The Church of England’s House of Bishops met this week and issued the following brief press release.
Meeting of the House of Bishops
11/12/2019
The House of Bishops met from Monday 9th December to Wednesday 11th December at Lambeth Palace.
The House considered progress to date in the Living in Love and Faith project through discussion, prayer and reflection. The House discussed safeguarding with a presentation from the National Director of Safeguarding.
On the eve of the general election, the House reviewed the national situation politically and prayed for the good of the country.
Other items on the agenda included Renewal and Reform and the Implementation and Dialogue Group Report.
Not exactly a press release with any specific information, is it! Just the agenda really. Glad to hear they prayed for the country, but a bit more actual leadership in challenging the lies, mendacity, waffle and trivia of the past few weeks would have been good.
”but a bit more actual leadership in challenging the lies, mendacity, waffle and trivia of the past few weeks would have been good.”
The bishops are very much part of the establishment so they aren’t going to challenge it.
One wonders why the bothered to issue a press release that says so little.
One might also wonder why they bothered to meet in the first place given the apparent paucity of outcomes.
Might I suggest that the House of Bishops should produce a full transcript of its meetings (save for any redactions in respect of truly confidential business.) I don’t suggest that this is produced within 24 hours (like Hansard), but I do suggest that the HoB should follow the example of General Synod (where a verbatim ‘Report of Proceedings’ is published on the C of E website, usually within two months of the end of a Group pf Sessions – though we’re still awaiting the Report from July 2019) and of the House of Laity (where, similarly, a verbatim record is… Read more »
Dream on
Brilliant, David Lamming. This should be seen as good practice. The CofE has always found it difficult to differentiate between secrecy and confidentiality. Of course some things may need to be kept confidential, but secrecy should have no place in the governance of the church. Thank you David for being so clear in your suggestions of how it could be done.
Worth considering in more detail, although I doubt General Synod is capable of ordering how the House of Bishops conduct their business, anymore than the House of Clergy or House of Laity can in respect of another house. Maybe a change of command will help, and the influence of newer, younger bishops. There is real need for greater accountability of bishops, something IICSA has made much of, and presumably will say more about. Bishops are scarily independent.
”Bishops are scarily independent.”
As a corpus that is true but anyone who would show individual independence is screened out before appointment.
Indeed. Alan Wilson would never get through the Boddington net these days.
Well there you go – we met, had a discussion about things, shared a prayer and that’s all you need to know. Good to know that they are engaging with vital issues in the church which affect everyone and sharing their thoughts and reflections – not. This is 2019. No wonder people can’t be bothered and see the church leadership as out of touch.
There’s a bit here (36-45 seconds) that pretty much sums up the importance of the bishops. As a cradle Wesleyan, I’m still not sure what they’re for other than pastoral care of clergy. Or should be. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdRXliIO-Bw&list=RDAdRXliIO-Bw&start_radio=1&t=7
That about sums it up! That cheered up a miserable Monday. Although I suspect they have people who do in the kitchen……As for pastoral care of clergy I’ve only known one who made that a priority. Sadly he got panned for actually doing his job and for caring. These days I do wonder what they are for except to go about and give an appearance of importance, A bit like the emperors new clothes!
‘We met; we panicked over the decline of the church and the futility of Living in Love & Faith; consequently we drank too much wine over dinner; a few bishops failed to pass the port correctly because they weren’t Oxbridge educated; we had a thumping hangover the next morning, and thus we left to go and vote even more depressed than when we arrived.’ That wouldn’t make for a good press release even if it is probably more informative than the current description of their meeting which hardly warrants their Lordship’s First Class train fares to London. Although it must… Read more »