Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Further reflections on Deference in the Church
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley An Expert on Retail and Christianity Writes
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and others Washington National Cathedral Have We No Decency? A Response to President Trump
11 CommentsDavid Hamid Eurobishop Deacons make history in the Diocese in Europe
Archbishop Richard Clarke The Irish Times Church of Ireland has put its survival over public engagement
Peter Allan Church Times Humanity’s third movement
“God’s work in creation is not finished”
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Boris kippers and sacred truth
Simon Robinson ruminations, contemplations, stumblings On being assaulted in church
24 CommentsThe Bishop of Stafford, the Right Revd Geoff Annas, announced yesterday that he is to retire from his role at the end of November. There are details on the Lichfield diocesan website.
As pointed out in a comment on this post, the Bishop of Doncaster, the Right Revd Peter Burrows, announced his retirement some time ago. I have been unable to find an online announcement, but the Sheffield diocesan website does have details of his retirement service in September.
8 CommentsSurviving Church Jane Chevous reflects on IICSA
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church An ethically challenged Church? Bullying and threats
Paul Bayes The Guardian Rough sleeping is not only a moral issue – it’s the measure of a just society
Georges Staelens Blogue de Georges Messes vespérales/Evening Masses
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love True and untrue images of God in the church
7 CommentsAndrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of Fresh Expressions, sacramentality and mission
Simon Taylor ViaMedia.News Does the Bible Really Say…that Creation is Straight?
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The Christlike God – seamless creation and evolution
Sam Wells delivered the Inclusive Church 2019 Lecture Citizens of Heaven: Identity, Inclusion and the Church earlier this month. You can read the transcript or watch the video.
8 CommentsRichard Peers Quodcumque – Serious Christianity Our Archbishop is baffled – What are we going to do about deference in the Church of England?
Michael Sadgrove Equal Enlarging marriage
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church The Matt Ineson Story – Archbishops challenged
Survivors and the post-IICSA Church
Meg Munn Chair of the National Safeguarding Panel Presenting to the Synod
54 Comments
The diocese of Southwell and Nottingham has announced that the suffragan Bishop of Sherwood, the Rt Revd Tony Porter, will retire on 22nd March 2020. More details here.
6 CommentsQueen has approved the nomination to the Suffragan See of Reading: 15 July 2019
Queen approves nomination of the Venerable Olivia Josephine Graham to the Suffragan See of Reading.
Published 15 July 2019
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing StreetThe Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Olivia Josephine Graham, BA, Archdeacon of Berkshire, in the Diocese of Oxford, to the Suffragan See of Reading, in the Diocese of Oxford, in succession to the Right Reverend Andrew John Proud, BD, AKC, MA, who resigned on 1st May 2019.
The Oxford diocesan website has more details. The new bishop will be consecrated on 19 November 2019.
15 CommentsLaurie Gudim The Episcopal Café Our Duty to Strangers
Nick Baines Bishop of Leeds What is the Will of the People asks Bishop Nick at Harold Wilson Lecture
David Gillett ViaMedia.News Does the Bible Really Say…that Baptism Should be Withheld from Some People?
4 CommentsOrder Paper 6 – Tuesday 9 July morning – details of the final day’s business
Synod members’ blogs
Andrew Nunn Heading home
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap I’m going home…
0 CommentsThe Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) is responsible for providing the prime minister with the names of candidates to be diocesan bishops in the Church of England. The current rules are that the CNC must provide two names and place them in order of preference. Recent prime ministers have agreed to always submit the first name to the Queen. The second name is then only required if for some reason the first choice becomes unavailable.
But each of the two names must be supported by two-thirds of the CNC members. So if the CNC is able to agree on a first name, but not on a second it has to reconvene and start again, even though the second name is rarely required.
General Synod was therefore asked to amend its standing orders so that the Crown Nominations Commission
i) Submit one name to the Prime Minister, subject to the support of two thirds of the voting members of the Commission in a secret ballot; and
ii) May agree on a second name if they so wish, also subject to the support of two thirds of the voting members of the Commission in a secret ballot as a reserve candidate.
The submission of one name will not therefore be dependent in any way on the agreement of a second name.
Synod agreed to these changes yesterday afternoon and they will come into effect on 10 July 2019.
The first meeting to be affected by these changes will be next week. The CNC will be having its second meeting (the one at which the names are chosen) for the forthcoming vacancy at Hereford on 15/16 July 2019.
There is a paper explaining these changes in more detail: GS 2144.
34 CommentsOrder Paper 4 – Monday 8 July morning
Order Paper 5 – Monday 8 July afternoon
Order Paper 5b – Monday 8 July afternoon
Press releases from the Church of England about items from today’s business
General Synod backs expansion in new forms of church gatherings
News reports
Laura FitzPatrick The Telegraph Monks and nuns to be recognised by the Church of England for first time since Reformation
Synod members’ blogs
Andrew Nunn Cathedral-shaped church
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap I went down to the sacred store
Stephen notes that the Archbishops’ Council Annual Report is not available on the Church of England’s website. But the Council is a charity and its annual report is available here on the website of the Charity Commission.
1 CommentUpdated Monday morning
General Synod members attended the 10 am Sung Eucharist at York Minster, where the Archbishop of Canterbury preached this sermon.
Order Paper 3 – Sunday 7 July afternoon – details of the day’s business
Press releases from the Church of England about items from today’s business
Presentation from lead safeguarding bishop, Peter Hancock
Synod backs further steps towards communion with the Methodist Church
News reports
Laura FitzPatrick The Telegraph Contactless collection plates used in York Minster for the first time
John Blow Yorkshire Post Archbishop of York attends his last General Synod in the city
Madeleine Davies, Tim Wyatt and Adam Becket Church Times Bishop Hancock challenges the Synod on safeguarding
Christian Today Church of England has a ‘long way still to travel’ on safeguarding
Madeleine Davies, Tim Wyatt and Adam Becket Church Times Division over Anglican-Methodist plan prompts Synod to decelerate process
Christian Today Church of England moves towards communion with the Methodist Church
Synod members’ blogs
Andrew Nunn Cautious steps
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap Together we can make it happen; wait and see
6 CommentsUpdated Sunday morning and evening
Order Paper 2 – Saturday 6 July morning – details of the day’s business
Archbishop of York’s presidential address
Synod passed this motion on responding to serious youth violence.
That this Synod, recognizing that Serious Youth Violence affects the whole community;
a) call upon the National Church Institutions to recognize the opportunity the Church of England has to contribute to understanding of Serious Youth Violence and strategies to prevent it and to make available resources for those affected;
b) call upon Diocesan Boards of Education to recognize how the use of Exclusions impacts on serious youth violence and encourage alternative provision;
c) call upon dioceses to resource:
i) information about locally based resource and support networks, and training for church leaders in best practice for supporting those affected by Serious Youth Violence, including gun and knife crime,
ii) partnership work with statutory organizations and wider civil society to provide pastoral care for people affected by serious youth violence.
There were 315 votes in favour, none against and no recorded abstentions. None of the three amendments in the order paper were passed.
Synod is not sitting on Saturday afternoon. Instead members are invited to attend a series of seminars on The Living in Love and Faith Project and the Pastoral Advisory Group.
Update
There are two press releases from the Church of England about items from this morning’s business.
Synod unanimously backs call to act on serious youth violence
Synod votes to adopt Covenant on Clergy Care and Well-Being
Press reports
Madeleine Davies Church Times Our Church is too addicted to sound-bites, Archbishop of York tells Synod
Christian Today Church of England has become an ‘echo-chamber instead of interpreter’ on issues of human sexuality – John Sentamu
Madeleine Davies, Tim Wyatt and Adam Becket Church Times Synod votes for collaborative efforts to stem youth violence
Press Association (via the Belfast Telegraph) Church vows to play proactive role in tackling violent crime
Laura FitzPatrick The Telegraph Church of England schools urged not to expel pupils amid rise in youth violence
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Bishop calls for Church of England schools to minimise exclusions
Christian Today Church of England clergy to be offered mentoring and coaching to support improved wellbeing
Christian Today Church of England commits to doing more to stop serious youth violence
Synod members’ blogs
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap Take good care of yourself
Andrew Nunn And / Or
14 CommentsJenny Standage Women and the Church Forty years on; A Woman’s Place is in the House of Bishops
Richard Peers Quodcumque – Serious Christianity Clergy Discipline Measure – the need for total change
Martyn Percy ViaMedia.News Does the Bible Really…Advocate the “Nuclear Family”
Cornel Wilde Anglican Ink The English, the evangelicals and the elites: The school for scandals
12 CommentsOrder Paper 1 – Friday 5 July – details of the day’s business
Questions and Answers
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap I know there’s an answer
a summary of the day’s business
Christian Today Church of England schools must safeguard different views on gender and sexuality, says bishop
2 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod meets in York this weekend from today until Tuesday.
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap A bridge over troubled water
Stephen’s usual excellent introduction to this week’s business
Madeleine Davies Church Times Anglican Catholic Future raises concerns about Methodist proposals
“Conference’s backing same-sex marriage is now another issue”
[See our earlier article on this topic here.]
Synod ‘lazy and incurious’ about safeguarding scandals
Gabriella Swerling The Telegraph Church of England will condone gay couples for first time – as long as they were man and wife when they took vows
Steve Doughty Mail Online Church of England will allow husbands and wives to stay married after one changes gender, giving their blessing for same-sex marriages in major departure from traditional views
[This refers to question 86 here.]
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian C of E to recognise religious communities for first time in centuries
There are links to the Synod agenda and papers here. Synod opens at 2.30 pm today and you can view the live feed here.
0 CommentsThe booklet of Questions and Answers to be taken at the Church of England’s General Synod this weekend is now available for download. It includes both the general questions to be taken on Friday, and those regarding safeguarding to be taken on Sunday. Since the answers are published in advance neither they nor the questions will not be read out, but members will have the opportunity to ask supplementary questions.
11 CommentsDuncan Forbes Christian Today What Christians shouldn’t say in response to an abuse story
Carrie Pemberton Ford Women and the Church The Fall of the Berlin Wall, GPS and the Ordination of Women: the liberation of the Church of England? 25 years and counting
7 CommentsSylvia Keesmaat Empire Remixed What ever happened to the Bible in the Marriage Canon Debate? A Look at the Classic Texts
Meg Munn Chair of the National Safeguarding Panel Safeguarding and the Clergy Discipline Measure
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of liberalism
Hayley Matthews ViaMedia.News Does the Bible Really Say….that Families Need a “Mummy and a Daddy”?
9 Comments