‘Graham’ ViaMedia.News Is the Failure to Act on a Safeguarding Disclosure a Disciplinary Offence or Not?
Kelvin Holdsworth What’s in Kelvin’s Head The Beatitudes of Livestreaming
70 CommentsGavin Drake Church Abuse Finally – a glimpse of some good news for Church of England safeguarding (Nazir Afzal)
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The church’s problem with sex according to Diarmaid
Eric Vanden Eykel Religion News Service What is the Shroud of Turin and why is there so much controversy around it?
10 CommentsThe Bishop of Crediton, the Rt Revd Jackie Searle, has announced that she plans to retire at the end of January 2025.
4 CommentsPippa Bailey The New Statesman The race for Lambeth Palace
“Can the next archbishop of Canterbury unite a divided Church?”
The Church Mouse Why do priests in the Church of England wear robes?
Chantal Noppen ViaMedia.News Rounding up Sheep or Assembling Cats? Governance in the United Reformed Church and the Church of England
Martyn Percy Surviving Church Joining the Dots Christianity – Assessing Alpha
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The past, the present and the future Church of England
86 CommentsThe Church of England has released its Cathedral Statistics 2023, along with a press release, which is copied below.
Cathedral statistics show continued recovery in 2023
05/09/2024
Coronation Celebrations, cultural initiatives, and sustainability efforts highlight year of positive change.
The Church of England’s latest cathedral attendance statistics reveal continued recovery in 2023, with a five per cent increase in weekly service attendance. Attendance at Christmas services was up 20% year on year and the rise was also reflected in easter services, where attendance was up by 10%.
Cathedrals also experienced a resurgence in visitor numbers, with 9.35 million people visiting in 2023, a 17 per cent increase from 2022. This marks a significant recovery, although overall numbers remain slightly below pre-pandemic levels.
The year was marked by celebrations of King Charles III’s coronation, with cathedrals hosting special services and community events. In addition to worship and national events, cathedrals made notable strides in cultural and sustainability efforts, with exhibitions, civic events and significant energy-saving initiatives and biodiversity projects across the country.
The report, released today, shows a weekly total of 30,300 individuals attended cathedral services each week, reflecting a continued return to in-person worship. (more…)
20 CommentsHelen King sharedconversations Farewell August: time for the Church of England to wake up?
Martyn Percy Surviving Church Alpha-Mater
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Doing some theology – a sermon about the boy Jesus in the temple
Sam Rylands The Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication Is church tradition an obstacle to growing young disciples?
47 CommentsMadeleine Davies The New Statesman The rise of cultural Christianity
George Pitcher A Word to the Wise Justin Welby: A case for his defence
‘Graham’ ViaMedia.News Safeguarding: Who is in Charge?
Lucy Winkett Church Times Inclusive Christians must not be silent
[This is a long extract from the sermon that I linked to two weeks ago.]
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Turning conservative evangelical dogma and doctrine in today’s C of E upside down
Gerry Lynch Church Times Star-gazing brings a new perspective
56 CommentsHelen King Independent Is the Church of England safe for children and young people?
The Church Mouse What is the Church’s of England’s doctrine?
Susan Hunt Surviving Church Blackburn and Kenneth -Safeguarding Failures in the Church
Steve Reeves ISB 11 I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do.
108 CommentsMadeleine Davies Church Times
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Mapping the primary activities of today’s Church of England
Giles Fraser UnHerd Why can’t the Church say ‘church’?
135 CommentsAnon ViaMedia.News Clergy Summer Quiz: the Answers!
The Church Mouse How should we pick our bishops
Theo Hobson The Spectator What the Church of England should say to its conservative rebels
77 CommentsColin Coward Unadulterated Love Being a “Nice” Priest or a “Nice” Church
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Thinking about those Involved in the Commissioning Event at Bishopsgate July 2024
Philip Jones Ecclesiastical law The Church Commissioners: England’s Ministry of Religion
David Goodhew The Living Church The Collapse of the Anglican Church of Canada
Lucy Winkett Faith in her future: Empowering women and girls to lead
121 CommentsDaniel Sandham Church Times Why churches should keep their doors open
“It is less risky than many people assume — and the benefits for mission are significant”
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love
Vivienne Tuffnell Surviving Church On the devastating life-long effects of Spiritual Abuse
Anon ViaMedia.News Clergy Summer Quiz
203 CommentsI reported that this bill was included in the recent King’s Speech. It was introduced in the House of Lords today and received its first reading. The second reading is scheduled for 10 September 2024.
The text of the bill and a set of explanatory notes are available, together with a government press release.
The bill will extend the application of the 2015 act for a further five years, specifically to vacancies arising among the Lords Spiritual before 18 May 2030.
4 CommentsHelen King ViaMedia.News The Luxury of Marriage
House of Survivors Church of England Redress Scheme
Gavin Drake Church Abuse Archbishops’ Council lies about GMC in battle for secret clergy discipline tribunals
13 CommentsThe electronic voting results from this month’s General Synod are now available online and are linked below, with links to the order papers containing the relevant texts.
Electronic voting results
Inquiry into Allegations of Abuse within the Soul Survivor Network (Order Paper IV)
Living in Loving and Faith (Order Paper VII)
20 CommentsMorwenna Ludlow ViaMedia.News Celibacy and Conscience
Stephen Andrews The Living Church Wycliffe College and the Character of Anglicanism
Gavin Drake Church Abuse A look at Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell’s public “correction of the record”
187 CommentsThe Very Reverend Nicola Sullivan, Dean of Southwell, has announced her plans to retire later this year. Her last day at the Cathedral will be Sunday 29 September. Full details are on the Southwell Minster website.
3 CommentsFollowing today’s King’s Speech the Government released King’s Speech 2024: background briefing notes. Included in this is the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill. I have copied the relevant section of the briefing notes below the fold. The text of the 2015 Act is here.
26 CommentsPeter Carrell Anglican Down Under On Bible translations
Augustine Tanner-Ihm ViaMedia.News Where is the Colour? The CEEC Commissioning of Overseers: A Theological and Ecclesiological Critique
Joanne Woolway Grenfell Civil Society Safeguarding: How the Church of England is learning from past events
[This article is behind a paywall, but has been reproduced in full in a Church of England press release.]
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The desolation of the Church of England
30 CommentsPress release from the Church of England
Meeting of the House of Bishops – July 2024
16/07/2024
The House of Bishops convened online on 15 July.
The House discussed the next steps for the LLF process following the motion passed by the General Synod earlier in the month, including plans for bishops to join the existing LLF Working Groups, form a new group to work on a bishops’ statement, and to explore the possibility of a residential meeting later in 2024.
They also considered how the Church can support and engage with the new Government, discussing the current strategic political challenges both in the UK and globally, and reviewing the #PrayYourPart election campaign.
The bishops passed votes to progress the implementation of a regional model for safeguarding and to review the Bishops’ regulations for Reader ministry, last updated 24 years ago. They also noted the annual report of the Standing Commission on the Five Guiding Principles.
2 Comments