Thinking Anglicans

Church Commissioners results for 2017

The Church Commissioners have released their annual report for 2017 this morning, along with this press release:

Church Commissioners for England announce return of 7.1% on investments for 2017 and forecast muted earnings in medium term

The full press release is copied below the fold, but it starts with these highlights:

  • Investable assets increase in 2017 to £8.3bn from £7.9bn in 2016.
  • Financial support by the Commissioners totalled (excluding pensions) £144 million with Commissioners continuing to account for approximately 15% of the Church’s overall mission and ministry costs.
  • Church Commissioners prepare for outlook of higher interest rates, higher volatility and lower returns than recent years.

Hattie Williams has written in detail about the report for Church Times: Church Commissioners remain bountiful despite large drop in investment returns

The full report, and a summary review, are available for download.
Church Commissioners Annual Report 2017
Church Commissioners Annual Review 2017

(more…)

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Opinion – 12 May 2018

Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Talking of ‘thy kingdom come.’

Meg Warner ViaMedia.News Trauma, Churches & People’s Rites

Richard Kellow Church Times Questions for Fresh Expressions
“The closure of a pioneer ministry prompts searching observations from Richard Kellow”

Malcolm Brown Church Times Society needs us to be Anglican, not sectarian
“The C of E’s ability to hold together different points of view has much to teach politicians, says Malcolm Brown”

Peter Hitchens First Things Latimer and Ridley are forgotten
“A Protestant understanding of England’s Martyrs”

8 Comments

Emma Ineson to be next Bishop of Penrith

Press release from Number 10

Queen approves appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Penrith
Reverend Dr Emma Gwynneth Ineson, BA, MPhil, PhD, is nominated to the Suffragan See of Penrith.

Published 9 May 2018
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Dr Emma Gwynneth Ineson, BA, MPhil, PhD, Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, to the Suffragan See of Penrith, in the Diocese of Carlisle in succession to the Right Reverend Robert John Freeman, BSc, MA, who resigned on the 5 April 2018.

Carlisle diocesan announcement: The Rev’d Dr Emma Ineson named as new Bishop of Penrith
This states that Dr Ineson will be consecrated on 27 February 2019.

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Opinion – 9 May 2018

Ian Gomersall St Chrysostom’s Church News and Views Visiting the Archbishop of Canterbury

Giles Goddard ViaMedia.News Nye Letter & The Silencing of Debate

Mark Harris Preludium GAFCON alternative universe expands

Martyn Percy Modern Church The Church of England: Mission and Ministry after the Decade of Evangelism
There is a summary here. The full text of the article can only be found by following the link at the end of the summary.

6 Comments

Tim Stratford to be next Dean of Chester

Press release from Number 10

Dean of Chester
The Venerable Timothy Richard Stratford, BSc, PhD, Archdeacon of Leicester is nominated to be appointed Dean of the Cathedral Church of Chester.

Published 9 May 2018
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Timothy Richard Stratford, BSc, PhD, Archdeacon of Leicester in the Diocese of Leicester, to be appointed Dean of the Cathedral Church of Chester, following the resignation of the Very Reverend Gordon Ferguson McPhate, MB, CHB, MA, MD, MSc, MTh, on 30 September 2017.

Notes for editors

The Venerable Dr Timothy Stratford is aged 57. He studied at York University for his BSc and also at Sheffield University for his PhD. He trained for the ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford in 1983. He served his title as a Curate at Mossley Hill in Liverpool diocese from 1986 to 1989 and then as Curate from 1989 to 1991 at St Helen, St Helens. From 1991 to 1994 he was the Bishop of Liverpool’s Domestic Chaplain. He was Vicar at West Derby from 1994 to 2003. From 2003 to 2012 he was Team Rector at Kirkby in Liverpool diocese. Since 2012 he has been Archdeacon of Leicester. He has served the national church as a member of General Synod for fifteen years and the Liturgical Commission for ten years. He has written and edited a number of books and booklets focusing mainly on contextually dependent worship and mission. His PHD was awarded in 2009 for a study of the mid-Victorian Slum Priest Ritualists.

Timothy is married to Jen and they have 3 children and one grandson. His interests include photography, cycling and music.

Chester Diocesan announcement: New Dean of Chester Cathedral Announced

The new dean blogs: A new place to call home

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Opinion – 5 May 2018

Martin Sewell Archbishop Cranmer Why is the General Synod of the Church of England so poor at holding Bishops to account?

Andy Salmon Are the Evangelicals taking over the Church of England? Only if the rest of the Church give up!

James Alexander Cameron Stained Glass Attitudes Why are some churches locked?

Robert Beaken Church Times It is time to rethink the purpose of godparents
“Canon law is out of step with parish reality”

Sam Wells Church Times What does it mean to be a godparent? Singing God’s song when your godchild forgets how it goes
“In his introduction to a collection of letters written to his son by Stanley Hauerwas, his son’s godfather, Sam Wells, reflects on what it means to be a godparent”

34 Comments

Bishop of Jarrow to retire

Mark Bryant, the suffragan Bishop of Jarrow in the Diocese of Durham, has announced that he will retire in October 2018.

Bishop of Jarrow to retire at next birthday

1 Comment

Opinion – 2 May 2018

Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley The Real Takeover of the Church of England

Jenny Humphreys Women And The Church Changing the Culture of the Church of England

Anna Norman-Walker ViaMedia.News Windrush & Rudd: When “They” Are “Us”!

Victoria Stock pisky.scot My Family

30 Comments

Opinion – 28 April 2018

Angela Tilby Church Times Deliver us from the Evangelical takeover

David Goodhew The Living Church Lambeth 2020 and the Growth of Asian Anglicanism
An earlier article looked at Lambeth 2020 and African Anglicanism

Edward Dowler Church Times State-owned churches are not the answer, Sir Simon
“The cold hand of secular authority cannot replace the stewardship of a living, breathing community”

42 Comments

Opinion – 25 April 2018

Paul Bayes ViaMedia.News “Do as we say” or “Do as we do”?

Jon White The Episcopal Café Do priests and pastors need an office?

Pierre Whalon Anglican Communion News Service Living with Laïcité

2 Comments

Opinion – 21 April 2018

Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of being senior
The theopolitics of disassociation

Gilo Surviving Church Society for the Protection of Bishops – Gilo’s response
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Honesty and integrity in the Church – a response to Gilo

Mark Clavier The Living Church Morning Diary of a Cathedral Canon

Lorraine Cavanagh ViaMedia.news IICSA – Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Marcus Green The Possibility of Difference Ethical Leadership

2 Comments

Opinion – 18 April 2018

Simon Butler ViaMedia.News After IICSA: Facing Up to Clericalism

Richard Peers Quodcumque “Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?” : my life in two rituals

Gerald McDermott Patheos Why do Anglicans say they walk a Via Media?

Jonathan Arnold The Spectator The joy of evensong

21 Comments

Opinion – 14 April 2018

In Christian Today Paul Richardson writes Senior clergy don’t need MBAs to deal with abuse
and Linda Woodhead responds Yes, theologies of forgiveness and confession have played a role in Church abuse and cover up

David Walker ViaMedia.News Challenging APCMs?

Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Too much sin and guilt, not enough forgiveness?

John Thomson Church Times Rural churches are open and here to stay
“Mission matters in the countryside — and the Church’s efforts can have a greater impact there than in the city”

The Hobson The Spectator Holy snowflakes: why young believers need to accept faith is controversial
“Are millennial churchgoers trying to make the church a safe space?”

Jonathan Draper Afterthoughts Doing theology in La La Land

39 Comments

Opinion – 11 April 2018

Rosie Harper ViaMedia.News Are We in Love with Sin?

Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Self-examination and self-knowledge – missing essentials from the IICSA hearings

Andrew Brown The Guardian The NHS’s new humanist chaplain is a welcome sign of our shifting spirituality
“Formal religious belief may be falling off, but the need for ritual to mark major life events is still strong”

6 Comments

Opinion – 7 April 2018

Jeremy Morris Viamedia.News IICSA – Is Clericalism to Blame?

Stephen Parsons Surviving Church A response to Martin Warner on Safeguarding
[We linked to Martin Warner’s article yesterday.]

Wealands Bell Preaching in red ink

12 Comments

Opinion – 4 April 2018

Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Simon Jenkins Writes Drivel
Jules Middleton apples of gold In Defence of the Church – a response to Simon Jenkins…

David Ison ViaMedia.News The Challenge of Harmonious Difference

Two more primatial Easter messages
Primus Mark Strange
Moderator Thomas K Oommen
[These have all been taken from the list compiled by the Anglican Communion News Service]

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Opinion – 31 March 2018 – Easter Eve

Markus Dünzkofer pisky.scot The Eucharist is a dangerous thing

Ben Pugh Church Times Ransom, substitute, scapegoat, God: is there one doctrine of the atonement?
“No, there are only theories”

Rosie Harper ViaMedia.News Apologies, Forgiveness and IICSA

Editorial The Guardian view on Easter: it would take a miracle

The Guardian Good Friday around the world – in pictures

Simon Jenkins The Guardian Happy Easter to you. Now let’s nationalise our churches
“Church buildings should revert to places of congregation, comfort and enterprise – through liberation from the church”

More primatial Easter messages
Archbishop John Davies
Archbishop Stanley Ntagali
Archbishop Fred Hiltz
Archbishop James Wong
Archbishop Paul Kwong
Archbishop Moon Hing

38 Comments

Opinion – 28 March 2018

Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Janet Fife’s Letter – some reflections

Martin Sewell Archbishop Cranmer In Holy Week we should hold our Archbishops’ feet to the fire

Some Primatial Easter messages
Archbishops Richard Clarke and Eamon Martin
Archbishop Philip Freier
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

Ally Barrett Reverend Ally First time in church?

James Eglinton The Herald Kirk should not be debasing the act of giving

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Nicholas Papadopulos to be next Dean of Salisbury

Press release from Number 10

Queen approves appointment of Dean of Salisbury: 27 March 2018
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Nicholas Charles Papadopulos to the Deanery of Salisbury.

Published 28 March 2018
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Nicholas Charles Papadopulos, MA, Canon Treasurer of Canterbury Cathedral and Director of Initial Ministerial Education 2 in the Diocese of Canterbury, to be appointed to the Deanery of Salisbury, following the resignation of the Very Reverend June Osborne, BA, on 14 July 2017.

The Reverend Canon Nicholas Papadopulos is aged 51. He studied History at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and Law at City University, London. He was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 1990 and practised at the criminal Bar for seven years. He trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon, and subsequently studied for his MA at King’s College, London. He served his title as Assistant Curate at St Mark Portsea in the Diocese of Portsmouth from 1999 to 2002. From 2002 to 2007 he was Senior Chaplain and Press Officer to the Bishop of Salisbury, and from 2007 to 2013 Vicar of Pimlico St Peter with Westminster Christ Church (St Peter’s Eaton Square) in the Diocese of London. Since 2013 he has been Canon Treasurer at Canterbury Cathedral and Director of Initial Ministerial Education 2 in the Diocese of Canterbury.

32 Comments

Simon Burton-Jones to be next Bishop of Tonbridge

Press release from Number 10

Nomination of Suffragan Bishop of Tonbridge: 27 March 2018

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Simon David Burton-Jones to this post.

Published 27 March 2018
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Simon David Burton-Jones, MA, BTh, Archdeacon of Rochester, in the Diocese of Rochester, to the Suffragan See of Tonbridge, in the Diocese of Rochester. He succeeds the Right Reverend Brian Colin Castle, MA, PhD, who resigned on the 30 November 2015.

That’s the press release in full. There are more details on the Rochester diocesan website: New Bishop of Tonbridge Announced.

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