The detailed results of the four electronic votes at last month’s meeting of General Synod are now available for download. The files include the text of the motion being voted on.
Tuesday 10 February
Item 504 – Draft Naming of Dioceses Measure
At present a diocese must be named after the see city. This draft measure would have allowed a diocese to be named after a geographical area or the see city, and in the former case the diocesan bishop’s title could also be the area. This vote on clause 1 of the measure was in effect a vote on the whole measure, and a no vote was a vote against the measure.
Item 501 – Draft Amending Canon No. 35
Wednesday 11 February
Item 13 – Church Commissioners’ Funds and Inter-generational Equity
Thursday 12 February
0 CommentsThe Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill, the Bishop of Lichfield, announced today that he will retire in September 2015.
Announcement on the Lichfield diocesan website: “40 years seem a good stint”
5 CommentsCole Moreton Five ways for the Church of England to stop making a complete and utter fool of itself over money
Kelvin Holdsworth The Archbishop, the gays and their sins
Charlotte Gale Ten things I have learned about General Synod
20 CommentsThe Sun newspaper (in an article behind its paywall) reported this morning that some cathedrals and churches are hiring staff on salaries below the living wage. This is despite last week’s pastoral letter from the House of Bishops calling on employers to pay at least this amount.
Tim Wyatt reports the story for the Church Times: Investigation into church salaries leads to Living Wage row.
So too does BBC News: Church of England pays some workers below living wage.
There is a press release from the Church of England, and comments from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
19 CommentsRose Hudson-Wilkin Christian Today What Christians get wrong about Politics
Angus Ritchie Huffington Post What Do the Bishops Know About Politics? More Than You’d Think…
Eliza Filby Church Times The Church, the ballot-box, and Mrs Thatcher
Economist Gender, violence and religion: When north and south agree
Linda Woodhead Theos What is the future for religion in Britain?
Giles Fraser The Guardian Give me hypocrites over cynics any time. At least they aspire to something
Antonia Blumberg Huffington Post Christians Celebrate Ash Wednesday Around The World [Photos From Around The World]
17 CommentsNicholas Hills, the Administrative Secretary in the Central Secretariat at Church House Westminster, has sent a summary of last week’s General Synod business to diocesan secretaries and archdeacons. The Diocese of Liverpool has published a slightly abbreviated version on its website. The original letter is also available.
Although as usual the detailed reports in the Church Times are only available to subscribers, this article by Madeleine Davies is free to all: Not on the agenda for Synod, Green remains hot topic.
5 CommentsOur first roundup is here.
Tim Wyatt Church Times Bishops’ call for vision provokes anger
Gaby Hinsliff The Guardian Want to make yourself look less nasty? Avoid picking fights with the church
Michael Sadgrove Ash Wednesday, the Bishops and the Election
Ian Paul Which party should I vote for?
This week’s podcast from the Church of England starts with interviews with the Bishops of Norwich and Leicester.
3 CommentsChurch of England press release
Secretary General To Step Down
20 February 2015
William Fittall, the Secretary General of the Archbishops’ Council and General Synod of the Church of England, has today issued a statement to members of the General Synod announcing his intention to leave his post on November 30th this year.
Mr. Fittall, 61, took up the role of Secretary General in 2002 having previously worked in a number of senior posts in Whitehall. Announcing his intended departure, Mr. Fittall said:
“After a succession of demanding roles I have, with my wife, concluded that the time has come for me to retire from full time work and move to a more flexible pattern of life.
I am giving a substantial period of notice in the hope that this will facilitate a smooth and orderly transition. It is likely to take around three months for the selection process to be completed and the person chosen may then have several months’ notice to serve from their present role.”
Responding to the announcement, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said:
“William has made a substantial and prodigious contribution to the work and life of the Church of England. For over a decade he has been unstinting in his efforts to ably lead the staff of the Council and professionally support the work of the Synod. He has been indefatigable in his service and I will personally miss him greatly.”
Statement from William Fittall
“This is to inform you that I have given the Archbishops formal notice of my intention to conclude my period of service as Secretary General on 30 November, immediately after the induction and inauguration of the new Synod.
By then it will be more than forty years since I started work in Whitehall and more than thirteen since my arrival at Church House. After a succession of demanding roles I have, with my wife, concluded that the time has come for me to retire from full time work and move to a more flexible pattern of life.
I am giving a substantial period of notice in the hope that this will facilitate a smooth and orderly transition. It is likely to take around three months for the selection process to be completed and the person chosen may then have several months’ notice to serve from their present role. The Archbishops have, therefore, asked that the process for securing a successor should be put in hand immediately.
When the time comes, there will be more to say about the experience and privilege of having occupied this unique role. In the meantime there is still much work to be done, not least in relation to the reform and renewal programme, the Church’s engagement with government after the forthcoming election and the preparations for a new synodical quinquennium.”
William Fittall
Secretary General
General Synod members have been sent A Programme for Reform and Renewal – Post-Synod Briefing, written by William Fittall, the Secretary General. The briefing outlines the programme, details what Synod decided last week, and looks ahead to what happens next.
The briefing does not appear to be available on the Church of England website, but David Thomson, the Bishop of Huntingdon, has published it on his website.
12 CommentsUpdated Tuesday evening and Wednesday
Tim Wyatt Church Times House of Bishops calls for a new politics ahead of election
Esther Addley The Guardian Church of England calls for ‘fresh moral vision’ in British politics
BBC News Church of England urges ‘fresh moral vision’ from politicians
Church of England: Public should ‘ask the big questions’
Ruth Gledhill Christian Today Church of England calls for a ‘new direction’ in British Politics
John Bingham The Telegraph Bishops vow to take on ‘sex appeal’ of Russell Brand’s ‘don’t vote’ message
John Bingham and Ben Riley-Smith The Telegraph Thatcherism is finished – declares Church of England
Nigel Morris The Independent Russell Brand’s ‘sex appeal’ will deter voters, the Church of England says
David Pocklington Law & Religion UK Bishops’ Pastoral Statement: 2015 General Election
Nick Baines Bishops and politics
Malcolm Brown (Director of Mission and Public Affairs for the Church of England) blogs: Who is my Neighbour?
Update
Aisha Gani The Guardian Church of England bishops’ pastoral letter: key points
The Guardian editorial The Guardian view on the church and the election: talking sense
Kiran Stacey and Barney Thompson Financial Times Church of England rebukes political parties for lack of vision
Anoosh Chakelian New Statesman How the Church wants you to vote
James Kirkup and Tim Stanley The Telegraph Does the Church have a place in politics?
Symon Hill Ekklesia The bishops’ election letter is mild, not radical
Further update
Isabel Hardman The Spectator Tories and the Church: the 30-year war continues
Archbishop Cranmer “Tory Fury” over Church of England letter is a confected Tory tantrum
Peter Dominiczak The Telegraph Church of England campaigning for EU integration
Giles Fraser The Guardian The bishops have a point: our politics is stale and unambitious
Michael White The Guardian C of E’s naive intervention in politics prompts fierce storm in a teacup
Steven Swinford The Telegraph Iain Duncan Smith mocks Church of England’s ‘dwindling relevence’
Nick Spencer Theos Burning bishops’ fingers
Jonathan Chaplin KLICE ‘Who is my neighbour?’ – the Church of England finds a new political voice (also republished on Fulcrum)
12 CommentsUpdated Tuesday evening
House of Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on the 2015 General Election
17 February 2015
The House of Bishops of the Church of England have today expressed the hope for political parties to discern “a fresh moral vision of the kind of country we want to be” ahead of the General Election in May of this year.
In a pastoral letter from the House of Bishops to the people and parishes of the Church of England, the Bishops urge Christians to consider the question how can we “build the kind of society which many people say they want but which is not yet being expressed in the vision of any of the parties?”
The letter also encourages church members to engage in the political process ahead of the General Election and to put aside self-interest and vote for ‘the common good’: “The privileges of living in a democracy mean that we should use our votes thoughtfully, prayerfully and with the good of others in mind, not just our own interests.”
The letter also states that: “In Britain, we have become so used to believing that self-interest drives every decision, that it takes a leap of imagination to argue that there should be stronger institutions for those we disagree with as well as for those ‘on our side.’ Breaking free of self-interest and welcoming our opponents as well as our supporters into a messy, noisy, yet rich and creative community of communities is, perhaps, the only way we will enrich our almost-moribund political culture.”
The letter defends the right of the Church to enter into the political arena: “It is not possible to separate the way a person perceives his or her place in the created order from their beliefs, religious or otherwise, about how the world’s affairs ought to be arranged. The claim that religion and political life must be kept separate is, in any case, frequently disingenuous – most politicians and pundits are happy enough for the churches to speak on political issues so long as the church agrees with their particular line.”
The pastoral letter draws on the experience of the Church of England as a Christian presence in every community to warn of the disengagement between politicians and the people. They note that “with few exceptions, politicians are not driven merely by cynicism or self-interest” but nevertheless, “the different parties have failed to offer attractive visions of the kind of society and culture they wish to see…. There is no idealism in this prospectus”.
The letter encourages political parties across the spectrum to seek bold new visions of hope and idealism rather than “sterile arguments about who might manage the existing system best.”
The bishops also argue Britain is in need of a stronger politics of community to boost solidarity between people and reverse a drift towards social isolation: “The extent of loneliness in society today, with the attendant problems of mental and physical health, is one indication of how far we have drifted into a society of strangers. But that drift is far from complete – and few people, if asked, would say that a society of strangers represents a vision of society which they desire.”
The letter specifically avoids advocacy for one any political party but instead encourages those in the Church to seek from political candidates a commitment to building a society of common bonds over individual consumerism. The bishops say Britain is hungry for a new approach to political life which reaffirms our ties at a national, regional, community and neighbourhood level. There is a need for a strong corrective to halt the move towards increasing social isolation, they say, through strengthening the idea that that Britain is still a “community of communities.” This, they say, is a theme which has roots in the historic traditions of different parties: “We are seeking, not a string of policy offers, but a way of conceiving and ordering our political and economic life which can be pursued in a conservative idiom, a socialist idiom, a liberal idiom – and by others not aligned to party.”
The pastoral letter argues that the Church of England finds its voice through being a presence in every community with churches remaining one of the primary agents of social action and social care in parishes across the country. The letter argues that Intermediate institutions such as housing associations, credit unions and churches are needed for their role in building stronger communities. A thriving society needs many intermediate institutions, they say, including those who disagree with each other.
The letter also recognises the inherent danger in the current situation where people are disengaging from politics, arguing that restoring faith in both politicians and the political process requires a new politics that engages at both a deeper more local level within a wider, broader vision for the country as a whole.
In the letter, the bishops warn against despair and urge people to vote in the General Election: “Unless we exercise the democratic rights that our ancestors struggled for, we will share responsibility for the failures of the political classes. It is the duty of every Christian adult to vote, even though it may have to be a vote for something less than a vision that inspires us.”
ENDS
The Pastoral letter can be read here.
A guide to the pastoral letter and its contents can be found here.
The statements from the Bishop of Norwich and Bishop of Leicester can be found by clicking on the link on their names.
The Church of England & Church Urban Fund research “Church in Action” can be found at:
http://www.cuf.org.uk/blog/churches-respond-loneliness-crisis.
Updated to add links to pdf versions of dock files.
guide to the pastoral letter
statement from Bishop of Norwich
statement from Bishop of Leicester
Graham Kings, the suffragan Bishop of Sherborne in the diocese of Salisbury, will be moving to be Mission Theologian in the Anglican Communion in the summer.
Mission Theology website: Mission Theologian in the Anglican Communion
Salisbury diocesan website: New Job for Bishop Graham
Fulcrum website: Partnership for Publishing New Voices: Mission Theologian in the Anglican Communion
Southwark diocesan website: The Rt Revd Dr Graham Kings
18 CommentsAnother question from General Synod on Tuesday with the question and answer from the booklet, and my transcription from the audio of the supplementary question and answer.
The Revd Dr Jo Spreadbury (St Albans) to ask the Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission:
Q15 The House of Bishops Pastoral Guidance on Same Sex Marriage (15 February 2014) states:
“(25) The Church of England will continue to place a high value on theological exploration and debate that is conducted with integrity. That is why Church of England clergy are able to argue for a change in its teaching on marriage and human sexuality, while at the same time being required to fashion their lives consistently with that teaching.”
Given the high value the Church places on “theological exploration and debate that is conducted with integrity”, is the Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission able to assure Synod that its policy and practice is, and will continue to be, that clergy who “fashion their lives consistently with [the Church’s] teaching” will not be barred from preferment on the grounds that they have argued for “a change in [the Church‟s] teaching on marriage and human sexuality”?
The Archbishop of Canterbury to reply
A Yes. When candidates are being considered for a particular See their teaching on a range of issues is, however, among the many considerations that may properly be taken into account when considering their relative merits for that appointment.
Supplementary question
Jo Spreadbury: I just wanted to clarify what current policy and practice is and what it might continue to be if I may, to ask, having directed the CNC not to vote for one of the candidates in the Exeter and the Edmundsbury appointment processes because of the effect on the Anglican Communion, will Your Grace continue to use what amounts to an unconstitutional veto in future appointments?
Archbishop of Canterbury: I really can’t comment on what goes on in CNCs. We are bound by a promise of confidentiality which is strictly held in most cases. It is also the case that the Crown Appointments Secretary and the Archbishops’ Appointments Secretary keep a close eye on and follow up anything that looks like a breach of normal practice.
31 CommentsThis is one of the questions answered at General Synod on Tuesday. As an experiment at this group of sessions the questions and original answers were printed in a booklet and not read out, and the person answering merely referred to the printed answer. Any supplementaries were then taken orally, and I have transcribed these from the audio.
Mrs Anne Martin (Guildford) to ask the Secretary General:
Q46 Could the Secretary General please supply General Synod members with a list of all the Task Groups in existence (including those presenting reports in this Synod, those not presenting reports and the Spending Plans Task Group), along with their current membership?
Mr William Fittall to reply
A The reports of five Task Groups have been circulated to the Synod in connection with the February Group of Sessions, namely, Resourcing the Future (GS 1978), Resourcing Ministerial Education (GS 1979), Simplification (GS 1980), Discerning and Nurturing Senior Leaders (attached to GS 1982) and Optimising the Role of the NCIs (GS Misc 1094). The membership of the groups is included in each report.
It is difficult to produce a comprehensive list of other task groups because there is no standard definition of the term and groups can be established to undertake focused work in a wide variety of circumstances by any number of national bodies. I have, however, placed on the notice board the membership of the Archbishops’ Task Group on Evangelism, the Task Group on responsible Savings and Credit, the Spending Plans Task Group, the Turning up the Volume Group, the Church Buildings Review Group, the Environment Working Group and the Deployment Task Group.
Supplementary questions
Anne Martin: Thank your for the reply and the action taken. Can I also ask, will the terms of reference for each task group be made available to General Synod members?
William Fittall: We can certainly seek to do so. I think that the point, just to draw out, is that even at national level the Church of England is quite a complex institution and some people may have a fantasy that there is a sort of central air traffic control that ensures that all these bodies are set up in an orderly fashion with terms of reference and a single process for appointing members. The reality is that a lot of commissions, councils, boards and so on do set up groups to undertake particular tasks. So I can certainly try and assemble those for you, but it doesn’t all sit neatly on a database.
Vasantha Gnanadoss: Given that black and asian people are very poorly represented in the membership of the task groups will you encourage the people responsible for making appointments to do better in future?
William Fittall: I think in an earlier question there was a reference to guidance that the Appointments Committee has produced on making appointments, and that does very much make the point that’s just been expressed in relation to diversity, and that guidance does apply to all appointments, not just those for which the Appointments Committee itself is responsible. So that is a long way of saying yes.
This last answer refers to an earlier question, which is given below the fold.
8 CommentsToday is Valentine’s Day. Kelvin Holdsworth has 10 Tips on How to Date a Priest.
Brian Orme ChurchLeaders.com 10 Dangerous Myths About Church Growth
Giles Fraser The Guardian I regret that the devil is being made redundant. He’ll be much missed
Christopher Howse The Telegraph A throne like a church spire
A conversation about Time with Br Geoffrey Tristram and the Rt Rev Nick Knisely: Eternity is Real
6 CommentsThe Church of England issued this statement today.
Statement on the work of Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint
13 February 2015
The Church of England have today issued the following statement:
“The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are grateful to Lord Green for the contribution and expertise that he has brought to the work of the group on leadership training and formation. The leadership report stands on its own merits: it is about preparation and consideration for appointment to posts of wide responsibility, pastoral care of those being considered and a means of ensuing proper inclusion across the whole range of the church. The report was completed and submitted before the current media focus on historic allegations against HSBC at the time Lord Green was either CEO or Chairman.
In the recent coverage concerning Lord Green none of the reports suggest there is evidence that he personally encouraged or orchestrated any scheme of tax evasion. The Church of England’s opposition to tax evasion or aggressive tax management strategies remains firm. The reported actions of HSBC Switzerland were wrong and there is obviously deep concern about the issues revealed.
Lord Green’s involvement in the production of the report on leadership development has been valuable and the Archbishops thank him for his contribution to this important ongoing work for the Church of England.”
18 CommentsThe Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill 2014-15 had its second reading in the House of Lords on Thursday. The verbatim Hansard record of the debate is here.
The remaining House of Lords stages are scheduled for 26 February (Committee stage) and 12 March (Report stage).
There are links to the text of the bill, and a summary of its progress through Parliament here: Lords Spiritual (Women) Bill 2014-15.
0 CommentsUpdated Sunday
official summary of business
Thursday morning
Thursday afternoon
Speech on draft safeguarding legislation by Geoffrey Tattersall
Speech on the report on mission and growth in the rural church by the Bishop of Knaresborough
Press reports
BBC Funeral law change voted through by Church of England
Ruth Gledhill Christian Today Suicides can receive Anglican funerals, says General Synod
No sin, no devil: Church of England debates its baptismal liturgy
update
8 CommentsThere is now an “official website for the Shared Conversations on Scripture, Mission and Human Sexuality taking place in the Church of England” here.
The information already on the site includes:
Programme – each of the regional Shared Conversations will take place over three days, beginning at 10:30 am on the first day and finishing at 4:00 pm on the third day. The full programme is here.
FAQs – How are participants selected?
What is the intended outcome of the Shared Conversations?
How is the safety of participants in the Shared Conversations being protected?
St Michael’s House Protocols – to govern the conversations
1 CommentResources for the shared conversations on scripture, mission and sexuality published have been published today.
Resources for the shared conversations on scripture, mission and sexuality published
12 February 2015The Church of England has today published a set of resources called ‘Grace and Disagreement’ for the Shared Conversations on Scripture, Mission and Sexuality.
The first booklet outlines the thinking behind the conversations, the process and their place in the life of the church. The second booklet comprises four essays, with varying views, which participants in the conversations are asked to read prior to taking part in the conversations.
The resources are available here.
The available resources are two booklets.
The first booklet, which can be downloaded here, outlines the thinking behind the conversations, the process and their place in the life of the church.
The second booklet, download here, comprises four essays, including two on scripture, which participants in the conversations are asked to read.
4 Comments