The Church of England has released its Ministry Statistics 2016, and an accompanying press release which is copied below. There is also a fact sheet on the number of ordinands entering training this year.
Number of women in ordained ministry at record high
27 September 2017
The number of people entering training to become priests in the Church of England is at the highest level for a decade with women making up more than half the total, according to new figures released today.
A total of 544 men and women are starting training for ordained ministry this autumn (known as ordinands), an increase of 14% on last year and the highest figure for 10 years, according to statistics from the Ministry Division of the Church of England.
Women make up more than half of those entering training, or 274 ordinands, the biggest intake of female ordinands for a decade, and an increase of 19% compared to last year. At the same time, the number of younger ordinands, in the under 32 age group, rose by nearly two fifths, and now accounts for 28% of the total.
22 CommentsAndy Hill Metro I’m an atheist who goes to church – here’s why you should too
Scott Cowdell ABC Religion and Ethics Gender and Identity: Freeing the Bible from Modern Western Anxieties
Tony Payne ABC Religion and Ethics Is There Moral Truth Out There? A Response to Scott Cowdell on Gender and Identity
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love ‘Feeling’ and ‘knowing’ – David Jenkins’ Guide to the Debate about God
Alister McGrath ABC Religion and Ethics Is God a Figment of Our Imagination? On Certainty, Scepticism and the Limits of Proof
[Professor McGrath is giving a public lecture, C. S. Lewis for Today: Making Sense of Faith and Culture, in Liverpool on 25 October 2017. Details are here.]
Mark Clavier The Living Church The Sea Change: Reflections of a Former Theological Educator
Giles Goddard ViaMedia.News Loyalty and Obsession
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of ordination, speaking of good will
Jesse Zink Church Times Born in discord, striving for harmony
Janet Traill explains the Colenso affair, which was the trigger for the first Lambeth Conference: Church Times A question of authority
29 CommentsLast Friday’s Church Times carried a news item by Madeleine Davies headlined Clergy living comfortably, long-term Living Ministry study suggests. This was based on “the first fruits of a large-scale Ministry Division survey”. The report “Mapping the Wellbeing of Church of England Clergy and Ordinands” itself is somewhat hidden away on the Church of England’s Ministry Development website where you can download the full report and an executive summary.
Panel Survey Wave 1 Report
Panel Survey Wave 1 Report Executive Summary
But Doug Chaplin’s eye was caught by the paragraph that suggested all was not quite as well as the Church Times headline suggested, and he writes about it here: Living comfortably: the fiction of a stipend?
4 CommentsPress release from the Prime Minister’s Office
Dean of Exeter: Jonathan Greener
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Theresa May MP
Published: 19 September 2017
Reverend Jonathan Desmond Francis Greener has been appointed Dean of the Cathedral Church, Exeter.
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Very Reverend Jonathan Desmond Francis Greener, MA, Dean of Wakefield, in the diocese of Leeds, to be appointed to the Deanery of the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter, Exeter, on the resignation of the Very Reverend Jonathan Lee Draper, BA, PhD, on 31 August 2017.
Background information
The Very Reverend Jonathan Greener (56) trained for ordination at the College of the Resurrection, Mirfield. He studied Theology and Religious Studies at Trinity College, Cambridge. He served his title as Curate at St Matthew, Elephant and Castle, in the diocese of Southwark from 1991 to 1994 before becoming Bishop of Truro’s Domestic Chaplain from 1994 to 1996. From 1996 to 2003 he was Vicar at the Good Shepherd, Brighton in Chichester diocese. From 2003 to 2007 he was Archdeacon of Pontefract in Wakefield diocese. From 2007 to 2014 he was Dean of Wakefield in Wakefield diocese and since 2014 he has been Dean of Wakefield in Leeds diocese.
He is married to Pamela, a retired international tax accountant, now a freelance musician.
His interests include photography, cookery, languages and travel.
16 CommentsAndrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of faith in the public square
Rosie Harper ViaMedia.News Is “Sorry” Too Easy a Word?
Archdruid Eileen The Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Troubles with Trebles
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The unconditional and the insistence of God
A little world made cunningly: in defence of the parish
St Mellitus will host a debate asking whether the parish has had its day. Priests from across the country told Church Times their answers.
The Church of England’s College of Bishops (ie all serving bishops) held its annual meeting this week, following which they issued this press release.
College of Bishops residential meeting September 2017
14 September 2017
The annual meeting of the College of Bishops of the Church of England was held in Oxford from 11-14 September with the theme of “Telling the Gospel of Salvation in Every place”, exploring how the Church ministers to every community in the country.
Over the four day meeting, a wide ranging agenda was discussed, including, Renewal and Reform, Simplification, Mission and Theology, Church Planting and Minority Ethnic Inclusion. Reflections and discussions took place in group and plenary sessions.
Members of the College were joined this year in the first two days of the meeting by a number of BAME clergy to help bring additional perspectives on how the Church of England can reach more effectively into every community.
As with all meetings of the College of Bishops, the considerations of the College took place in private and its conclusions will be subsequently referred to the House of Bishops.
3 CommentsColin Coward Unadulterated Love Life in all its fullness and meditation in the body
Eric Reitan Religion Dispatches A 14-point Rebuttal to the Nashville Statement from a straight cis Christian man
Bibles, arm-waving, and incense – Philip North recounts visiting three very different Christian festivals this summer for Church Times
Ian Paul Psephizo Is there hope for unbelieving Britain?
Simon Butler ViaMedia.News This Love Ain’t Big Enough!
4 CommentsGiles Fraser The Guardian The disestablishment of the church is now necessary and inevitable
Church Times Leader Comment Life with the ‘nones’
The above two articles comment on figures contained in the latest British Social Attitudes survey. Madeleine Davies has written about the figures for Church Times: Bishops unfazed by surge among the non-religious in latest British Social Attitudes survey.
Simon Butler ViaMedia.News In Praise of Activists…
Charles Clapham Unadulterated Love The House of Bishops’ proposed Teaching Document on Human Sexuality
[This is a consolidation of Dr Clapham’s comments on our article here.]
Jeremy Paxman Financial Times Jeremy Paxman on the Church of England’s fight to survive
As congregations dwindle, is the Church on the brink of extinction?
[You may find this article is behind a paywall; this has been happening to me intermittently.]
We reported in July that Canon Tim Sledge was to be the next Dean of Peterborough. The Bishop of Peterborough has now announced that Canon Sledge has withdrawn his acceptance of this post.
11 CommentsFrom the website of the Church in Wales
New Archbishop of Wales elected
A new Archbishop of Wales has been elected today (September 6).
John Davies, who has served as the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon for the past nine years, has been chosen as the 13th Archbishop of Wales.
He succeeds Dr Barry Morgan who retired in January after 14 years as the leader of the Church in Wales. His election is also historic as this is the first time a Bishop of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon has been elected as Archbishop of Wales.
Archbishop John was elected having secured a two-thirds majority vote from members of the Electoral College on the first second day of its meeting at Holy Trinity Church, Llandrindod Wells. The election was immediately confirmed by the five other diocesan bishops and announced at the door of the church by the Provincial Secretary of the Church in Wales, Simon Lloyd. Archbishop John will be enthroned at Brecon cathedral in due course.
He said, “I am overwhelmed and humbled. I would like to thank members of the College and especially my fellow bishops for the confidence and trust they have shown in me. We will work together as a team to grow and strengthen the Church as it serves the communities of Wales and helps build the kingdom of God.”
The Dean of Brecon, Dr Paul Shackerley welcomed the news on behalf of the Diocese. He said, “I am delighted with the news that Bishop John has been called to be our next Archbishop. He has proven gifts and experience to lead the Church into the future and will receive our full support and prayers he prepares to exercise his weighty, yet joyful, archiepiscopal ministry. I feel the future of the Church in Wales is in good hands with all our faithful Bishops, to lead us with hope into the future that we may flourish and serve the communities in which we are called.”
10 CommentsJack Jenkins ThinkProgress Are evangelicals inventing a new kind of Christianity that’s all about sex?
Eliel Cruz The New York Times The Nashville Statement Is an Attack on L.G.B.T. Christians
Jonathan Merritt Religion News Service Take a deep breath. The Nashville Statement won’t change anything
The Victorian Society has expressed its opinion on keeping churches open. There’s nothing on their website, but Olivia Rudgard reports their views in The Telegraph: Victorian Society criticises evangelical group for keeping churches ‘shuttered and barred’
21 CommentsColin 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 Comments