Sylvia McLain writes in The Guardian that It’s a big, fat myth that all scientists are religion-hating atheists.
Vicky Beeching writes for The Independent about Christian Easter eggs and child abuse: The creation of a parallel universe by the Church.
Hans Küng writes in The New York Times about A Vatican Spring?
Tom Wright asks in The Guardian The church may be hypocritical about sex, but is no one else guilty?
The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley have this handy list of 25 Ways to say “No” Without Saying “No”.
Rosie Harper has written a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, which Alan Wilson has republished: Dear Justin…
Christopher Howse of The Telegraph writes about Anglicans in the heart of Rome.
11 CommentsDiana Johnson MP will introduce a bill into the House of Commons on 13 March under the ten-minute rule to enable women to become bishops in the Church of England.
Wikipedia has this explanation of the Ten Minute Rule.
The debate is scheduled to start at about 12.30 pm, immediately following Prime Minster’s Questions. It can be watched live on BBC Parliament and on Parliament TV.
WATCH has issued this press release.
41 CommentsParliament to debate women in the episcopate: Diana Johnson MP introduces bill next Wednesday.
On Wednesday 13th March Diana Johnson, MP for Kingston upon Hull, will introduce a bill under the ten-minute rule that would enable women to become bishops in the Church of England. In this way she will remind the Church of England that it lies within Parliament’s power to legislate for this, if the Church cannot do so quickly and in a way that is acceptable to Parliament.
After the disastrous vote last November when General Synod failed to support women bishops legislation, bishops were called to Westminster to explain to MPs how they planned to bring a speedy resolution to the problems this vote had caused. A House of Bishops Working Group has now consulted widely, and from the responses to the consultation that have been made public it appears that there is even less common ground than before between those in favour and those against women bishops. Nevertheless WATCH remains committed to the Church of England’s process of reconciliation and continuing conversations.
WATCH believes that Diana Johnson’s bill is timely in reminding the Working Group, and the House of Bishops, that legislation for women to be bishops must be passed by the Synod sooner rather than later, and in a form that allows no discrimination against women.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has started a blog. In his first article, Moving the frontiers, he reflects on the recent Faith in Conflict conference.
Before any of our readers get too excited, I should point out that the Archbishop does not allow comments on his blog.
16 CommentsAnthony Priddis, the Bishop of Hereford, has announced that he will retire on 24 September 2013.
1 CommentUpdated Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening
The final version of the proposal to replace the dioceses of Bradford, Ripon & Leeds, and Wakefield by a new diocese of Leeds (or West Yorkshire and the Dales) was discussed by the three diocesan synods this morning.
Bradford voted in favour.
Voting: 90 for, 4 against, no abstentionsRipon & Leeds voted in favour.
Voting: 70 for, 18 against, 2 abstentionsWakefield voted against.
Voting: 40 for, 76 against, 4 abstentions
The Church of England quickly issued this press release after the votes.
Results of vote on new single diocese for West Yorkshire
02 March 2013Bradford and Ripon & Leeds dioceses today voted in favour of a scheme from the Dioceses Commission to reorganise Church of England structures in West Yorkshire and the Dales. Wakefield diocese rejected the scheme.
The neighbouring dioceses of Blackburn and Sheffield receiving six and two parishes respectively from the area of the proposed new single diocese also need to vote on the scheme: Sheffield gave its consent on 16 February; Blackburn votes on 13 April.
The overall proposal is to replace the existing dioceses of Bradford, Ripon & Leeds and Wakefield and create a new single one.
Now consent has not been given by at least one of the dioceses, it is up to the Archbishop of York to decide whether to allow the scheme to go forward for debate at General Synod (possibly in July). This could happen if he is satisfied either that
(a) the interest of the diocese is so small that the withholding of consent should not prevent the scheme being submitted to the General Synod; or
(b) there are wider considerations affecting the province or the Church of England as a whole which require the scheme to be submitted to the General Synod.
The Archbishop won’t be in a position to announce his decision until after Blackburn diocese’s vote is known in mid-April.
Speaking today after the votes, Chair of the Commission, Professor Michael Clarke said: ‘It is good to know that the Dioceses of Bradford and Ripon & Leeds support the Commission’s proposals. Looking at the voting in Wakefield, there is significant support there, even though the vote was lost.. The process, however, continues. Blackburn votes next month. It will then be for the Archbishop of York to decide how to take this forward.’
The three diocese have also issued their own press releases.
Bradford votes for new, single diocese
Ripon and Leeds approves plans for a new diocese
Wakefield says No to Dioceses Commission Draft Plan for new single diocese
Sunday update
The Radio Leeds Johnny I’Anson programme gave extensive coverage at intervals to this story this morning. This included interviews with Nick Baines, the Bishop of Bradford, (starting at 1 hour 9 minutes) and Stephen Platten, the Bishop of Wakefield, (starting at 2 hours 7 minutes).
3 CommentsMiranda Threlfall-Holmes writes for The Guardian that Justin Welby has already signalled his faith in women’s ministry.
Marc Handley Andrus (the Bishop of California) writes for The Washington Post about The Episcopal Church’s gay rights pilgrimage.
These articles look ahead to the next pope and what awaits him.
Religion & Ethics Newsweekly carries this interview: New Archbishop of Canterbury on New Pope.
In The Guardian there is this video: Diarmaid MacCulloch on the next pope: the Catholic church is in crisis – it has avoided reality for too long
and Andrew Brown writes about The new pope’s three key challenges.
Giles Fraser writes in The Guardian that We cap benefits but not bonuses. How on earth are we ‘all in this together’?
Peter Graystone writes In praise of wishy-washy Christians for the Church Times.
Also in the Church Times Angela Tilby writes about A profession that needs to earn respect.
2 CommentsThe Faith in Conflict conference “Finding Better Ways to Handle Conflict in the Church” was held in Coventry Cathedral this week.
The Archbishop of Canterbury gave this address at the closing Eucharist.
The cathedral website has links to some of the other addresses. At present these are available.
The Exasperating Patience of God Sam Wells audio | text
Bill Marsh interviews the Revd Tory Baucum and Bishop Shannon Johnston audio
The Habits of Conflict Resilience Jo Bailey Wells audio | text
Advance publicity included the conference website and this page on the cathedral website.
2 CommentsPress release from Lambeth Palace
Thursday 28th February 2013
Archbishop of Canterbury announces new Chaplain
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is delighted to announce the appointment of the Reverend Dr Jo Bailey Wells as his new Chaplain, based at Lambeth Palace. Her primary focus will be for the spiritual life at Lambeth Palace and for supporting the Archbishop’s pastoral and liturgical ministry.
Speaking about her new position, Dr Jo Bailey Wells said:
“I am honoured and delighted to be joining Archbishop Justin’s team at Lambeth as he takes on a heavy but exciting mantle. I look forward to supporting him personally and pastorally – above all by praying for his flourishing in that role – and so to facilitating the wider flourishing of God’s people in God’s church.”
The Reverend Dr Jo Bailey Wells was ordained in 1995. Her ministry thus far has focused on nurturing faith, mentoring vocations teaching Old Testament and training leadership – in Cambridge, in the United States and in South Sudan. Previous positions include Dean of Clare College Cambridge and most recently Director of the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Duke Divinity School in North Carolina. She holds degrees from Cambridge, Minnesota and Durham and has written two books, God’s Holy People (Sheffield: 2000) and Isaiah: A Devotional Commentary for Study and Preaching (BRF: 2006).
Speaking about her appointment, the Archbishop said:
30 Comments“Jo is an outstanding speaker, scholar and pastor, with a very wide experience of the Anglican world. I am delighted that she has been agreed to come and work with me at Lambeth.”
Miranda Threlfall-Holmes has written this excellent response to the Consultation document on women bishops legislation.
Schrodinger’s Cat Theology? Response to Women Bishops Consultation
93 CommentsNeil Ormerod writes for ABC Religion and Ethics about The metaphysical muddle of Lawrence Krauss: Why science can’t get rid of God.
Frank Cranmer writes for Law & Religion UK about Doctrine and law – servants or masters?
Andrew Brown writes for The Guardian that I go to church not for God but for humanity.
Clarissa Tan writes in The Spectator that The west doesn’t need Feng Shui. “If you doubt that a building can affect your spirit, try going to church.”
Giles Fraser writes for The Guardian that The pope’s resignation has finally revealed that the papacy is simply a job.
Christopher Howse explains in The Telegraph Why we won’t get a bearded pope.
4 CommentsDavid Pocklington has published two articles at Law & Religion UK about the Consultation document on women bishops legislation.
Women in the episcopate consultation: the basics
Women in the episcopate consultation: an analysis
The second includes this comment.
The above analysis suggests that whilst the four propositions developed by the Working Group provide a broad framework within which to proceed, these need to be finessed further to maximize the benefit of the progress achieved to date. This would include.
- more formal declaration of the objectives a) to provide a clearer focus for the group’s work, and b) to give a signal to those outside the group of the expected outcome;
- minimization of “soft law” instruments within the “package” which is developed, which would rely [on] a combination of primary and secondary legislation coming into force at the same time;
- a statement on the expected time-scale, identifying key milestones and reviews of progress.
But do read all of them both.
1 CommentPress release from Lambeth Palace
Monday 18th February 2011
Archbishop’s new Director of Reconciliation
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is delighted to announce the appointment of Canon David Porter as Director for Reconciliation at Lambeth Palace. Canon David will work part time on the Archbishop’s personal staff, seconded by Coventry Cathedral where he remains Canon Director for Reconciliation Ministry – bringing first-hand knowledge of the Cathedral’s eminent and longstanding reconciliation work to Lambeth Palace and the wider Church.
The focus of Canon David’s role will be to enable the Church to make a powerful contribution to transforming the often violent conflicts which overshadow the lives of so many people in the world. His initial focus will be on supporting creative ways for renewing conversations and relationships around deeply held differences within the Church of England and the Anglican Communion.
Canon David brings extensive front-line experience in the area of reconciliation having served on the Northern Ireland Civic Forum, chairing its working group on peacebuilding and reconciliation, as well serving as a member of the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council. Since September 2008 David has been the Canon Director for Reconciliation Ministry at Coventry Cathedral, England. An experienced community relations activist, peacebuilding practitioner and community theologian he has thirty years experience in regional, national and international faith based organisations.
Speaking about his new position, Canon David Porter said:
“How we live with our deepest differences both within the Church and our increasingly fractured world, is one of the major challenges to the credibility of Christianity as good news.”
“It is a privilege to be asked to take on this responsibility for Archbishop Justin and I look forward to working with him in serving the Church in making reconciliation and peacebuilding a theological and practical priority in its life and witness.”
Speaking about the appointment, Archbishop Justin said:
“I am delighted to welcome Canon David Porter, Canon for Reconciliation at Coventry, who will join my personal staff part time as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Director for Reconciliation. David brings a wealth of experience in reconciliation and peacebuilding from his work in Northern Ireland and through the Community of the Cross of Nails in Coventry. Conflict is an ever present reality both in the Church and wider society. Christians have been at the centre of reconciliation throughout history. We may not have always handled our own conflicts wisely, but it is essential that we work towards demonstrating ways of reducing destructive conflict in our world – and also to setting an example of how to manage conflict within the Church.”
Information about Canon Porter and the Coventry Cathedral Ministry of Reconciliation is below the fold.
9 CommentsElizabeth Oldfield for ABC Religion and Ethics asks Does the Anglican Church really need a new Theologian-in-Chief?
Angela Tilby starts a regular column in the Church Times with Private and public: heal the rift.
Also in the Church Times is this feature article by Anna Drew: Anyone fancy a bevvy?
In the comment is free section of The Guardian
Joy Bennett writes that Many churches don’t talk about sex beyond virginity, virginity, virginity,
Mark Vernon asks Is love more real when grounded in faith?, and
Giles Fraser writes that Prayer is not pious. Like art, it simply needs attention to that which is other.
Two writers in The Huffington Post offer advice for Lent.
Mark Sandlin Don’t Get Caught In The Lent Trap.
Megan Cottrell Why Do We Give Up Things For Lent?
Last week the House of Bishops decided to give eight senior women clergy the right to attend their meetings. They stated that the “eight members would be elected regionally from within bishops’ senior staff teams (that include deans, archdeacons and others)”.
This article is an attempt to compile a list of the eligible women.
1) At present there are four women deans.
Deans
| Dean of | |
| Catherine Ogle | Birmingham |
| June Osborne | Salisbury |
| Frances Ward | St Edmundsbury |
| Vivienne Faull | York |
2) This list of women archdeacons is extracted from Wikepedia. I know of some acting archdeacons omitted from the Wikipedia list, but they are all men. It is possible that some women are also omitted.
Archdeacons
| Archdeacon of | Diocese | |
| Nicola Sullivan | Wells | Bath & Wells |
| Christine Froude | Malmesbury | Bristol |
| Sheila Watson | Canterbury | Canterbury |
| Penny Driver | Westmorland and Furness | Carlisle |
| Annette Cooper | Colchester | Chelmsford |
| Christine Wilson | Chesterfield | Derby |
| Jackie Searle | Gloucester | Gloucester |
| Jane Sinclair | Stow and Lindsey | Lincoln |
| Rachel Treweek | Hackney | London |
| Cherry Vann | Rochdale | Manchester |
| Jan McFarlane | Norwich | Norwich |
| Karen Gorham | Buckingham | Oxford |
| Christine Allsopp | Northampton | Peterborough |
| Joanne Grenfell | Portsdown (designate) | Portsmouth |
| Jane Hedges | Westminster | Royal Peculiar |
| Ruth Worsley | Wilts | Salisbury |
| Jane Steen | Southwark (designate) | Southwark |
| Dianna Gwilliams | Southwark (acting) | Southwark |
| Audrey Elkington | Bodmin | Truro |
| Anne Dawtry | Halifax | Wakefield |
| Sarah Bullock | York (designate) | York |
| Suzanne Sheriff | York (temporary) | York |
3) It is not clear to me precisely who the “others” will be. Diocesan websites do not usually give a list of the members of the bishop’s senior staff, and the Church of England Year Book never does.
It might be thought that Diocesan Advisors in Women’s Ministry (DAWMs) (listed here) would all be members of the bishops’ senior staff, but I know that this is the case in only some dioceses.
4) Readers are invited to submit (via a comment) the names of any women clergy (other than deans and archdeacons) who are members of their bishop’s senior staff.
24 CommentsAndrew Adonis has published this open letter: Dear Justin Welby…
Winckworth Sherwood’s John Rees arranges confirmation of election of new Archbishop of Canterbury.
Kelvin Holdsworth has The 10 Commandments of Using Images on Church Websites.
Douglas Murray writes in the Spectator: Atheists vs Dawkins: My fellow atheists, it’s time we admitted that religion has some points in its favour.
The Church Times reports on (Tropical) fish for Lent — young to give up most.
Giles Fraser writes his last column for the Church Times: Goodbye: I am letting anger drop.
But he continues his Loose canon column in The Guardian with The key to forgiveness is the refusal to seek revenge.
Following yesterday’s decision by the House of Bishops to give eight senior women clergy the right to attend their meetings these reports have appeared in the press.
Madeleine Davies in the Church Times: Women dignitaries to be elected as Bishops’ ‘participant observers’
Sam Jones in The Guardian Church of England’s house of bishops to allow female clergy into meetings
John Bingham in the Telegraph Church of England to give women clerics ‘observer’ status in House of Bishops
BBC Women clergy to attend Church of England bishops’ meetings
WATCH has issued this statement.
8 CommentsWATCH (Women and the Church) welcomes House of Bishops’ Statement
WATCH welcomes yesterday’s statement by the House of Bishops endorsing ‘robust processes and steps’ towards preparing legislation to make women bishops in the Church of England ‘at the earliest possible date’. Any such legislation will need to be unequivocal in its affirmation of women as priests and bishops and provide an institutional environment in which women’s ordained ministry can truly flourish.
The news that eight senior women are to attend the House of Bishops’ meetings is also to be welcomed. The presence of women in this previously all-male group will be very helpful in preparing the House to receive its first female bishops and in the development of new enabling legislation.
The electronic voting results of the House of Laity meeting held on 18 January 2013 are now available. As usual these take the form of a pdf file, arranged by vote (for/against/abstain) and then alphabetically.
For convenience I have put the results into a spreadsheet arranged by synod number (which brings members together by diocese) and added absentees and vacancies. I have also provided a webpage version of the spreadsheet.
A verbatim transcript of the meeting is also available.
0 CommentsAs the intensive facilitated discussions on legislation to allow women to be bishops start today WATCH has published these two articles, from which I have extracted a few key paragraphs.
John Gladwin: Some comments on where we go from here on the legislation for opening the episcopate to women
The issue in front of us is not primarily doctrinal. That hurdle was jumped in the 1970’s and the church has not retreated from its clear commitment that there are no theological principles in our understanding of the tradition preventing women entering holy orders.
The issue is, therefore, fundamentally about the order of the church. The order of the Church of England is that if you are ordained deacon you may be ordained priest after one year and if you are ordained priest you may be ordained Bishop after 6 years and if you are over 30 years of age. Canon C2 sets out the refinements of this. Driving a permanent wedge between the priesthood and the episcopate is destructive of our tradition and order.
That is one of the reasons why the language of reception was used when women were admitted to the priesthood. The experience of this ministry would seal the issue. There can be no doubt that the period is reception is long passed. When the Archbishop Rowan suggested that, in theory, it was possible for the church to reverse its decision to ordain women into the priesthood, he very quickly had to retract. There is no doubt reception time is done.
Jane Charman: Gender discrimination in the Church of England – why it matters and our response
44 CommentsWithin the Church of England defending the rights of some individuals and groups to discriminate against women currently has a high priority and is connected in many minds with upholding freedom and diversity. By contrast witnessing to the equal dignity and worth of women in society has a low priority. It is not a moral imperative for us. Opponents of women’s ministry have worked hard to alter our perceptions in this way, to present gender discrimination as a respectable alternative position within the life of the Church and themselves as victims of intolerance. This reversal of values seems perverse and incomprehensible, even morally repugnant, to those outside the Church.
I voted for the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure last November, having persuaded myself that it was the best of the options available to us. I wanted to respect the views of others and make gracious provision for those who tell us they are struggling with this issue for theological reasons. I particularly wanted to find a way for the Church of England to break out of the current impasse and move forward with the pressing missional task that is before us.
I have come to understand that what I did was wrong. I was supporting a lesser good at the expense of a greater good. We cannot place the needs and wishes of a small number of our own members above our vocation to declare a gospel of justice and mercy for all human beings. We cannot achieve our goal of having women in the House of Bishops on such terms.
Updated
The Most Reverend Justin Welby became the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury at lunchtime today, when his election was confirmed at a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Archbishop of York gave this Welcome to Archbishop Justin Welby.
Update
St Paul’s Cathedral has this report of the ceremony, Justin Welby is made Archbishop of Canterbury at St Paul’s, with links to photographs and the order of service.
Update Tuesday
The Archbishop is now The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby following his appointment to Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council.
Christopher Howse writes in his Sacred Mysteries column in The Telegraph about Holding a candle in the Temple.
Robert McCrum writes this profile in The Observer: Justin Welby: from mammon to man of God.
Giles Fraser writes in The Guardian that There’s no shame in suicide. And there’s no glory, either.
Andrew Brown in The Guardian asks Is gay marriage really about sex?
2 Comments