Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Fifty years on – the new Co-ordinating Group meets for the first time
Noel Chavasse was the only man to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice during the First World War. Crispin Pailing celebrates his life and faith. Church Times He who would true valour see …
20 CommentsDan Ennis The Episcopal Café An Open Letter to UK Anglicans — in response to the news of ACNA’s consecration of a bishop for missionary work in the United Kingdom and Europe
Eve Poole Koomi of Smale
Tim Stratford One way of looking at things… Churches – what are they for?
St Chrysostom’s Church News and Views Bishop’s head dress – a contribution to a debate
3 CommentsFred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Anglican Journal Good disagreement
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of the wonderful old writers; in search of the significant
Richard Blackledge of The Star interviews Pete Wilcox: The new Bishop of Sheffield on women priests, the church’s big challenges – and why his wife’s books aren’t ‘raunchy’
Stephen Croft, Bishop of Oxford, Artificial Intelligence: a guide to the key issues
15 CommentsKelvin Holdsworth Thurible To be an Episcopalian is not to be respectable
Zac Koons The Living Church Priests are not paid to do anything
Ben Witherington patheos St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Jonathan Swift
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin
Mark Woods Christian Today Does your church need a mission statement? Why you’re better off without one
Julian Francis Church Times Facing uncomfortable truths about race
Ruth Harley … because God is love “Jesus isn’t white” – 5 ways to make your children’s and youth ministry less racist
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of faith, speaking of inclusion
37 CommentsPaul Bayes Huffington Post UK The Life And Death Divide Which Shames Our Nation
This refers to this research report North-South disparities in English mortality1965–2015: longitudinal population study by Iain E Buchan, Evangelos Kontopantelis, Matthew Sperrin, Tarani Chandola, Tim Doran.
Nicola Davis writes about the report for The Guardian ‘Alarming’ rise in early deaths of young adults in the north of England – study
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The growing conflict between Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience
27 CommentsFrancis Young Negotiating the ‘A’ word in historical writing about the Church of England
Tiffer Robinson Psephizo Is Philip North right about the Church and the poor?
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of wealth and poverty; in praise of Philip North
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley If Clergy Ads Told the Full Story
5 CommentsKelvin Holdsworth thurible Should straight people be allowed to get married – a sermon preached on 30 July 2017
Stanley Hauerwas ABC Religion and Ethics Why Bonhoeffer Matters: The Challenge for Christian Ministry at the End of Christendom
Paul Bayes The Bishop of Liverpool’s speech to marchers at Liverpool Pride last Saturday [four minute video]
Philip North Hope for the Poor – the Bishop of Burnley’s talk to the New Wine ‘United’ Conference 2017
Reports of the talk include:
Madeleine Davies Church Times There’s a future for the Church if Evangelicals put the poor first, Bishop North tells New Wine
Anglican Communion News Service Bishop says that the Church has forgotten the poor.
Olivia Rudgard The Telegraph Bishop: Church ‘abandons’ the poor because clergy won’t leave middle-class areas with trendy coffee shops.
Rachel Marszalek Church Times Don’t jump off the mother ship — there’s work to do
52 CommentsCharles Clapham pneuma Summer reading
“twelve of my favourite novels on or about religion, from the sublime to the ridiculous”
Jonathan Clatworthy Château Clâteau The Parable of the Mustard Shrub
Some responses to the Archbishops’ statement
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Talking of sin
Michael Sadgrove Woolgathering in North East England After the Act – 50 Years On
George Reeves Faithful Sceptic 50 years legal: what the Archbishops should have said
Ian Paul Christian Today A lot of people are upset by the Archbishops’ latest on gays: Here’s why
Robin Ward Reaction The Church and gay marriage: a complicated relationship
Henry Ratter Church Times Wanted: clergy who can lead collaboratively
This isn’t new, but I’ve only just seen it.
James Alexander Cameron Stained Glass Attitudes Top 10 wrongs about parish churches
Updated Friday
The counts for the elections of the central members of the Crown Nominations Commission took place today. Those elected were:
House of Laity
Mr Anthony Archer (St Albans)
Ms Christina Baron (Bath and Wells)
Ms Jane Patterson (Sheffield)
House of Clergy
The Revd John Dunnett (Chelmsford)
The Very Revd David Ison (Deans)
The Revd Canon Dr Judith Maltby (Universities & TEIs)
These elected members of the CNC will serve from 1 September 2017 to 31 August 2022.
The next appointment to be considered by the CNC is the Bishop of London, with meetings on 27 Sept, 7 Nov and 28/29 Nov 2017.
These results have so far only publicly appeared on social media, but I am confident that they are correct. I have seen a copy of the result sheet for the House of Laity election. The official results, with links to the results sheets, should appear here in due course.
Update
The result sheets for these elections have now been posted here; they confirm the names of those elected as listed above.
56 CommentsThe Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued this joint statement today.
Joint Statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York
Thursday 27th July 2017
A statement on the 50th Anniversary of the Act of Parliament passed in 1967 which decriminalised homosexual acts in our Country
Today is the 50th Anniversary of the Act of Parliament passed in 1967 which decriminalised homosexual acts in our Country. The Church of England, led by Archbishop Ramsey, was supportive of the Sexual Offences Act.
In January 2016 the majority of the leading Archbishops of the whole global Anglican Communion – almost 80 million people in 165 countries – confirmed the longstanding view of the Communion that diminishing and criminalising homosexual people is wrong.
The Church, not just the Church of England, but all those who follow Jesus Christ and whose lives are committed to his worship and service, has very often been defined by what it is against. It has condemned many things, and continues to do so, very often correctly, for example when they involve the abuse of the poor, or the weak, or the marginalised.
The Church is called more to be identified by what it loves, most of all by its pointing to Jesus Christ, not merely by what it condemns. Many people who have nothing to do with the institutional church and who seldom, if ever, attend it, nevertheless see in Jesus Christ someone of startling and extraordinary attraction. Many homosexual people follow Christ, drawn to him by his love and his outstretched arms welcoming all those who turn to him.
One of the things he said has been much on our minds recently: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
There is no human being to whom this does not apply. Every single one of us needs to lay our burdens on Jesus. For every single one of us, the burden that is most onerous, most difficult to bear, is the burden of what the Bible calls our sin, our failure to live as we ought, our continued falling short of the mark. It is the universal characteristic of being human that we are sinners.
Sin is not a characteristic of a particular group of people Sin is the same for all of us. And the challenge to take onto ourselves the obligation to be yoked with Christ, to bear the load he gives us, is the same for all of us.
This day of anniversary of the 1967 Act is one when the Church in this land should be conscious of the need to turn away from condemnation of people as its first response. When we rightly celebrate what happened 50 years ago today, we do so best by turning to him and saying, “Yes, we take your yoke on our shoulders with you”.
It is summed up wonderfully in a poem by Ann Lewin, a Christian poet, which has been quoted several times recently:
“The Yoke is easy, but it’s still
A yoke, smooth-shaped for work.
We chafe and struggle,
Longing to be free, yet
Double-yoked with
Christ who takes the strain,
The burden is not less, but light,
Weight redistributed for ease.”
(‘Job share’ in Watching for the Kingfisher: Poems and prayers, Ann Lewin)
63 CommentsThe Bishop of Bradwell, the Right Reverend John Wraw, died peacefully in his sleep at home in the early hours of 25 July 2017. The Diocese of Chelmsford has issued this tribute.
May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
2 CommentsKaren Pollock The Queerness The General Synod and a curate’s egg of protection for LGBTQ+ people
“Whilst welcoming the agreement cis LGB people should be protected from the harms of conversion therapy, Karen Pollock questions why the Church of England does not extend the same protections to trans people.”
Richard Peers Quodcumque Amazing Grace: Sarah Coakley on women priests and same sex marriage
David Ison Inclusive Church 2017 Lecture “Including the Exclusive: How liberal Can you be?”
52 minute video
pdf of the text
The detailed voting lists for the electronic votes at this month’s General Synod are now available here. They include these:
Item 12 — Conversion Therapy
Item 55 — Amendment to Item 12 (Doherty Amendment)
Item 56 — Amendment to Item 12 (Harrison Amendment)
Item 57 — Amendment to Item 56 (Baron Amendment)
Item 58 — Amendment to Item 12 (Dotchin Amendment)
Item 13 — Welcoming Transgender People
Item 59 — Amendment to Item 13 (Land Amendment)
The texts of all the above items are included in the voting lists. They are also in my summaries of Saturday’s and Sunday’s business.
Conversion Therapy [scroll down]
Welcoming Transgender People
Also available is Business Done for the July 2017 group of sessions.
12 CommentsDean of Peterborough: Timothy Kitson Sledge
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Theresa May MP Published: 18 July 2017
Reverend Canon Timothy Charles Kitson Sledge has been appointed Dean of Cathedral Church, Peterborough.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Timothy Charles Kitson Sledge, MA, Vicar of Romsey and Area Dean in the Diocese of Winchester, 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.
Background information
Reverend Canon Tim Sledge, (aged 53) studied Music at Ripon and York St John’s College then studied at York University for his MA. He studied for ordination at Trinity College, Bristol. His first curacy was at Huddersfield, in Wakefield Diocese from 1995 to 1998 before becoming Vicar at Luddenden with Luddenden Foot in Wakefield Diocese from 1998 to 2003.
In addition, from 2002 to 2003 he was Priest-in-Charge at Sowerby in the Diocese of Wakefield. From 2003 to 2008 he was Diocesan Missioner Enabler in the Diocese of Peterborough. Since 2008 he has been Vicar of Romsey in the Diocese of Winchester and since 2013 Area Dean. He is an Honorary Canon at Winchester Cathedral.
He has written and contributed to several books including Youth Emmaus and Mission Shaped Parish. He also wrote Creative Communion (BRF 2008) and contributed to Daily Reflections for Common Worship (Canterbury Press 2015).
Tim is Chairman of the Young Vocations Strategy Group for the Church of England, is a trustee of Triangulate – a Romsey Mental Health Charity, and has strong links with the Anglican Province of Burundi.
Tim is married to Caroline, and has two stepchildren, Grace (20) and Matt (18).
He enjoys cooking, poetry, golf and the arts, attending concerts and visiting art galleries.
2 CommentsDavid Walker ViaMedia.News Speak Clearly After the Tone…
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Radical Christian inclusion and transformation
Church Times Leader Comment No magic wand
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of culture, speaking of tradition
Jamie McLoughlin Liverpool Echo OPINION: The Bishop of Liverpool’s patronage of Pride is HUGE for this city
Peter Selby Church Times Hearing the cries of the abused
22 CommentsAndrew Lightbown Theore0 Why I will continue to wear vestments
James Hadley Pray Tell #MitreGate: And the End of Vestments
Tina Beardsley The Guardian The church’s trans epiphany will ease the way for others like me
Paul Bayes Conversion therapy [speech to General Synod]
Christopher Lowson Bishop of Lincoln welcomes General Synod vote against conversion therapy
Susan Russell An Inch At A Time: Reflections on the Journey Celebrating with the CofE & Reprising “An Ontological Argument”
Kelvin Holdsworth thurible The Scottish Episcopal Church Option
This week, the Archbishops of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia released the interim report of the working group seeking structural arrangements to allow people who hold differing convictions about the blessing of same-sex relationships to remain within the church. These two articles look at the recommendations:
Bosco Peters Liturgy Blessing Same-Gender Couples
Peter Carrell Anglican Down Under Beautiful Anglican Accommodation – Down Under’s Way Forward
Suffragan Bishop of Loughborough: Reverend Gulnar Francis-Dehqani
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published: 11 July 2017The Queen has approved the appointment of the Reverend Canon Gulnar Eleanor Francis-Dehqani to the Suffragan See of Loughborough.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Gulnar Eleanor Francis-Dehqani, MA, PhD, Curate Training Officer and Advisor for Women’s Ministry in the Diocese of Peterborough and Canon at Peterborough Cathedral, to the newly created Suffragan See of Loughborough, in the Diocese of Leicester.
Background notes
Reverend Canon Dr Gulnar (Guli) Francis-Dehqani is aged 51. Originally from Iran, she has been in this country since the age of 14. She studied at Nottingham University for her BA in music, and then at Bristol University for her MA and PhD in theology. After working as a Studio Manager and Producer at BBC Radio, she trained for ordination at the South East Institute for Theological Education from 1995 to 1998.
Guli was Curate at Mortlake with East Sheen in Southwark Diocese from 1998 to 2002 before joining the University of London Chaplaincy team as Chaplain to the Royal Academy of Music and St Marylebone C of E Secondary School from 2002 to 2004. She resigned from stipendiary ministry in 2004 to raise her children, and held Permission to Officiate in the Diocese of Peterborough whilst also continuing to write, speak and lead retreats. After completing a one year project at the University of Northampton Interfaith Chaplaincy, in 2011 Guli took up her current role as Curate Training Officer for the Diocese of Peterborough and was additionally appointed Adviser for Women’s Ministry in 2012. She has been on General Synod since 2012 and an honorary Canon at Peterborough Cathedral since 2016.
Guli is married to Canon Lee Francis-Dehqani, currently Team Rector of Oakham and Rural Dean of Rutland. They have 3 children aged 17 and twins of 12.
Her interests include Persian culture and cooking, all kinds of music, reading, especially contemporary fiction, walking the dog, entertaining and spending time with family and friends.
From the Leicester diocesan website: Persian woman appointed as first Bishop of Loughborough
Dr Francis-Dehqani will be consecrated on Thursday 30 November.
15 CommentsUpdated Tuesday morning and afternoon
Cost of Applying for Citizenship
The final day’s business started with a debate on this diocesan synod motion from Birmingham.
That this Synod:
(a) request the Archbishops’ Council’s Mission and Public Affairs Council to investigate the issues around the cost of applying for citizenship and to make recommendations to HM Government;
(b) encourage the Lords Spiritual actively to seek opportunities to address the level of citizenship fees in debate;
(c) urge parishes to raise the issue with their MP; and
(d) encourage parishes to continue to support those known to them who are struggling with the cost of citizenship fees without incurring debt and to signpost responsible lenders or local credit unions for advice.
The motion was carried by 310 votes to nil, with no recorded abstentions.
Official press release: Synod debates cost of applying for citizenship
Final approval of Amending Canon No 36
(Of the vesture of ordained and authorized ministers during the time of divine service)
This amending canon basically permits clergy to dispense with traditional vestments. It was given final approval. For this a two-thirds majority in each house was required.
bishops: 18 for, 3 against, 0 recorded abstentions
clergy: 104 for, 5 against, 4 recorded abstentions
laity: 116 for, 8 against, 7 recorded abstentions
The canon now requires the royal assent before it can come into effect.
Draft Amending Canon No 37
(Of the burial of the dead)
This amending canon allows clergy to use the standard funeral service for those who have taken their own life. It was given final approval. For this a two-thirds majority in each house was required.
bishops: 21 for, 0 against; 0 recorded abstentions
clergy: 125 for, 0 against, 1 recorded abstentions
laity: 132 for, 1 againts, 0 recorded abstentions
The canon now requires the royal assent before it can come into effect.
In the afternoon there was a presentation on the annual report of the Archbishops’ Council (GS 2058). This was followed by the Council’s budget and proposals for apportionment for 2018 (GS 2076), which were approved.
And finally Synod said farewell to the Bishop of Bristol and the Bishop at Lambeth, who are both retiring later in the year.
Press reports etc
Madeleine Davies and Hattie Williams Church Times Synod voices dismay at high cost of citizenship
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Clergy to ditch their robes in further sign of dress-down Britain
Olivia Rudgard The Telegraph Clergy can dress down after church votes to let them ditch vestments
Stephen Lynas files his last report from Synod: bathwellschap Good times, better times
This ends with an overview of the whole four days. casino utbetalning 15 min
Updated Monday
A week ago we linked to an Archbishop Cranmer blog with cover-up allegations against bishops.
Since then these articles have appeared.
The first article on a new blog Sea of Complicity: Reflections of CofE Abuse Survivor: CofE & Insurance affiliation
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Clerical abuse survivors step up call for accountability
This morning’s Radio4 Sunday programme carried interviews with Matt Ineson and the Bishop of Oxford (starting at 30 and 38 minutes respectively).
Update
Yim Wyatt and Gavin Drake Church Times Clergy abuse survivor demands bishops resign in York Minster Synod protest
[This also covers the Radio4 interviews.]