Thinking Anglicans

Dr Tim Wambunya apologises for his role in a Berlin ordination service

Church Times report by Francis Martin: Next Bishop of Wolverhampton regrets part in non-canonical ordination

THE next Bishop of Wolverhampton, Dr Tim Wambunya, has apologised for the part he played in a non-canonical ordination of a bishop in Germany, saying that he merely wished to support a former student.

The service, which took place in Berlin in April, was billed as the ordination, as Bishop, of the Revd Wamare Juma, who founded and leads the Revealed Evangelical Mission. The organisation’s website describes it as a “non-denominational para-church”, and it has branches in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania as well as Germany…

…At the service in April, Dr Wambunya laid hands on Bishop Wamare Juma, led him through the declarations and ordination prayer from the Common Worship rite of ordination and consecration of a bishop, and presented him with a “certificate of ordination” which identified Dr Wambunya as the “ordaining bishop”.

On Tuesday, Dr Wambunya said that he took part in a personal capacity. “I did not for a moment imagine I was representing the Church of England, or even any other Anglican province, and I was not there in any official capacity,” he said…

Do read the full report, which includes comments from the Bishops of Oxford and Lichfield.

Also, you can watch the entire event here:
Video: ORDINATION OF BISHOP WAMARE JUMA

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Cathedral Statistics 2023

The 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…)

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CNC, women bishops, and LLF

Andrew Goddard has written a detailed discussion on this subject, which includes

  • a short history of recent developments in relation to CNC,
  • a short guide to its processes relevant to understanding these outcomes, and then
  • reflections on the failures to appoint particularly with reference to claims being made that relate this to wider debates concerning women bishops and Living in Love and Faith (LLF)
  • discussion of the place of church teaching in the appointment of bishops
  • concluding thoughts on where we are and what happens next

There is a précis of this article here: Is the Church in an episcopal stalemate? But I recommend reading the full article.

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Suffragan Bishop of Wolverhampton

Press release from 10 Downing Street. Further information is available from Lichfield diocese and from Oxford diocese.

Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Wolverhampton: 27 August 2024

The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Timothy Wambunya to the Suffragan See of Wolverhampton in the Diocese of Lichfield.

From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 27 August 2024

The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Timothy Wambunya, Vicar of St Paul’s, Slough, in the Diocese of Oxford, to the Suffragan See of Wolverhampton in the Diocese of Lichfield, in succession to Bishop Clive Gregory, following his retirement.

Background

Tim’s initial career was in Marine Engineering. He trained for ministry at Oakhill Theological College, London, serving his title at St John, Southhall Green, in the Diocese of London, and was ordained Priest in 1998. Tim was appointed Vicar at Emmanuel Holloway Church, Stepney, in 2000 and, in 2007, was appointed Principal at Carlile College (The Church Army Africa College) in Nairobi, Kenya. During these two roles, he studied for a PhD in Paremiology at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (University of Wales). In 2013, he was consecrated and became Bishop of the Diocese of Butere, Anglican Church of Kenya, before taking up his current role in 2020 as Vicar at St Pauls, Slough, in the Diocese of Oxford. He has additionally served as an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Oxford.

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Blackburn Cathedral Safeguarding continued

Updated

Continued from here.

The BBC has published a further article: Why does the Church of England struggle to deal with child abuse allegations?

Gavin Drake has written Archbishops’ Council ignored chances to fix safeguarding risk assessment loophole

Bishop Philip North has published a reflection: Three Steps We Need to Take Towards a Safer Church – A Reflection on File on 4 ‘The Priest and the Payoff’

The Church Times reports: Risk assessment should suffice to remove a cleric from office, Bishop of Blackburn argues

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Blackburn Cathedral Safeguarding

Updated Tuesday and again Wednesday (twice)

The BBC has published a File on Four radio programme (43 minutes long), to be aired at 8pm this evening on Radio 4

A priest assessed as posing a risk of “significant harm” to children and young people was given a pay-off. What does this tell us about safeguarding in the Church of England?

The BBC News website reports it thus: Priest thought to pose risk to children is paid off. But I recommend listening to the entire radio programme.

The Church of England has released Statements regarding BBC File on Four Blackburn Cathedral case

Statement from the Church of England

“The case highlighted on the BBC today is complicated and very difficult for everyone involved particularly those who came forward.  A number of allegations were made about the Canon over a number of years and a risk assessment was conducted according to the House of Bishops 2017 safeguarding guidance.  In the event, none of the allegations resulted either in a conviction in the criminal courts, or in a determination of misconduct in the independent Church courts through the Clergy Discipline Measure.

“He was removed from office on health grounds by the former Bishop of Blackburn, in 2021, under the Church Dignitaries (Retirement) Measure 1949 , but the Canon then brought a claim in the High Court for judicial review of that decision and payment was made in settlement of that claim. The Church of England is currently reviewing the disciplinary procedure for members of clergy (Clergy Discipline Measure), as recommended by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, IICSA and a review of the risk assessment regulations and guidance is under way.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, said:

“We are truly sorry when survivors are let down by the Church. We were both made aware of this case, including the concerning background and the challenges caused by statutory and Church processes ending with no further action.

“We absolutely believe that there is no place in ministry for people who are a risk or pose a risk to others and continue to work to ensure that our systems are made ever stronger and more robust.

“This case highlights the complexity of our structures and processes and is just one example of why we asked Professor Alexis Jay, the former chair of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, to provide options and recommendations for how further independence of safeguarding within the Church of England might be achieved. This work is now being taken forward.

“As the Bishop of Blackburn told the BBC, the Church has made huge strides in safeguarding in the past 10 years particularly in listening to the voices of survivors and victims. However, this case, which goes back many years, shows that we are still working to get our processes right and we must learn from the mistakes of the past.”

This is also being reported in other media:

Updates

Blackburn Cathedral published Public Statement by the Trustees of Blackburn Cathedral

On Tuesday 13th August 2024, BBC News reported details of an investigation by Radio 4’s File on Four programme, to be broadcast at 8.00pm on Tuesday 13th August, into historic safeguarding concerns in the Church of England involving a senior member of clergy at Blackburn Cathedral.

The Cathedral recognises and fully accepts that there were failures, apologises for them, and has learned important lessons.  In October 2023 The Cathedral Chapter made a statement about the lessons learned from this case and it can be found here.

Since that time the Cathedral has worked and continues to work assiduously to improve its safeguarding culture, policies and procedures to ensure everyone is, and feels, safe.

Regretfully, the Cathedral cannot undo the pain and hurt of the past, and our thoughts are with those survivors whose trauma may now be re-lived as a result of this programme.

The programme gave details about legitimate safeguarding concerns that were raised repeatedly over a twenty-five-year period and highlighted the systemic nature of the institutional failures within the Church of England that prevented Blackburn Cathedral from dealing effectively with the concerns.

There remains work to be done for these institutional hurdles to be overcome.

The programme disclosed that a sum of money was paid to the individual by the Church of England. No Blackburn Cathedral funds were involved in this payment.

Peter Howell-Jones
Dean of Blackburn

Finding support
If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by this report and want to talk to someone independently, please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk.

Alternatively, you may wish to contact the Diocese of Blackburn Safeguarding Team: catherine.smith@blackburn.anglican.org or the Diocesan Safeguarding Team in your area or the National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org

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More on that commissioning service

Updated Friday

This continues the story that began here: Another commissioning service.

Friday updates

(more…)

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Suffragan Bishops of Selby and Whitby

In two press releases from 10 Downing Street the appointments of new suffragan bishops of Selby and Whitby in the diocese of York have been announced:

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Dr Flora Winfield, Third Church Estates Commissioner, for nomination to the Suffragan See of Selby in the Diocese of York.

and

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Barry Hill, Strategy Development Enabler in the Diocese of Leicester, for nomination to the Suffragan See of Whitby in the Diocese of York.

The full texts of the press releases are included below the fold.

More information from the diocese of York is here. The consecrations of the two new bishops will take place on 10 October 2024 at York Minster.

(more…)

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Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill starts parliamentary journey

I 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.

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Another commissioning service

Updated Monday and again Tuesday

We reported earlier on the service held at All Souls Langham Place, organised by the Church of England Evangelical Council: CEEC commissions Overseers.

Another service took place on 24 July at St Helen’s Bishopgate. A video published by that parish discusses the service.

Anglican Futures has published an article critiquing the service: “Public Commissioning”: Ten Questions. It begins this way:

“Yesterday evening a service took place at St Helen’s Bishopsgate in which 7 men from 4 dioceses were publicly commissioned for Christian leadership in Church of England churches.” So, begins, the latest video from St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, which has been circulating on social media.

The video is 26 minutes long, with an introduction by the Rector, Revd William Taylor, followed by sixteen interviews with retired bishops, clergy and laity, all of whom appear to support the actions taken by St Helen’s.

The video raises many questions and appears to misrepresent the work of the Church of England’s Evangelical Council (CEEC) in two significant ways. It is hoped that in the spirit of transparency, which Revd Taylor seeks from the House of Bishops, answers to the following questions will be forthcoming.

  1. Does Revd Taylor understand that CEEC can only offer ‘alternative spiritual oversight? If so, why does he call on churches to “recognise formally… that those diocesan bishops who voted for the faithless LLF proposals have broken partnership with faithful Anglican Christians and the true Churches of Jesus Christ,” by seeking the “alternative oversight” provided by the CEEC?
  2. Does Revd Taylor understand that the Ephesian Fund,provides PCCs and individuals with a way to give their parish share to the Diocese in support of similar churches”? If so, why does he call on churches, “to cease paying any parish share to the Church of England” by suggesting that it is possible to “divert parish share into the Ephesian Fund or a local Good Stewards Trust to pay for it?”

And there are a further eight questions.

Updates

The Church Times reports: Conservatives commission seven men to lead, teach, and preside at ‘informal’ eucharists, This contains additional information about the participation of the former Bishop of Maidstone, Rod Thomas.

The statement from Affirming Catholicism mentioned in that report can be found in full here.

The Church Times article has been updated on Tuesday to add:

A spokesperson for Church House said: “The lead bishop for LLF, alongside the LLF staff team, are in conversation with different networks in order to bring further detail to proposals to the House of Bishops in October.

“We are seeking to move forward as one church. That will require grace, realism and a recognition that, as Christians, we hold a variety of views on these questions, all of which are held with integrity and all of which deserve respect.”

Helen King has written The c-word: what happened in those London churches?

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July General Synod – electronic voting results

The 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)

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Dean of Southwell to retire

The 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.

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Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill

Following 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.

(more…)

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Meeting of the House of Bishops – July 2024

Press 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.

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Ely CNC fails to nominate

Updated to add two links below the Archbishop’s statement

The Ely CNC failed to nominate a bishop at its meeting last week. Details are in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s statement copied below. Readers may recall that the Carlisle CNC similarly failed to nominate a new bishop when it met last December.

Statement on Crown Nominations Commission process for next Bishop of Ely

15/07/2024

Very sadly, at the conclusion of a lengthy process of discernment, culminating in two days of interviews on 11 and 12 July, the Crown Nominations Commission considering the nomination of the next Bishop of Ely has not been able reach the level of consensus required to nominate a new Diocesan Bishop.

Over the course of the next months, the Crown Nominations Commission will need to reflect, and make a decision about which stage it wishes to re-commence the discernment process. This is not likely to be before the Spring of 2025. Together with the Archbishop of York and others, there will also need to be a period of reflection on the implications of this decision on the Church of England more generally.

I will be speaking with Bishop Dagmar Winter, the Bishop of Huntingdon, in order to understand from her the best way of supporting the Diocese of Ely and her episcopal ministry in the coming months.

Please continue to hold the Diocese of Ely and the discernment of the Crown Nominations Commission in your prayers.

Background information

A Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) considers vacancies in Diocesan Bishoprics in the Provinces of Canterbury and York, and candidates for appointments to them.

Under the Standing Orders of the General Synod, a nomination cannot be made to the Crown to fill a vacant see unless it has received the support of at least two-thirds of the total number of the voting members of the Commission (10 out of 14) in a secret ballot.

The voting members of the Crown Nominations Commission for a vacant see are the two Archbishops (or a Diocesan Bishop acting on their behalf), 6 members elected from the Vacancy in See Committee of the Diocese and 6 ‘Central Members’ elected from the General Synod. The Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments and the Prime Minister’s Appointments Secretary are non-voting members of the Commission.


Church Times Questions asked after Crown Nominations Commission fails to agree next Bishop of Ely

Diocese of Ely An update on the next Bishop of Ely

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CEEC commissions Overseers

Updated Monday and again Tuesday

CEEC commissions first set of overseers

The Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) has commissioned its first set of overseers, in a service today at All Souls Langham Place, in London.

The introduction of the Ephesian Fund and Alternative Spiritual Oversight (ASO), followed the General Synod decision in November 2023 to approve the bishops’ proposals to change the position and practice of the Church of England with regards to sexual ethics and marriage, by blessing same sex couples as part of normal services. At a subsequent Synod meeting earlier this week, standalone services of blessing for same sex couples received General Synod support and a timetable to work towards clergy same sex marriages was endorsed. As a result of these decisions, many clergy and PCCs have lost confidence in those bishops supporting change.

At the service, the first 20 overseers were commissioned (with more to be commissioned in due course). The overseers comprise a group of Honorary Assistant Bishops, alongside other clergy from across the evangelical constituency (spanning charismatics and conservatives, egalitarians and complementarians). They will provide informal oversight to clergy and PCCs who feel a loss of confidence in the spiritual leadership of their bishop(s). This informal and temporary oversight, facilitated by CEEC, does not in any way undermine or replace the legal and safeguarding responsibilities of clergy and PCCs to their bishops and/or diocese.

The Ephesian Fund and ASO are designed to help those who hold to the existing teaching and doctrine of marriage and sexual ethics to remain in the Church of England while a permanent structural reorganisation is pursued within the Church of England…

The order of service is here.
The list of names is below the fold.

Updates:

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Responses to General Synod debate on LLF

Updated Thursday

Together has issued this Statement following LLF debate at July 2024 General Synod.

The Church of England Evangelical Council has published this: CEEC expresses deep disappointment on ‘milestone day’ as Synod approves bishops’ Living in Love and Faith proposals.

Update 11 July

The Alliance has published this Statement from the Alliance after July 2024 General Synod

Other statements will be linked when they are published.

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General Synod – 5-9 July 2024

This post will be updated as the meeting proceeds.

The Church of England’s General Synod is meeting this weekend. The timetable is here, the agenda is here and the papers are here.

Live video etc

All sessions are streamed live on YouTube and remain available to view afterwards. Links have been provided in advance.

There is an official X/Twitter account.

Chairs of debates

Official July 2024 list of members

Order papers

Business done

Official press releases

Press reports and comment

Church Times

Independent

The Guardian

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Together responds to LLF

together for the Church of England has published this letter to Martyn Snow.
The full text is copied here (the signatures list is below the fold).

Dear Bishop Martyn

LIVING IN LOVE AND FAITH – JULY SYNOD

We are writing to thank you for your work over recent months in guiding the LLF project forwards and for the publication of the latest proposals before General Synod. It is clear that you and the LLF staff team have taken great pains to ensure that different perspectives were able to contribute, and we see this reflected in the papers before Synod. We would also wish to extend our thanks to the College and House of Bishops for their continuing engagement with LLF, and hope that there will be support for the measures being proposed.

We welcome the proposal to remove restrictions on the use of the Prayers of Love and Faith in standalone services. Many of us have already seen the pastoral and missional potential of the PLF material within existing services, which will be enhanced by making them available for use in standalone services. That this opportunity occurs on a voluntary opt-in basis helps to respect conscience all round and is something that we support. While it is not the gold standard of equal marriage that many of us seek, we recognise that this is a proportionate compromise that can be offered while the Church continues to explore these areas.

We are pleased that serious discussion is progressing on the freedom of clergy to enter a same-sex civil marriage. While we would have preferred to see more on this at the July Synod we welcome the clear timetable stating a decision will be taken by the House of Bishops in January 2025. For many clergy in faithful, stable, permanent relationships this decision cannot come soon enough. It is also a decision that many lay people already in same-sex marriages and who wish to explore a vocation to ordained ministry have been patiently waiting for. We firmly believe in marriage and the benefits it offers in regularising and honouring the love between two people. All of our clergy should be able to structure their closest and most intimate relationship in this way and we look forward to the further work from FAOC and the decision of the House of Bishops.

We look forward to hearing more about the model of specific and defined delegation of episcopal ministry to maximise inclusion under episcopal pastoral care. We support the rejection of hard structural approaches to managing differences in the life of the Church and welcome an approach focussed on pastoral relationships. As a Church we must never neglect that personal relationships contribute most strongly in building up the Church as the body of Christ, and managing difference is best achieved through good interpersonal relationships ahead of recourse to legalistic frameworks.

We remain fully committed to the unity of the Church, creating a generous space where all can thrive regardless of either sexuality or sincerely held theological conviction. We appreciate your comments in the LLF papers that what is proposed may not be ideal, but will allow us a space to discern God’s will in the longer term. Sometimes the best is the enemy of the good, and seeking perfection only delivers paralysis. We therefore welcome these proposals, acknowledging that they cannot deliver everything that all seek from the LLF process, and look forward to engaging with them further.

Please be assured of our prayers during the upcoming Synod and in the work that will follow.

Yours sincerely (more…)

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General Synod Questions

The Questions (and answers) for this weekend’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod were issued today. They can be found online here:

Questions will be taken on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. There are 221 questions, four fewer than at the last group of sessions.

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