Some of the answers to questions at last week’s General Synod included detailed statistical information which was not printed in the questions and answers booklet. It was instead placed on the members’ notice board. Usually such detailed information has only been published some months later in the Report of Proceedings. This time however it has been posted on the Church of England website. Here is a list of what has now been published.
Percentage of new ordinands declaring a disability for each year since 2010
Numbers and percentages of disabled candidates attending Bishops Advisory Panels etc
Numerical breakdown of ordinands by training pathway and by diocese
Questions 19-20 Miss Debbie Buggs
Membership of the Crown Nominations Commission from January 2014
Question 43 Ven Simon Heathfield
0 Comments2017 Endowment and Glebe Assets by Diocese and Assets per Capita
Theo Hobson The Spectator How agnostics can help save the Church of England
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Overcoming conflict. Mediation and reconciliation examined.
Opinion articles relating specifically to last week’s meeting of General Synod are in my article below.
0 CommentsWATCH (Women and the Church) has published A Report on the Developments in Women’s Ministry in 2018. There are tables giving
The tables are preceded by this introduction:
In 2019 it will be:
Last updated 2 March 2019
Videos of all sessions of last week’s General Synod are available here on YouTube.
Rachel Mann looks back at the sessions: ‘In Company’ – A Few Remarkable Days at Synod
[I’ll add articles below as more are published.]
Ivan Ball The Guardian Letters Church of England bureaucracy needs an update
Zachary Guiliano The Living Church ‘The Synod for Evangelism’
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Mission & Evangelism: ecclesiology and liturgy. Reflecting on General Synod
Tim Hind Open Synod Group Overview of the Group of Sessions
William Nye The Guardian Letters Update on Church of England rules for parishes
a response to Ivan Ball’s letter by the secretary general of the Archbishops’ Council.
Meg Munn Chair of the National Safeguarding Panel My First Synod
Church Times has published its usual detailed reports on the Synod. Non-subscribers can only read a limited number of these reports.
8 CommentsUpdated 6 March
We reported on the suspension of Martyn Percy, the Dean of Christ Church Oxford, here.
Harriet Sherwood writes for The Observer this weekend that ‘Gossip and secrecy’ fuel Oxford row over suspended dean. Her article starts:
Prominent clergy linked to Oxford’s Christ Church cathedral are in revolt over a complaint against its dean which they say is “surrounded by secrecy and fuelled by gossip”.
In a row that has convulsed one of the university’s most venerable institutions, the Very Rev Martyn Percy, head of Christ Church – the college founded by Thomas Wolsey in 1546 – as well as dean of the cathedral, has been accused of “immoral, scandalous and disgraceful behaviour”. He has been suspended by the college’s governing body pending a tribunal led by a retired High Court judge later this year.
More than 30 honorary canons headed by Sue Booys, the chair of Oxford diocese house of clergy, wrote last week to Sir Andrew Smith, the former judge, to register concern about the handling of the complaint.
Their letter extolled the “dean’s personal integrity”, and criticised a “sad and cruel delay” before the college’s governing body publicly acknowledged that the unspecified charges against Percy did not relate to safeguarding issues. “The issues relating to this charge seem to be surrounded by secrecy and fuelled by gossip,” it said.
The article also states:
The college’s governing body wrote last month to alumni to say the dispute did not concern safeguarding, gender bias, access issues or the pay of academic staff: “We are not able to discuss the detailed basis of the complaint except to say that it relates to issues surrounding the dean’s own pay and how it is set.”
Update
Camilla Turner The Telegraph Oxford dean accused of trying to remove tutors from salary committee after pay rise request was refused
18 CommentsOrder papers listing the day’s business
OP6 – Order Paper VI (morning)
OP7 – Order Paper VII (afternoon)
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap Love of the common people
a summary of the final day’s business
Hattie Williams and Adam Becket Church Times Synod seeks land and fair treatment for gypsies, travellers and Roma
Izzy Lyons The Telegraph Church of England should make land available for gypsies and travellers, General Synod votes
Izzy Lyons The Telegraph Thirty six per cent of Anglican congregations have no parishioners under 16-years-old
Adam Becket and Abigail Frymann Rouch Church Times Labour and Tory parties’ internal divisions are stifling any ‘viable vision for the common good’ says General Synod
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Church of England urges five days of prayer for poor as Brexit looms
Christian Today In the face of Brexit turmoil, every church must be a peacemaker, says Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury‘s speech opening the General Synod ‘State of the Nation’ debate
Church of England press releases
General Synod speaks out against racism directed against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
Church of England commits to next generation evangelism
Church of England calls for Government action on problem gambling
State of the Nation Debate
Order papers listing the day’s business
OP4 – Order Paper IV (morning)
OP5 – Order Paper V (afternoon)
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap Listen, do you want to know a secret?
a summary of the day’s business
David Pocklington Law & Religion UK Broad Synod support for DSM environment motion
Madeleine Davies Church Times ‘Prioritise evangelism’ motion is amended to reflect Anglican breadth
Church of England press releases
Church of England steps up Environment Programme
General Synod backs plans to mobilise one million worshippers
General Synod commends resources to help families pray at home
General Synod backs drive to create new churches on estates
Martin Sewell Archbishop Cranmer ‘General Synod has no confidence in the Church of England’s capacity to regulate its own safeguarding culture’
Sara Gillingham Church Times My intersex story
“Sara Gillingham is fed up with being treated as ‘disordered'”
John Appleby Church Times Created by god male and female?
“Exposure to different experiences has led John Appleby to rethink binary gender models”
Jayne Ozanne ViaMedia.News Can It be Right That…?
4 CommentsOrder papers listing the day’s business
OP2 – Order Paper II (morning)
OP3 – Order Paper III (afternoon)
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap How many years can some people exist?
a summary of the day’s business
Tim Wyatt Church Times General Synod rebels attempt to quash wedding and funeral fees
David Pocklington Law & Religion UK Church of England Parochial Fees – Changes for 2020 to 2024
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Church of England makes Sunday services non-compulsory
“Synod approves change to ease burden on rural priests, who may have up to 20 churches”
Izzy Lyons The Telegraph Churches no longer legally required to hold service every Sunday, as Synod scraps 17th century law
BBC News Churches no longer have to hold Sunday services
Adam Becket Church Times Synod calls for C of E battle plan on homelessness
Zachary Guiliano The Living Church Synod Takes Up Poverty
Church of England press releases
General Synod approves greater service flexibility for benefices
New code of practice on ecumenical cooperation approved by General Synod
General Synod backs call for homelessness task force
Church of England launches Pastoral Principles for welcoming LGBTI+ people
The Pastoral Principles are here.
Updated late Thursday
News and comment from the opening day of the Church of England’s General Synod
OP1 – Order Paper I – lists the day’s business
Questions (and answers)
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap But when the weekend comes, she knows where we will be…
a summary of the day’s business
Archbishop of Canterbury‘s presidential address
Christian Today Archbishop of Canterbury pleads with Church factions to give up ‘cynicism’ as Synod gets underway
Archdruid Eileen Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Turn to Your Neighbour and Scream
You can watch Watch General Synod live here.
Update
Zachary Guiliano The Living Church Synod Discusses Transgender Guidance
8 CommentsLynne Cullens Some notes on class, relevance and the Church
Giles Goddard ViaMedia.News Lessons My Mother Taught Me…Like When Best to Say Nothing At All
Kelvin Holdsworth What’s in Kelvin’s Head How would you teach me to pray?
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Volunteers and Church Life
Jonathan Draper Afterthoughts Evangelism and the Five Marks of Mission
1 CommentThe Church of England’s General Synod meets in London this week from Wednesday to Saturday.
Stephen Lynas bathwellschap Ch – ch – ch – ch – ch – changes
Stephen’s usual excellent introduction to this week’s business
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Hey ho, hey ho & it’s off to synod we go
Steven Croft Bishop of Oxford Rethinking Evangelism
an (unauthorised) background paper for the General Synod.
David Pocklington Law & Religion UK Measuring the Footprint, Delivering the ambition?
“The continued debate on the London/Truro Diocesan Synod Motion”
Church Times leader Mission creeps
There are links to the Synod agenda and papers here.
23 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod will hold its Questions session on Wednesday this week, starting not later than 17:45. The questions (and their answers) have been published this morning. These questions and answers will not be read out on Wednesday, and the session will be devoted to supplementary questions and answers.
14 CommentsQuodcumque – Serious Christianity Guest Post: Consecrated celibacy – a personal journey
Sara Gillingham ViaMedia.News Dear Church – A Valentine Lesson in Love
“Sara Gillingham … raises awareness of issues faced by people born with intersex traits.”
Andrew Gray Church Times A joined-up approach to tackling homelessness
“A task force would enable better working between the Church and other agencies”
Church Times ‘Jesus holding my hand has been the most powerful force in my life’
“Two gay priests of different generations talk about the challenges that they have faced in their ministry”
Kimberly Knowle-Zeller The Episcopal Café Noticing Every Day
David Walker ViaMedia.News A Special Place in Hell….and the Road to Heaven
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Revisiting Institutional Narcissism
2 CommentsAndrew Lightbown Theore0 Talking of inclusivity, offence and rejection
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Why do Christians seem preoccupied by sex?
Ted Harrison Church Times Beware the use of banal and meaningless slogans
“Think carefully before creating one, … and make sure to avoid these common pitfalls”
Marcus Walker Catholic Herald Why Anglo-Catholicism appeals to millennials
Meg Warner ViaMedia.News Elephants, Penguins, Procreation & Japanese Knotweed
17 CommentsAndrew John, the Bishop of Bangor, Bishop Andy’s new Episcopal Letter
“I have come to believe that the Church should now fully include without distinction those who commit to permanent loving unions with a person of the same sex. I further believe that the best way to do this is for the Church to marry these people as we do with men and women.”
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Releasing the feral essence of God to flow in our beings
Ryan P Bonfiglio The Christian Century It’s time to rethink our assumptions about where theological education happens
“Until 1565, the local church was also the seminary.”
Marcus Green ViaMedia.News Living in Love & Faith – The Challenge of Getting Heard
23 CommentsTina Beardsley ViaMedia.News A Trans Priest’s Response to the “Harmful” Open Letter
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Talking of baptismal rites. It’s time for the bishops to stand firm.
Ann Reddecliffe LGBTQFaithUK Why the bishops are right.
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love On leaving in Love and Faith
Madeleine Davies interviews Paul Bayes for Church Times An interview with the Bishop of Liverpool
“Bishops are allowed to have opinions, Paul Bayes tells Madeleine Davies”
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church The John Smyth affair two years on. Has anything changed?
3 CommentsUpdated Friday evening to add press report
The second batch of papers for this month’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod have been released. I have updated my list of these papers here. There is also a press release about some of the items on the agenda which I have copied below.
Press report
There was a press briefing on the agenda this morning. Madeleine Davies writes about it for Church Times: Evangelism and estates to occupy General Synod at February meeting.
Press release
Evangelism at heart of General Synod agenda
The need to mobilise the whole Church of England to reach out to others with the Christian message is set to dominate discussions at next month’s General Synod in London.
Papers published today set out how “small behavioural changes” by the around one million people who regularly attend Church of England churches could make a “huge difference”.
0 CommentsSavi Hensman Ekklesia Welcoming transgender Christians and valuing discipleship: letter to Bishops misses the point
Rosie Harper ViaMedia.News Transphobic Letters, Mansplaining & Male Violence.
Katie Gaddini and Linda Woodhead The Conversation Brexit shines light on Church of England rift between leadership and Anglican majority
8 Comments