Updated
On Monday, Kaya Burgess published an exclusive report in The Times, provocatively headlined Behold the Bishop of Brexit as church models itself on politics, and there was also a leader article The Church should eschew the temptations of political intervention. There was then a follow-up report on Tuesday (today): Church of England: Brexit bishop idea fails to inspire clergy. All this refers to an as yet unpublished document presented to the College of Bishops last September.
The above items are of course behind a paywall. Fortunately, the Church Times (some free access permitted) has now published a detailed analysis of the same original document. This gives a clearer account of the document, and makes it sound more sensible than earlier reports had suggested. I recommend reading the CT article carefully:
Madeleine Davies Fewer dioceses, specialist bishops: Archbishops’ confidential paper revealed in detail.
Update 12 February
The Church Times has: Leader comment: Bishops in the driving seat.
The text of the consultation document (PDF) is now available here.
Further update: The full text of the consultation has also been published by the Church Times here.
37 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod meets from Tuesday to Thursday of this week. There are links to the papers here and to the Questions here. Safeguarding is on the agenda for Wednesday and there are several questions on this topic – see our article here.
Other news and comment includes:
David Pocklington Law & Religion UK “Net zero” and the faculty jurisdiction
The Telegraph Your net zero push could force churches to close or leave our parishioners shivering, Welby is warned
Helen King sharedconversations February 2022 General Synod – before it starts
Gavin Drake General Synod Update February 2022
Church Times General Synod to focus on race, trafficking, and persecution
The latest Letters to the Editor include three on the proposed changes to the membership of the Crown Nominations Commission.
The Questions (and Answers) for next week’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod were published today. The Question sessions (on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons) will be devoted to supplementary questions.
Questions Notice Paper February 2022
Question 34 Noticeboard Information
Question 35 Noticeboard Information
Question 36 Noticeboard Information
Question 99 Noticeboard Information
Updated Sunday evening
General Synod will be considering this subject on the morning of Wednesday 9 February. No doubt there will also be numerous Questions on the topic at the sessions on either Tuesday afternoon, or Wednesday afternoon. The Questions and Answers can now be found here. Items 53, 59, 67-74, 83 are relevant (I may have missed a few). Subject lines are listed at the end of this article.
The main document under consideration on Wednesday morning will be GS 2244, which will be the subject of a presentation, at which the Standing Committee has decided will include an opportunity for questions.
A follow-on motion has been filed, which challenges the practice of not allowing debate on this report, and you can read the motion here. Asked to explain it, Gavin Drake said:
“The ongoing failure to ensure effective safeguarding by parts of the Church is one of the most significant issues facing the Church of England today. Much concern has been expressed about the work, focus and effectiveness of the National Safeguarding Team and other national safeguarding functions of the Church and these have not been addressed. It is wrong that the NST should be given an opportunity to present an unchallenged “defence” of their work which ignores the very many real concerns that exist. The follow-on motion will allow proper challenge to the report and enable Synod members to express their view on the actions of the NST.”
There are a number of other recently pubished items that relate to Safeguarding:
If you are unclear what the problem is in relation to the Trevor Devamanikkam case, this earlier TA article may help: Matt Ineson challenges the National Safeguarding Team. The update says:
6 CommentsAs stated at General Synod (November 2021), the independent lessons learnt review into the case of Trevor Devamanikkam, commissioned by the National Safeguarding Team, was referred to the Independent Safeguarding Board, ISB, for advice on how to proceed, due to delays in the process.
The Chair, Maggie Atkinson, has now responded and recommended that the review progress to publication as a very necessary part of the Church’s learning on safeguarding. She noted that this will take some time to complete given the reviewer will need to refresh her work so far and pick up what now needs to be done.
There is an ongoing invitation to the survivor to contribute and this will remain open throughout the closing phases of the reviewer’s work.
The ISB intends to contribute an initial chapter to the review outlining why it has taken as long, the stages and personnel changes it has gone through, and why the report is now being published, noting that the reviewer Jane Humphreys, is an independent expert with no C of E connections.
Following last week’s release of the papers for next month’s meeting of the Church of England General Synod there have been a number of press reports and online comments.
Church Times
General Synod to focus on race, trafficking, and persecution
Archbishops’ Council reckons up progress made/not made on racial equality
Angry response to parish reorganisation gives Commissioners pause
Faculty-system reform blows cold air on old-style boilers
Law & Religion UK Their latest round-up includes a summary of the proposed changes to the Faculty Jurisdiction Rules – scroll down to “Net zero” and the faculty jurisdiction.
Daily Mail Church of England will encourage priests to install more carpets and cushions to help buildings retain heat in bid to reach ‘net-zero’ carbon emissions
The Telegraph Church of England set to take ‘softly, softly’ approach by relaxing rules on cushions
Martin Sewell Archbishop Cranmer Is the Church of England about to ban prophets from Synod?
These items are not explicitly on the agenda, but may well come up in Questions.
Ian Paul Psephizo On the appointment of senior leaders in the Church
Church Times – letters from Rebecca Chapman and John Brydon (scroll down)
Papers for next month’s meeting of the Church of England General Synod are now available online. There is a list (with links and a note of the day scheduled for their debate) in numerical order below the fold.
GS 2240 Agenda February 2022
14 CommentsThe General Synod of the Church of England will be meet in London on 8-10 February 2022. The outline timetable has been circulated to Synod members and is copied below.
It came with the following note: “The Business Committee has set the timetable for the February 2022 group of sessions, which can be found attached. The current plan is for Synod to meet from Tuesday 8 February to Thursday 10 February, in person at Church House, Westminster. However, we will continue to monitor Government guidance and should this need to change, we will be in touch.”
GENERAL SYNOD: FEBRUARY 2022 TIMETABLE
Tuesday 8 February
1.45 pm – 7.00 pm
Opening worship and introductions, including formal introduction of the Prolocutors and the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House of Laity
Presidential Address
Business Committee Report
Pattern of Meetings 2024-2026
Racial Justice
*5.15 pm Questions
Wednesday 9 February
9.00 am – 12.30 pm
Eucharist
Safeguarding
Legislative Business The Faculty Jurisdiction Rules (Amendment) Rules 2022
1.45 pm – 7.00 pm
Durham DSM: Challenging Slavery and Human Trafficking
Clergy Remuneration Review
Setting God’s People Free
Vision & Strategy group work
Questions
Thursday 10 February
9.00 am – 12.30 pm
Opening worship
Diversity, difference and disagreement: resources for effecting culture change
Motion on the Governance Review Group policy paper
Appointment of Chair of the Appointments Committee
Appointment of Chair of the Dioceses Commission
2.00 pm – 4.30 pm
Lichfield DSM: Persecuted Church
Canterbury CNC
Farewells
*4.30 pm Prorogation
Meetings of Lower Houses of the Convocations and House of Laity
* not later than
Please note that all timings are indicative unless marked with an asterisk
Deadline for receipt of questions: 1200 hrs Thursday 27 January
13 CommentsChurch of England press release
Meeting of the House of Bishops, 13 December 2021
13/12/2021
The House of Bishops met remotely via Zoom for its final meeting of 2021 on Monday 13 December.
The House agreed with the current direction of travel of the proposed changes to the Standing Orders of the House of Bishops, which will permit UK Minority Ethnic / Global Majority Heritage (UKME/ GMH) to attend as observers. The House agreed to delegate the drafting and approval of the proposed changes to the Standing Committee of the House of Bishops.
The House was then addressed by the Bishop of Huddersfield in his capacity as the lead Bishop for Safeguarding and the Interim Director of Safeguarding. The House approved revisions of the guidance Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults, discussed at the last meeting of the House, which will come into effect at the beginning of July 2022.
The House then went on to take note of a report by the Triennium Funding Working group on Financial Planning for Ministry Support.
The House then turned its attention to preparations for discussions with diocesan secretaries at a joint informal meeting scheduled for February. The House noted the outline and proposed approach.
The House was then addressed by the Bishop of London in her capacity as chair of the Living in Love and Faith (LLF), Next Steps Group. The House was invited to reflect on issues raised in an interim report on a set of responses to the Living in Love and Faith resources. The House took note of the interim report.
The meeting closed in prayer.
9 CommentsChurch of England press release
The House of Bishops met on Wednesday 24 November remotely via Zoom.
The House was updated and approved the direction of travel of work currently relating to the review of ministerial formation. The House then received a series of updates on the Emerging Church workstreams. An update was given to the House on the Transforming Effectiveness workstream, followed by reflections on the reception given to the Governance Review Group and Vision and Strategy presentations at November Synod.
The meeting ended in prayer.
25 CommentsThis post will be updated as the meeting proceeds.
The Church of England’s General Synod is meeting today (16 November) and tomorrow. The timetable is here, the papers are here.
Live Video
All sessions are streamed live on YouTube and remain available to view afterwards.
Tuesday morning (Inauguration ceremony)
Tuesday afternoon
Wednesday morning
Wednesday afternoon
Order Papers
OP1 – Tuesday 16 November PM
OP2 – Wednesday 17 November AM
OP3 – Wednesday 17 November PM
Business Done
Tuesday 16 November (PM)
Wednesday 17 November (AM)
Wednesday 17 November (PM)
Official press releases
The Gospel ‘has brought hope’ amid pandemic: The Queen’s message to Synod
Archbishop of York’s Inauguration Speech of the 11th General Synod
Archbishop of Canterbury’s welcome speech to new General Synod
Synod: Archbishop Justin’s remarks on the Church of Ghana
Archbishops’ Presidential Address to Synod
General Synod backs moves to allow dioceses more freedom to share historic wealth with poorer dioceses
Young leaders from Church schools meet General Synod members ahead of first in-person meeting
Synod calls on politicians to reduce wealth gap between the rich and the poor
Vision and Strategy Address – General Synod November 2021
Farewell to the Bishop of Newcastle
Members’ blogs
Andrew Nunn
Noli me tangere
Our break-through God
Stepping into the boat
Money, money, money
New member Luke Appleton has started a new blog. There are too many items to link individually. As backgound his election address is still available.
Press reports
Church Times
Queen’s message to new Synod speaks of gospel hope amid recent hardships
Archbishops challenge new Synod to be humble and bold
Archbishop Welby greeted by silent protest in Synod over Ghanaian Bill
Reduce gap between rich and poor in UK, Synod urges all parties
Synod agrees to take issue of unequal diocesan wealth further
The Questions (and Answers) for next week’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod were published today. The Question session (on Tuesday afternoon) will be devoted to supplementary questions.
Questions Notice Paper November 2021
Question 3 Notice Board
Question 13 Notice Board – page 1
Question 13 Notice Board – page 2
Question 88 Notice Board
Papers for next month’s meeting of the Church of England General Synod are now available online. There is a list (with links and a note of the day sheduled for their debate) in numerical order below the fold.
Timetable
GS 2232 Agenda November 2021
The first group of sessions of the 2021-2026 General Synod of the Church of England will be held in London on 16-17 November 2021. There will also be an induction day on 15 November. The outline timetable is available here and is copied below. Papers for the inaugural group of sessions will be published on Thursday 28 October.
GENERAL SYNOD: NOVEMBER 2021 TIMETABLE
Tuesday 16 November
10.00 am – 1.00 pm
Inauguration, including Abbey Service
2.45 pm – 7.00 pm
Welcomes and introductions
Welcome to First Church Estates Commissioner
Presidential Address
Report by the Business Committee
Generosity and Diocesan Finances
Question Time *5.30 pm – 7.00 pm
Wednesday 17 November
09.00 am – 12.30 pm
Opening worship
Loyal Address
Special Agenda IV: Leeds DSM: Wealth Gap
2022 Budget and Apportionment
Special Agenda I: Act of Synod for Vacancy in See Amendment Regulations 2021 – For approval
Appointment of AC Member
2.00 pm – 4.30 pm
Vision and Strategy
Report by the Governance Review Group
Farewells
Prorogation
Meetings of the House of Laity 4.45pm – 6pm
* not later than
Please note that all timings are indicative unless marked with an asterisk Deadline for receipt of questions: 1200 hrs Thursday 4th November
Elections to General Synod are currently taking place. I have posted links to the election addresses of candidates here. This includes all the dioceses and special constituencies except for some where candidates were unopposed. The only exception is the Armed Forces Synod whose members are to be “elected or chosen … in such manner as may be determined by the Armed Forces Synod”. I have been unable to find anything online about how this being done.
In addition to election addresses some dioceses have produced videos of the candidates and/or held hustings or question and answer sessions which are available online.
If anybody wants to download any of this material for future reference they are advised to do so in the next few days. If 2015 is any guide some dioceses will remove election addresses from their websites immediately after voting closes on 8 October.
I am also compiling a list of the members of the new synod here.
Additions and corrections to either list can be emailed to me here.
3 CommentsWe linked on 7 August to a critique of the April 2021 amendments to the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003 Code of Practice written by Gavin Drake.
More recently, Rosie Dawson wrote about this for The Living Church: Church of England Code Silences Victims, Critics Say (some additional links added).
13 Comments…”These were significant amendments ,” retired barrister and Synod member David Lamming told TLC. “It’s unfortunate that they were overlooked at Synod because they seem to me to go beyond what the measure authorises, which is that the guidance applies only to those who exercise functions within the CDM process.”
The timing of the amendments has led several commentators to conclude that they were drafted in direct response to concerns about the publicity surrounding a CDM complaint brought against the dean of Christ Church, Oxford, the Rev. Martyn Percy, in November last year. In May 2021 the President of Tribunals, Dame Sarah Asplin, effectively dismissed the case, ruling that it would be disproportionate to refer the matter to a tribunal.
The complaint against the dean came within the context of a long-running, very public and very acrimonious dispute between him and the college and cathedral chapter. Supporters on both sides have engaged in briefing a voracious media. A dedicated website keeps Dean Percy’s supporters abreast of every twist and turn in the saga.
“It is rarely a good idea to legislate from the circumstances of a single case as, appears to have been done here,” says Martin Sewell, a retired Child Protection lawyer and General Synod Candidate. While he believes the motivation behind the changes to the code of practice may have been well-intentioned, he says the effects run contrary to free speech and natural justice. “Much speculative gossip about the circumstances ensued about the nature of the case against Dean Percy. I don’t think it was wrong to have refuted such gossip in careful terms.”
The Church of England would not be drawn on the Percy affair in relation to the changes to the Code of Practice, but said that there had been number of recent cases in which details of complaints under the Clergy Discipline Measure had been made public, causing significant distress and upset for those concerned.
One priest who has fallen afoul of the new rules is the Rev. Robert Thompson, vicar of St. Mary and St James in West Hampstead, London, who announced on Twitter in April that he was subject to a CDM for online bullying. In the adjudication he later received, he was reprimanded for “weaponizing” social media and forbidden from disclosing any further details of the case, including the outcome.
“Robert got the result of his CDM and was told there was no case to answer,” says his friend and fellow priest, the Rev. Andrew Foreshew-Cain, “but he was also told that he couldn’t share that news with anyone. And the instruction was couched in terms of a threat. It should really be up to Robert what he wants to share. He didn’t tweet anything that identified the complainant. The whole thing just smacks of an attempt to silence people within a system which everyone admits is broken.”
In a statement the Church of England said the update to the code was “simply to underline the expectation of confidentiality in clergy discipline cases, while they are ongoing. It said the Clergy Discipline Commission would respond to Drake’s concerns in due course…
The speeches concerning the Safeguarding (Code of Practice) Measure from the Bishop of Blackburn, Lord Cormack, and Lord Lexden are all worth reading. However, I draw you attention to this exchange between Lord Lexden and the Bishop:
Lord Lexden Deputy Chairman of Committees, Deputy Speaker (Lords)
My Lords, my noble friend Lord Cormack referred at the start of his powerful remarks to the passion and anger that he felt because of some recent events. I feel very deep passion and anger, as I shall explain.
I have had the honour of serving on the Ecclesiastical Committee for a few years, but I am afraid I cannot continue my membership of it. I can no longer support the Clergy Discipline Measure, in view of the harm it is capable of inflicting on innocent clergy caught up in sex abuse allegations. Doubts about the Church’s capacity to devise a fair and just system for dealing with accusations of sex abuse laid against its clergy have long been simmering in my mind, not least because of the terrible way in which the reputation of the great George Bell, to whom my noble friend referred, was damaged–and damaged so unfairly. But worry and concern have now given place to total despair; my faith in the Church’s institutional integrity has been completely broken.
Long ago I was briefly close, perhaps for no longer than a single summer, to a witty and clever Cambridge contemporary. He was a classicist who became a lecturer at Exeter University and later took holy orders. His name was Alan Griffin. In November last year, the Reverend Dr Alan Griffin committed suicide. After the end of the inquest into his death in early July this year, the coroner wrote a detailed report on the way that the Church had investigated his suspected sexual misconduct. She revealed that when he died, the Church’s investigation had been going on for over a year. The coroner stated that
“he could not cope with an investigation into his conduct, the detail of and the source for which he had never been told”–
I repeat, the detail and source for which he had never been told.
Worse, when the coroner probed the evidence against him, she found it was non-existent. There was, she said,
“no complainant, no witness and no accuser”.
The Church had acted on the basis of mere gossip and innuendo. Could there be a clearer example of the denial of natural justice?
And how did the Church carry out its investigation during the year in which Alan Griffin was kept in ignorance of the so-called accusations against him? The coroner states:
“nobody took responsibility for steering the direction of the process from start to finish and for making coherent, reasoned, evidence based decisions”.
And so the scene was set for a terrible tragedy.
The last element of the Church’s behaviour in this case which I want the House to note is very serious indeed. The coroner records that submissions
“on behalf of the Church of England … urged me not to include any concerns that may be taken as a criticism of clerics or staff for not filtering or verifying allegations.”
This is not from some shady organisation or business with suspect moral standards, but from our country’s established Church. These are the circumstances that led to the death of a friend of mine from long ago, and that is why my faith in the Church’s institutional integrity has been broken.
Lord Lexden Deputy Chairman of Committees, Deputy Speaker (Lords)
Could the right reverend Prelate comment on the quotation from the coroner’s report that I read out at the end? The Church of England seeking to interfere with the content of a coroner’s report in order to diminish the extent of the criticism it would sustain: is that not utterly reprehensible?
It is reprehensible and unacceptable. One of the big issues has been the whole matter of cover-up and trying to silence voices. That is a very clear example and should never, ever be repeated. I will report that back to the national safeguarding team and others. We are in the business not of covering up but of being transparent and open, so that these things can be brought to light and people can learn from them. It is reprehensible and completely unacceptable.
Updated Thursday
The report of the Governance Review working group (49 pages) has been published here. There is a press release about this, copied below the fold.
The Church Times has extensive coverage:
The Telegraph had this report by Gabriella Swerling on Tuesday evening (which has still not appeared in the CofE daily media digest): Church of England reveals huge overhaul of governance, as parishioners warn of ‘coup’
38 CommentsThe nomination period for this year’s elections to General Synod has closed. Dioceses are now required to post candidates’ election addresses on their websites before sending out voting papers. Some of these have already appeared, and the remainder should be available by the end of the week. I am compiling a list of links to all the addresses, which you can find here. I will update this during the coming week. So far as I am aware there is no similar requirement for the special constituencies.
I am also compiling a list of the members of the new synod here.
Additions and corrections to either list can be emailed to me here.
8 CommentsThis post will be updated as the meeting proceeds.
The Church of England’s General Synod is meeting from today (9 July) to next Monday.
The timetable is here, the papers are here, and there is a live stream of the proceedings here from 1230 today (Friday).
Order papers
I – Friday
II – Saturday morning
III – Saturday afternoon
IV – Sunday
V – Monday morning
VI – Monday afternoon
Official press releases
A shortage of clergy would really limit us – we need more vocations, that’s my prayer’ – Archbishop of York’s address to Synod
National Investing Bodies report climate change progress to General Synod
Lord Boateng named as new Chair of Archbishops’ Racial Justice Commission
Racial Justice Officers: Statement by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, Bishop David Walker and Canon John Spence
Archbishop of York’s address to Synod on Vision and Strategy
Synod Officers condemn “disgraceful” racism following Euro 2020 final
Official record of business done
Business Done Friday 9 July
Business Done Saturday 10 July (AM)
Business Done Saturday 10 July (PM)
Business Done Sunday 11 July (PM)
Business Done Monday 12 July (AM)
Business Done Monday 12 July (PM)
Members’ blogs
Stephen Lynas
preview of the business: This could be the last time…
Friday’s business: I just stay home the whole day long, and think of you…
Saturday’s business: Money don’t get everything, it’s true
Sunday’s business: Oh, won’t you stay just a little bit longer?
Monday’s business: Still crazy after all these years
Andrew Nunn
Crumbs
Lumi
Time’s up!
Tim Hind reports for the Open Synod Group.
Other blogs
Helen King Handing on the baton?
Church Times
Sheffield trauma will not be revisited, Synod hears
Clarification: not 10,000 but 20,000; not a strategy but a vision
‘Shock’ on C of E taskforce at refusal of funding for diocesan racial-justice officers
Clergy are a limiting factor, says York … the lack of them
Church is entering a season of action on safeguarding, says Gibbs
Investors are doing their bit to fight climate change, says Minghella
‘Will we need a sick note?’ Synod struggles over voter-not-present proposals
Parliament to fix communion clause just in time for Synod elections
Synod hears about the pain of pastoral reorganisation
Parish clergy are at the heart of any new strategy, Archbishop of York insists
Church must address abuse of women priests on social media, says Bishop of London
Other press reports
The Guardian C of E rejects call to appoint racial justice officers in every diocese
Church of England accused of stifling debate on race and gender
Other things
Synod will be debating replacing the Clergy Discipline Measure on Sunday afternoon. The Sheldon Hub has published this: General Synod July 2021 – out of the frying pan into the fire?
[Users of the General Synod app should note that this debate and some other items have been omitted from the timetable.]
Updated Friday
The Questions and Answers for this coming weekend’s meeting of General Synod are now available. Question Time is on Friday evening. As usual the questions and answers will be taken as read and the allocated time in the agenda devoted to supplementaries.
Questions Notice Paper
Q3 additional information
Q54 additional information
Update
There is a list of members who have indicated that they wish to ask supplementary questions here.
21 Comments