Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Eighty years on – living creatively and optimistically in decadent times
Anon Surviving Church “As though they were gods…..”
1 CommentThe Church of England has published LLF Autumn Update: Preparing for Key Decisions. It starts
This Autumn, the House of Bishops will meet to consider further proposals on LLF, with a view to reporting their progress back to the meeting of the General Synod in February 2026. Extensive theological work by the Faith and Order Commission (FAOC) will be available to inform the bishops in their decision making. This includes advice on the nature of doctrine and how it develops, the text and context of the Prayers of Love and Faith, and the exemplarity of clergy life. In order to assist the bishops in their discernment, feedback received from the informal diocesan consultations will also be considered.
and continues with
Rosalind Rutherford Women and the Church Bread and Stones
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Tricksters versus magicians The state of the House of Bishops and worship in local churches
Kelvin Holdsworth What is in Kelvin’s Head? Listening to the Quiet Revival
86 CommentsTim Wyatt The Critical Friend Make or break
“Is the upcoming appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury the last chance saloon for the C of E to save itself?”
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Learning Lessons from the Rise and Fall of the Nine O’Clock Service
Helen King sharedconversations Is there a quorum in the House of Bishops?
75 CommentsDavid Torrance House of Commons Library What is the Ecclesiastical Committee?
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The Evolution or Regression of the Church of England
Scarlet Cassock “All the money’s gone — must be the choir’s fault”
[This is part 2; part 1 was published in July.]
Bishop of Oxford An Open Letter to Nigel Farage
38 CommentsThe minutes of the May 2025 meeting of the Church of England’s House of Bishops are now available.
Although they are dated 18 June at the end, the internal file attributes have today’s date (1 Sept 2025).
There was a meeting in July, with an agenda and a press release, but, as yet, no minutes. The next meeting of the House is scheduled for 6-8 October.
Earlier minutes are online here.
15 CommentsColin Coward Unadulterated Love Are Charismatic Evangelical Anglican churches becoming more welcoming and open to LGBTQIA+ people?
Jonathan Surviving Church Three Years On after a NDA: Lessons Learnt
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Re-envisioning the Midsomer Benefice
78 CommentsThe Church of England has released its Cathedral Statistics 2024. There is an accompanying press release which is copied below. Statistics for earlier years may be found here.
Cathedral statistics show continued growth in 2024
28/08/2025
The Church of England’s latest cathedral statistics show continued growth in 2024, with weekly attendance rising to 31,900, an increase of eleven per cent compared to 2023. The rise was driven particularly by midweek services, which saw a 15 per cent increase in adult attendance and a 16 per cent increase in child attendance, although still lower than the pre-pandemic figure. (more…)
5 CommentsIan Gomersall A Retired Rector’s Reflections Church of England’s major data breach
The Church Mouse The Quiet Revival under the microscope
Chine McDonald Theos Is this the end of Theology in Higher Education?
20 CommentsStephen Parsons Surviving Church False Allegations, Rumours and Assumptions
20 CommentsAugustine Tanner-Ihm ViaMedia.News Bleeding While Leading: A Theological and Leadership Reflection
Martin Sewell Surviving Church Parting Shots
60 CommentsMost of the electronic voting lists from last month’s meeting of General Synod were published online some weeks ago, and I linked to them here. These contain the names of voting members and how they voted.
The lists for two procedural motions were omitted, but they are now available. Both were motions ‘That the Synod do pass to the Next Business’ and both were carried. The effect of such a motion is that the substantive motion lapses, and the same (or a similar) question cannot be reconsidered in the remaining lifetime of the Synod without the permission of the Business Committee and the general consent of the Synod.
The first was during the debate on item 13 as amended by item 33 (see Order Paper III for Saturday afternoon).
That this Synod noting the wider discussions about the culture and governance of the House of Bishops
a) welcome the decision to undertake an independently led review as proposed in GS Misc 1412 and the importance in the proposed Terms of Reference of the section on Culture and Ways of Working and
b) request that the Report of the Review be published in full and that the cost of the Review be met by the Archbishops’ Council.”.
The second was at the end of Sunday’s debate on the Archbishops’ Council Annual Report. This prevented a debate on Martin Sewell’s following motion on the working of the Audit Committee (see item 35 on Order Paper V).
6 CommentsMartin Sewell Surviving Church Resigning from General Synod
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The Church of England’s absurd position on sex and marriage
Martyn Percy Meander Barnaclization in the Church of England
Helen King ViaMedia.News In the Beginning: Sex, AIDS, Judgment and the Church of England, 1986-1991
58 CommentsJarel Robinson-Brown Modern Church Theologians in Real Life
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Russell T. Davies says Trump and Reform UK threaten gay rights
Marcus Walker The Critic First signs of an Anglican spring
75 CommentsSarah Coakley Church Times Bring theology back to the parishes
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Full equality in ministry and relationships for LGBTQIA+ people — Unadulterated Love
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Gratification and Power – A Problem for the Church
Helen King Premier Christianity I’m celebrating the UK’s first female archbishop. I don’t care that she is in a civil partnership
109 CommentsColin Coward Unadulterated Love Questions for Christianity and the Church of England
Savitri (Savi) Hensman ViaVedia.News Sexuality Issues and the Church’s Theology Problem
6 CommentsTim Wyatt The Critical Friend Made in Sheffield
Also in this week’s newsletter is a piece on the Church in Wales and its new archbishop: Cleaning House
Theo Hobson What do liberal Anglicans want?
Ian Gomersall A Retired Rector’s Reflections Division at ordination
David Torrance House of Commons Library The relationship between church and state in the United Kingdom
A briefing paper on the relationship between church and state in the United Kingdom
David Voas The Conversation Is there really a religious revival in England? Why I’m sceptical of a new report
Mark Clavier Well-Tempered What the Heck Are Bishops For?
Michael Hampson ViaMedia.News No First Reading – Four Circumcisions Instead
9 CommentsFrancis Young Election of the 12th Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The Pearl of Great Price
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Archdruid Eileen’s Sermon on AI
Anon Surviving Church Who is my Neighbour?
155 CommentsUpdated on 19 August to add two procedural motions
The electronic voting results from this month’s meeting of General Synod are now available online. These contain the names of voting members and how they voted.
The full text of motions can be found in the official record of Business Done.