall, in the Diocese of Lichfield, and was ordained Priest in 1997. Malcolm was appointed Associate Minister at St Matthew and St James, Mossley Hill, in the Diocese of Liverpool in 1999, and additionally worked as Associate Anglican Chaplain at the University of Liverpool.
In 2002 Malcolm was appointed as Anglican Chaplain to the University of Liverpool and an Emerging Church Consultant for the Diocese of Liverpool, a pioneering role that involved planting and leading a new worshipping community for young adults in Liverpool city centre. From 2008, he served as Priest-in-Charge at St Mary’s, Wavertree, and was appointed Rector in 2011. He was also appointed as Area Dean of Toxteth and Wavertree in 2012.
In 2014 Malcolm was appointed to his current role as Archdeacon of Sheffield and Rotherham, in the diocese of Sheffield. He is a member of the College of Archbishops’ Evangelists, and has served on the Church of England’s General Synod since 2015 and Mission and Public Affairs Council since 2016.
Malcolm is married to Jo, and they have two children in their early twenties. He collects vinyl records and enjoys going to gigs, and is a life-long supporter of Leicester City.
CEEC HOSTS SERVICES FOR CLERGY
AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CHRISM MASS SERVICES IN DIOCESES
The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) is inviting clergy to attend an ‘Affirmation of Ordination Vows’ Service as an alternative to the often called ‘Chrism Mass’ held in dioceses on Maundy Thursday.
John Dunnett, National Director, Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC), said: “With their ongoing concerns with regards to Living in Love and Faith, we know that many clergy across the country feel in good conscience unable to attend the traditional Chrism Mass service in their diocese. So we are offering two alternative services, in keeping with the Alliance’s construction of the de facto parallel province.”
CEEC invites all clergy who EITHER feel unable to attend the service in their diocese to join us at one of the below AND/OR those who are attending their diocesan service to join us in addition to attending in their diocese to stand with us at this time.
_____________________
ONLINE/ZOOM SERVICE ON TUESDAY 15 APRIL AT 12 NOON
This will be led by Bishop Julian Henderson and Bishop Keith Sinclair.
Please click the button below to join the service – no need to book.
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IN-PERSON SERVICE ON WEDNESDAY 16 APRIL AT 19.30 IN LONDON AT ST JAMES THE LESS, PIMLICO, SW1V 2PS
This will be led by Bishop Pete Broadbent.
This is being coordinated by LonDEN (London DEF) but clergy/lay people are welcome from other dioceses.
No need to book – simply turn up.
119 CommentsFergus Butler-Gallie Engelsberg Ideas Nicaea: the council that shaped the West
Church Times Lent faith series: Upending Church and family
Neil MacGregor begins a series of uncomfortable images for Lent with Christ Discovered in the Temple by Simone Martini.
Charlie Bell ViaMedia.News On Being Conservative
Jonathan Clatworthy The point of it all 1700 years of the Nicene Creed: why?
Ian Gomersall A Retired Rector’s Reflections At Home: Ash Cross
85 CommentsThe Church of England’s House of Bishops met yesterday and issued the following press release.
House of Bishops meeting March 2025
11/03/2025
The House of Bishops met online on March 11, 2025.
Bishops spent time discussing the recent meeting of General Synod in London, including reflecting on responses to the vote on safeguarding independence.
The House then discussed proposals for work by the Liturgical Commission – the body responsible for the Church of England’s worship – and commissioned future work.
The House considered the ongoing work of the Diocesan Finance Review and agreed that work should continue on ways to raise clergy stipends subject to recommendations to be developed by the Triennium Funding Working Group.
Bishops then discussed the process of discernment leading to ordination and agreed that Assessments for Psychological Wellbeing, already widely in use across the Church of England, should become a mandatory part of the Shared Discernment Process from later this year.
The House also spent time in groups, praying and reflecting on a passage from Isaiah 55.
16 CommentsGeorgia Ashwell Women and the Church The Theology of Taint and other misogyny in the Church of England
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church George Carey and the Safeguarding CDM. Time for a Fresh Look?
Duncan Dormor USPG The Church at a Crossroads
Bosco Peters Liturgy A Common Easter
121 CommentsAn adjournment debate was held in the House of Commons on Monday evening, on Church of England Safeguarding. The full transcript of the debate is available here.
A video recording of the entire day (starting at 2.30 pm) is available here. The adjournment debate began at 8.33 pm and concluded at 9.32 pm.
The Church Times has published this news article: Commons debate airs ‘disappointment’ at direction of church safeguarding
28 CommentsA review of Winchester Cathedral identified “significant failings in leadership and management”, the Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, said today, when a summary of the review was published. The diocese issued this press release, and the summary is here. The Dean, the Very Revd Catherine Ogle, whose retirement in May this year was announced several months ago, has said that she will immediately hand over leadership responsibilities to Vice-Dean Canon Roly Riem.
There are a number of press reports.
Church Times ‘Significant failings’ found at Winchester Cathedral
Hampshire Chronicle Dean of Winchester Cathedral steps down following bullying review
Slippedisc Winchester in Turmoil as Dean Abruptly Quits
The cathedral website has this list of Winchester Cathedral Updates on Bishop’s Review.
58 Comments1 Bangor Cathedral
The Church Times and the BBC reported yesterday that the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd Andy John, who is also the Bishop of Bangor, has ordered a visitation of Bangor Cathedral because of safeguarding concerns.
There are also these earlier reports at Nation Cymru.
2 Anthony Pierce
In unrelated news, Anthony Pierce, a former bishop of Swansea and Brecon, was convicted last month of indecent assault on a child.
BBC
Church Times
There are two statements on the provincial website.
