Press release from the Church of England
Statement from the College & House of Bishops
13 December 2016
The College of Bishops of the Church of England met at Lambeth Palace on Monday 12th December.
The meeting began with a service of Holy Communion and reflections from the Archbishop of York. Discussions on issues of sexuality took place as part of a process of episcopal discernment which began in September and continued at the meeting of the House of Bishops in November.
The college discussed the reflections of the House from their November meeting and also received an update from the Chair of the Bishops Reflection Group on Sexuality.
As with the meeting of the College of Bishops in September and the meeting of the House of Bishops in November the discussions took place in private and participants have agreed not to comment on the contents of the meetings beyond their own views.
The Bishops agreed to consult the General Synod in February as well as updating Synod as to where their discussions had reached. More information will be available when those consultative materials have been prepared in January 2017.
The meeting closed with evening prayer and reflections from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The House of Bishops met at Lambeth Palace on Tuesday 13th December. A full and diverse agenda included substantial discussions on safeguarding, discussions on Renewal and Reform activity – including lay discipleship, simplification legislation and resourcing – and ecumenical issues as well as considerations of work with student groups.
8 CommentsUpdated 13 Dec 2016
A new edition of the Church Representation Rules of the Church of England has been published: Church Representation Rules 2017. The previous edition was dated 2011.
The rules are available online, but it should be noted that the changes made in July 2014 are not yet included there. These changes are contained in The Church Representation Rules (Amendment) Resolution 2014 (SI 2014 No. 2113). So far as I am aware these are the only changes since 2011. See second comment below for other changes.
Nearly all the changes made in 2014 related to elections to General Synod. There were also some amendments to the forms in Appendix I to make it explicit in each case that only lay persons are entitled to be entered on the church electoral roll.
28 CommentsAndrew Lightbown Renewal, Reform and the ‘resource church’
Sarah Schofield What matters most is how I read my own parish
Richard Peers Advent 2 Sermon: Renewal & Reform, Philip North and Beechgrove
Philip North Church Times Heeding the voices of the popular revolution
The Guardian view on Christianity in Britain: neither here nor there
4 CommentsMartyn Percy Understanding the Ministry of the Church Today: a lecture in honour of the late Rev’d Canon Dr Ian Tomlinson
Diana Butler Bass Washington Post Forget red and green: Make it a blue holiday instead
Justin Welby New Statesman Travelling to Pakistan, fighting face-blindness and getting cross with myself
The Archbishop of Canterbury writes The Diary.
Kelvin Holdsworth Ten Key Skills for Priestly Ministry
Colin Blakely talks to Philip Baldwin — Church of England Newspaper The campaigner who can’t stop talking about his faith
Jody Stowell ViaMedia.News A Political Advent…
Church Times Leader comment Mammon’s victims
24 CommentsJonathan Robinson ξἐνος Measuring Success or Faithfulness
Bishop James Jones delivered the The Tenth Anniversary Ebor Lecture on 23 November: A Journey around Justice.
[also available in alternative formatting here]
David Ison ViaMedia.News “Absolute is NOT fabulous!”
St Chrysostom’s Church, Manchester Bishops’ choices of funeral hymns
Nick Bundock Church Times Grief, self-criticism, and a new immanence
16 CommentsUpdated Wednesday morning to add press reports
Church of England press release
Lord Carlile named as independent reviewer in George Bell case
22 November 2016
Lord Carlile of Berriew has been named as the independent reviewer of the processes used in the Bishop George Bell case. The lessons learnt review, commissioned by the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Team, in accordance with the House of Bishops’ guidance on all complex cases, is expected to be completed by the end of the summer.
In 2015 the Bishop of Chichester issued a formal apology following the settlement of a legal civil claim regarding allegations of sexual abuse by Bishop Bell, who was Bishop of Chichester from 1929 until shortly before his death in 1958.
The aim of the review will be to look at the processes surrounding the allegations which were first brought in 1995 to the diocese of Chichester, with the same allegations brought again, this time to Lambeth Palace, in 2013. It will also consider the processes, including the commissioning of independent expert reports and archival and other investigations, which were used to inform the decision to settle the case, in order to learn lessons which can applied to the handling of similar safeguarding cases in future. The full Terms of Reference are set out below.
Lord Carlile CBE QC is a Member of the House of Lords, having served as a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament from 1983-1997. He was the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation between 2001 and 2011. He has a strong interest in cyber-related issues especially regarding National Security. (see full biography below). An executive summary of the review will be published once Lord Carlile has completed his work.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Peter Hancock, the Church of England’s lead bishop on safeguarding, said: “I am grateful to Lord Carlile for agreeing to undertake the review, which will take a detailed look into how the Church handled the George Bell case; as with all serious cases there are always lessons to be learnt. The Church of England takes all safeguarding issues very seriously and we will continue to listen to everyone affected in this case while we await the findings of the review. The diocese of Chichester continues to be in touch and offer support to the survivor known as Carol, who brought the allegations.”
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Press reports
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Church of England appoints Lord Carlile to review George Bell claim
John Bingham The Telegraph Ex-terror reviewer Lord Carlile to re-examine Bishop Bell sex abuse decision
BBC News Bishop George Bell case: Lord Carlile to lead review
Chichester Observer Top QC will review the Bishop George Bell case
30 CommentsLucy Sixsmith On learning from Nineveh
David Emmott Hard or soft?
Simon Butler ViaMedia.News Time to Cultivate Your Garden?
The atheist Derren Brown’s stage show draws heavily on religious influences. He talks to Madeleine Davies for Church Times: An illusion of miracles.
Stephen Bullivant Catholic Herald The real Blessed Lucy of Narnia was even more amazing than CS Lewis’s imagination
3 CommentsUpdated Tuesday to add the last two Percy/Hilton letters
Miranda Threlfall-Holmes Talking Jesus and the natural grammar of evangelism
Linda Woodhead ABC Religion and Ethics How the Church of England Lost the English People
David Walker ViaMedia.News “Monks & Nuns of the Marrying Kind…”
Martyn Percy and Adrian Hilton have been exchanging letters, and Hilton is publishing them on his Archbishop Cranmer blog. Here are the first four; there are two more to come all six.
Martyn Percy on Justin Welby: “there is a marked absence of salient and resonant ‘God-talk’, or any persuasive public theology”
Adrian Hilton on Justin Welby: “he is challenging the ‘principalities and powers’ of institutional existence”
Adrian Hilton: “Is Justin Welby not showing the world Jesus?”
Martyn Percy: the Church of England is being “reformed by bankers.. theology is ruthlessly excluded.. populism and narcissism are in the ascendancy”
Adrian Hilton: Would the appointment of Bishop Martyn Percy offer remedy against Justin Welby’s asserted theological ignorance?
Martyn Percy: Justin Welby “is preparing the ground for a complete volte-face on human sexuality”
The Church of England has published this open letter from William Nye to Martyn Percy in response to fourth of these letters.
46 CommentsMike Eastwood Renewal and Reform Neglecting the gifts
Martin Thomas The Spectator Vicar, will you clean my drains? — The things people ask for at an urban rectory
Andrew Lightbown R&R: it really is in the numbers!
Madeleine Davies asked five churchgoers who had not been brought up as Christians for their experiences and their advice. Church Times Faith from a standing start
Mark Hart If only the Church of England didn’t believe in genocide
Hayley Matthews Viamedia.News The Making of Beautiful Women
9 CommentsRichard Moy Tearing down the Barriers of Corporation Sole
John Wraw, Bishop of Bradwell, Is our vicar-shaped mould too middle class?
Miranda Threlfall-Holmes Infant Baptism: An Anglican Model for Same Sex Blessings?
Andrew Lightbown Getting the leverage into R&R
Madeleine Davies Church Times Making evangelism the main thing, not an optional extra
Jayne Ozanne ViaMedia.News More Tea, Vicar?
9 CommentsUpdated Friday
The Church of England has issued its Statistics for Mission 2015 today. There is no accompanying press release, but the document includes this executive summary.
2015 Church of England participation summary
Trends in participation
Update
There is now a press release, 2015 Attendance Statistics published, copied below the fold.
Hattie Williams Church Times Church has ‘a strong base to work from’ despite further fall in numbers
John Bingham The Telegraph British families only attend church at Christmas, new figures suggest
Steve Doughty Mail Online Church of England loses one in seven Sunday worshippers in just a decade as new figures confirm a steep decline in the ranks of the Anglican faith
Archdruid Eileen Liturgy of the Calculation of the Attendance Figures
More updates
Will Worley Independent Church of England loses more than 100,000 worshipers in a decade
Ruth Gledhill Christian Today Why Do People Stop Going To Church? Church of England Fails To Halt Decline
7 CommentsHarry Farley of Christian Today reports on a New Poll: Are Churches Welcoming Towards LGBT People?
The question whether gay people are accepted in church has dogged Christian leaders for decades.
But a new poll out on Thursday reveals the same proportion of people think gay people are welcome in UK churches as those who think they are unwelcome. A YouGov poll highlighted that 30 per cent of Brits believe churches are welcoming towards gay people with 33 per cent saying they are not welcoming.
Younger people were more likely to think LGBT people are unwelcome in church, with 38 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds saying churches were not hospitable to gay people and 36 per cent of 25 to 49-year-olds agreeing. Those over 60 were almost twice as likely to think the LGBT community was welcome in church than unwelcome…
The Church of England Newspaper has also looked at the poll: Public don’t believe the Church offers a welcome to all in society.
The poll was commissioned by Jayne Ozanne, who has issued this press release:
Status of established church queried as poll reveals few believe Church of England serves whole nation.
Less than half of British adults believe that the Church of England is there for everyone, with only a third of adults believing UK Christian churches are welcoming towards the LGBTI community.
A recent YOUGOV poll has shown that only 47% of British adults agree that the Church of England is there for everyone who wants to go to Church. Of equal concern is the fact that less than a third (30%) believe that Christian Churches are welcoming towards the gay, lesbian and bisexual community…
The full text of the press release is copied below the fold.
The full results of the poll can be viewed here.
37 CommentsThe Diocese of Leeds has announced today that the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Revd James Bell, is to retire on 30 April 2017.
The full text of the diocesan announcement is below the fold.
2 CommentsPaul Bayes, Bishop of Liverpool, ViaMedia.News “Calm Down Dear…” – Love and Anger
This article has attracted the attention of The Telegraph (‘Calm down, dear’: how bishops talk down to gay people – by leading bishop) and Christian Today (You Have The Right To Be Angry! Bishop Of Liverpool Advice To LGBT Christians).
Ryan Cook blogs in response.
Andrew Brown The Guardian Scepticism gets you only so far. Even nonbelievers need to have faith
Liz Clutterbuck Church Times Wanted: young women priests
Madeleine Davies Church Times Funding decision sharpens debate about the vision
23 CommentsChurch Times is running a series of articles on Renewal & Reform.
Ethnicity falls behind gender in vocations project Hattie Williams looks into the C of E’s bid to increase ordinations.
High flyers’ training proves popular but can’t escape flak Tim Wyatt discovers perceived gain and loss from the Green report’s outcome. [This one is behind the paywall.]
Shake-up in lay ministry aims to elevate the laity’s calling Hattie Williams talks to the people behind a forthcoming C of E report on leadership.
From the Church of England Communications blog
Sarah Thorpe, Dementia Support Worker for the Diocese of Lichfield, How and why to embrace those living with dementia in your church
Revd Peter Wells, Lead Chaplain at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, ‘None of us is the perfect image of God. We meet each other knowing that no one is perfect.’ How chaplains and the Mothers’ Union support dementia patients in hospital
Simon Jenkins The Guardian There is one sure way to save our ailing churches – give them away
And these letters in reply from Richard Harries, the former bishop of Oxford, and others.
Andrew Lightbown Management, Leadership, Renewal & Reform
36 CommentsThe Simplification Task Group of the Church of England’s Renewal & Reform programme has issued this account of where they got to: Simplification – the story so far, Update from the Bishop of Willesden, Chair of the Simplification Task Group.
34 CommentsThis paper, which has been approved by the Archbishops’ Council updates the Church with a summary of where we have got to on the Simplification Task Group work stream under the Renewal Reform initiative. It outlines the issues we have tackled, those areas we have declined to consider, the pieces of work that are outstanding, and the choices for a possible Phase 3. The purpose is to share what has happened as widely as possible, both because it is perfectly possible to miss changes in church legislation and therefore not be aware of the possibilities for doing things more simply, and because the Simplification Group wishes to give an account of its stewardship of the time and resources that it has consumed…
Michael Sadgrove Woolgathering in North East England Evensong
James Harper Ian Paul and moral arguments against homosexuality
Jules Middleton Dog Collar Dilemma: women’s clericals – what on earth to wear?!
Dog Collar Dilemma Part 2: Uniform vs Individual Style
Jemima Thackray Church Times Following the Quanglican way
Deacon Gill No Mention of the Diaconate
8 CommentsPress release from the Church of England
Theological review of work of Crown Nominations Commission
07 October 2016
As General Synod were advised in July 2016, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have commissioned a theological review of the work of the Crown Nominations Commission.
The group will be chaired by Professor Oliver O’Donovan FBA and the other members are:
Professor Sarah Coakley – Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity, University of Cambridge
Professor Tom Greggs – Marischal Professor of Divinity, University of Aberdeen
The Most Reverend Josiah Idowu-Fearon – Secretary General of the Anglican Communion
Professor Morwenna Ludlow – Professor of Christian History and Theology, University of Exeter
Father Thomas Seville CR – Faith and Order Commission
The Revd Dr Jennifer Strawbridge – Associate Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Oxford
The Revd Canon Dr James Walters – Chaplain and Senior Lecturer, London School of Economics
The Commission has been very active over the last few years and as it is anticipated that there will be fewer vacant sees in the near future, it is timely to review the way in which it works. The focus of the group will be to explore and provide the theological framework for the Commission as it discharges its responsibilities and to make any recommendations on process in the light of this. The group will be inviting a number of people to meet with it as well as receiving written submissions. It is very conscious of its responsibility to ensure that the full richness and diversity of Church voices are represented and starts its work this week.
It is anticipated that the group will make a report to the Archbishops who have commissioned the work. They have committed to sharing it with General Synod in 2018.
More information about the Crown Nominations Commission
15 CommentsFrom the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury appoints Adviser for Anglican Communion Affairs
Tuesday 4th October 2016
The Archbishop of Canterbury has appointed Rt Revd Anthony Poggo, currently Bishop of Kajo-Keji in South Sudan, as his new Adviser for Anglican Communion Affairs…
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0 CommentsSir Andreas Whittam Smith, First Church Estates Commissioner, announced last week that he will step down from his position in June 2017.
This week it was announced that the Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, will become the new Deputy Chair of the Church Commissioners’ Board of Governors on 1 January 2017, in succession to the Bishop of London. The appointment was made by the Archbishop of Canterbury who by arrangement appoints a deputy to attend the meetings in his place.
0 Comments