Press release from the Church of England
New Directors for Renewal & Reform and Evangelism & Discipleship announced
28/11/2017
The Church of England is pleased to announce the appointment of Debbie Clinton as Director of Renewal and Reform, and Dave Male as Director of Evangelism and Discipleship.
Director of Renewal and Reform
Bringing extensive experience of change management and strategic planning in both the Church and the commercial sectors Debbie will oversee and ensure the implementation of the national workstreams relating to Renewal and Reform.
Renewal and Reform is a body of work designed to enable the Church of England more effectively to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in this generation. It aims to build on the three goals articulated by General Synod in 2010 to:
1. Facilitate the growth of the church in numbers and depth of discipleship
2. Re-imagine the church’s ministry
3. Contribute as the national church to the common good
Renewal and Reform aims to address some of the deep-rooted missional challenges facing the Church of England. It prayerfully hopes to see the Church of England become once again a growing church, for all people in all places.
Debbie has held a series of strategic senior posts in the change management, marketing and customer development fields, most recently as the Director of Capital Vision at the Diocese of London and previously as a Director of Customer and Brand with Aviva working across their European businesses. Having grown up within the Church of Ireland, she currently worships at St Paul’s Howell Hill in the Diocese of Guildford.
Debbie said: “It is an enormous privilege to join in this work with Dioceses and parishes as we seek to proclaim the good news afresh in this generation and renew and reform our life in ways that further God’s kingdom. “
Debbie will be taking over from Mike Eastwood who is currently on a part-time secondment from the Diocese of Liverpool. Debbie will take up her new role early next year.
Director of Evangelism and Discipleship
The Church of England is pleased to announce the appointment of Dave Male to the new post Director of Evangelism and Discipleship.
The Archbishops’ Council has established this new team to strengthen its support for the local work of bringing people to faith, and strengthening their Christian life, in all the dioceses, parishes and other ministries of the Church.
Dave brings extensive experience of creating innovation and achievement through his work as a church leader, theological educator and national advisor. Dave will establish and lead the work of this newly formed Directorate whose task is to oversee and strengthen the work of the National Church in Evangelism and Discipleship as it contributes to the objectives of the Archbishops’ Council.
As a parish priest and pioneer minister Dave has significant experience of leading in evangelism and discipleship at local, deanery and Diocesan level. He has written many books and articles on mission, evangelism, pioneer ministry and Fresh Expressions and has spoken on these topics in the UK and across the world.
Dave said: “I am thrilled to be leading this new, exciting and dynamic team who are seeking to strengthen and develop the work of Evangelism and Discipleship through this new Directorate. This is a time of great possibilities and opportunities for us.”
Dave will take up his new post early in the New Year.
William Nye, Secretary General to the General Synod, said: “I am delighted with these two new appointments we are announcing today. The new department of Evangelism and Discipleship, and the enhanced role for a director of Renewal and Reform, are signs of the Archbishops’ Council’s commitment to spreading the Gospel and renewing the Church. We are fortunate to have attracted two excellent candidates for these important roles.
Both have contributed much to the Church already, Debbie Clinton in helping the Church’s largest diocese make reality of its Capital Vision for growth in London, and Dave Male in leading, teaching and inspiring pioneer ministers to contribute to the work of evangelism. Both Debbie and Dave have much to offer in bringing about the vision of a growing Church for all people and in all places.”
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36 CommentsIt was announced today that Adrian Greenwood will fill the place on the Archbishops’ Council vacated by Lorna Ashworth. The press release is copied below.
Procedures to fill a single casual vacancy that has arisen on the Archbishops’ Council have now been completed. Mr Adrian Greenwood has been duly elected. He joins Canon Mark Russell who continues to serve his term as the other elected lay member of the Archbishops’ Council.
In accordance with the Standing Orders relating to elections by Houses of the General Synod, the election was conducted by recounting the voting papers for the previous election from the House of Laity to the Council, which took place in February 2016. Only candidates in that election who remained qualified for election and consented to serve were eligible for election. Adrian Greenwood joins the Archbishops’ Council with immediate effect.
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Cathedrals attract record numbers at Christmas
09 November 2017
Christmas attendance at services in cathedrals last year reached its highest figure since records began, statistics published today show. A one year rise of 5%, meant that 131,000 people came to cathedrals to worship last Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Increased attendances were also recorded at services in Advent with 635,000 coming to worship during the busy pre-Christmas build-up. Average weekly attendances at services on a Sunday also increased to 18,700.
Meanwhile, over 10 million people visited cathedrals and Westminster Abbey with half donating or paying for entry.
The Rt Revd John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, and lead bishop for cathedrals and church buildings, said: “Behind these figures lie stories of worship, learning, exploring faith and spirituality and encountering God at times of joy and despair.
“Through new forms of worship, bringing people of all faiths and none together, and serving the young and old alike, these amazing places continue to be at the heart of national life.”
Life events including baptisms, memorial services, marriages and blessings of marriage all remained steady in numbers with some, including baptism, seeing modest increases.
Cathedrals continued to be centres of civic life, with 1.2 million people reported at 6,000 civic services and events. In 2016, 295,000 people attended 280 graduation ceremonies.
Becky Clark, Director of Churches and Cathedrals, said: “These statistics show the enduring appeal of cathedrals as places of worship, pilgrimage, and tourism.
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Cathedrals are holding increasingly diverse services to reach out to people.
In 2016 there were 16,500 Fresh Expression services, a 12% increase since 2013.
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Some 310,000 young people also attended cathedrals through special educational visits, a rise of 10% since 2006.
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Notes to Editors
The Cathedral Statistics 2016 report can be found here.
Fresh Expressions are new church communities and congregations that practice church in new ways to reach new people.
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Dean of Peterborough: Christopher Charles Dalliston
From:Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published:1 November 2017
The Very Reverend Christopher Charles Dalliston has been appointed as Dean of Peterborough.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Very Reverend Christopher Charles Dalliston, MA, Dean of Newcastle in the Diocese of Newcastle, to be appointed to the Deanery of the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, Peterborough, on the resignation of the Very Reverend Charles William Taylor, MA, on 6 October 2016.
Further information
The Very Reverend Christopher Dalliston, (aged 61) studied modern History at Peterhouse Cambridge and Theology at Oxford where he trained for the ministry at St Stephen’s House.
He served his title at Halstead in Chelmsford Diocese from 1984 to 1987, before becoming the Bishop of Chelmsford’s Domestic Chaplain from 1987 to 1991. From 1991 to 1995 he was Vicar of St Edmund Forest Gate in Chelmsford Diocese.
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Christopher is married to Michelle who is also ordained. He has four adult children: Alex, Tom, Georgie and Bella. His interests include poetry, music and all things Italian. He is a life-long supporter of Norwich City Football Club.
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16 CommentsChurch of England press release
Director of Communications appointed
23 October 2017
The Church of England is pleased to announce the appointment of Tashi Lassalle as Director of Communications.
Bringing extensive experience of leading communications and marketing teams in the financial and professional services sectors, both in the UK and overseas, Tashi will oversee the work of the Church of England’s communications department, working across traditional media, digital platforms and publishing.
Based at Church House, Westminster, the department serves the Archbishops’ Council, the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board as well as working closely with Lambeth and Bishopthorpe Palaces, bishops’ offices, dioceses and cathedrals.
Tashi, 39, has held a series of senior posts in the brand and marketing fields, most recently as Head of Communications and Marketing for Lloyd’s of London and previously as Head of Communications at Actis, the private equity firm. She has lived and worked in the US and Denmark as well as London.
She came to faith as a student at Cambridge. She worships at St Mary’s, Long Ditton in Surrey.
She said: “The Church of England makes a unique contribution to the spiritual, cultural and social fabric of this country.
“It has a bright and vibrant future.
“It’s a great privilege to take up this position.
“I look forward to serving and enabling the life changing vocation of the Church’s diverse ministry and mission.”
William Nye, Secretary General to the General Synod, said: “We are very glad to welcome Tashi Lassalle to the post of Communications Director for the Church of England’s national institutions.
“She combines a personal commitment to the mission of the Church with wide professional experience in a range of sectors.
“She will help us build on the existing strengths of our communications effort across multiple channels, recently recognised in awards for our digital evangelism campaigns.”
The Bishop of Norwich, Graham James, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Tashi to her new appointment.
“Her experience and imagination will be a huge asset to the Church of England in its task of proclaiming the gospel in an age of social media.
“She knows the scale of the challenge and I wish her well in all that lies ahead.”
Notes to Editors
Tashi will take up the post in early November 2017.
A photograph is available here.
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43 CommentsThe Church of England released its Statistics for Mission 2016 and this report on its digital reach this week. There is also a press release which is copied below the fold.
Also released this week is Finance Statistics 2015.
Church Times reporters write about these reports:
Madeleine Davies Too few children in too many pews, latest C of E mission statistics warn
Tim Wyatt Church of England reaching more people online than ever before
Tim Wyatt Good news and bad news on parish finances, statistics show
Olivia Rudgard writes for The Telegraph: Church of England reaches more on social media than in services.
Links to statistics for earlier years can be found here.
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