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SOUL SURVIVOR WATFORD: REVIEW PUBLISHED

on Thursday, 26 September 2024 at 2.08 pm by Simon Sarmiento
categorised as Church of England, News, Safeguarding

In November 2023 the Trustees of Soul Survivor festivals, Soul Survivor Watford,
and Soul61 (collectively known as Soul Survivor) commissioned Fiona Scolding KC
to conduct an Independent Review into the culture and practices of Soul
Survivor, following the National Safeguarding Team’s investigation into Mike
Pilavachi.

 * Executive Summary
 * Full report

Responses

 * Soul Survivor Statement concerning the outcome of the Fiona Scolding KC’s
   Independent Review
 * Diocese of St Albans Scolding review into Soul Survivor
 * Church of England: Scolding review: Statement from lead safeguarding bishop

A statement from Richard Scorer is copied below the fold.

(more…)

34 Comments


SHOULD THE CNC PROCEDURES BE CHANGED?

on Sunday, 22 September 2024 at 6.22 pm by Simon Sarmiento
categorised as Church of England, General Synod

Two previous articles dealing with this:

 * Proposals to reform the CNC procedures
 * Bishops back proposals to simplify nomination process for diocesan bishops

Two Church Times articles (both linked previously):

 * After deadlocks, Crown Nominations Commission’s secret ballots may end
 * House of Bishops’ CNC debate rouses ire of central members

Other opinions:

Andrew Goddard Choosing Bishops: A Failure to Discern?

Anthony Archer Crown Nominations Commission Back in the Firing Line

102 Comments


OPINION – 21 SEPTEMBER 2024

on Saturday, 21 September 2024 at 11.00 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Opinion

Top 1000 funds Church Commissioners: Managing historic real assets for the
future

Rosalind Rutherford ViaMedia.News What do Others Think of Us?

Neil Patterson ViaMedia.News Can the Church of England be Mature about Love?

Martyn Percy Meander Crisis, What Crisis?

Bosco Peters Liturgy Do Churches Really Want More People?

Martyn Percy Surviving Church Weighing Church of England Safeguarding on the
Scales of Justice: No. 1: Who Pays?

52 Comments


BISHOPS BACK PROPOSALS TO SIMPLIFY NOMINATION PROCESS FOR DIOCESAN BISHOPS

on Wednesday, 18 September 2024 at 9.21 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, General Synod

Updated Friday evening

As we reported earlier the Church of England’s House of Bishops met today to
consider proposals to reform the CNC (Crown Nominations Commission) procedures
for nominating diocesan bishops. The proposals are in paragraphs 12 to 14 of
HB(24)30. They were accepted with one amendment (which did not alter the
proposed change to the CNC procedures) by 27 votes to nine, with three
abstentions.

The proposals and their background are summarised in a press release, which is
copied  below.

The House met in public and there is a report of their debate in the Church
Times.

The CNC procedures are part of the standing orders of General Synod. The
bishops’ proposed changes must be agreed by the Synod, which next meets in
February 2025. Changes to standing orders can come into effect immediately.

Friday evening update

The Church Times has published a further article House of Bishops’ CNC debate
rouses ire of central members.

Press release

Bishops back proposals to simplify nomination process for diocesan bishops
18/09/2024

House of Bishops supports proposals to simplify the Crown Nominations Commission
process

The House of Bishops has given its support to proposed changes to the process of
nominating future diocesan bishops to the Crown, to simplify the process and
help enable a broad representation.

The House – which is made up of the diocesan bishops and other senior bishops in
the Church of England – agreed to ask General Synod to consider changing the
rules governing how Crown Nominations Commissions (CNCs), which nominate future
diocesan bishops, operate.

It follows two cases in the last year in which CNCs were unable to reach
agreement to fill vacancies for new bishops.

When a see becomes vacant a CNC gathers to consider possible candidates and put
forward a name to the King through the Prime Minister. Once the nomination has
been approved by the King, the new bishop is announced by Downing Street. (Note:
a ‘see’ is the area of a bishop’s authority and jurisdiction.)

In each case the CNC is made up of a combination of representatives from the
local diocese and a group of “central members”, elected from the General Synod
to represent the national Church.

Following the two recent cases in which the CNC was unable to appoint (for new
Bishops of Carlisle and Ely), the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, who chairs
the Advisory Group for Appointments and Vocations, suggested a series of changes
including to the voting threshold required to make an appointment.

Under the current Standing Orders, at least two thirds of the members of a CNC
must support a nomination before it goes forward. That includes any who decide
to abstain.

However, as Bishop Sarah explains in a paper to the House, currently, with 14
members on a CNC, this means 10 members must agree, meaning the threshold is in
fact above 71 per cent.

Bishop Sarah proposed:

 * Reducing the threshold required for a nomination to 60 per cent of those
   voting, also removing any abstentions from the total.
 * Remove the secret ballot.
 * Giving the presiding Archbishop (of Canterbury or York) an additional vote in
   the event of a deadlock.

Speaking at the bishops’ meeting in Oxford today, she said: “There is a lack of
diversity on the CNC, including gender, race, and theology, which has led to a
loss of trust in the process.

“Restoring trust will require the process to be competent, consistent, full of
integrity, and compassionate. Ultimately, we need to restore confidence in this
discernment process under God.”

The House approved a motion welcoming the recommendations by 27 votes to nine,
with three abstentions.

Notes to editors

The motion agreed by the House was:

‘That this House, regretting the difficulties in the recent CNC processes as set
out in HB(24)30 welcome the recommendations as set out in paragraphs 12 to 14 of
that paper and request that work be undertaken to bring the proposals to Synod.’

51 Comments


CHURCH OF ENGLAND CENSUS DASHBOARDS

on Tuesday, 17 September 2024 at 6.02 pm by Peter Owen
categorised as statistics

The Church of England has mapped the 2021 Census figures against parishes.

Census Dashboards

These dashboards provide a 1-page parish summary of national census and
deprivation data, mapped onto Church of England parish boundaries (boundaries as
of October 2023).

19 Comments


OPINION – 14 SEPTEMBER 2024

on Saturday, 14 September 2024 at 11.00 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Opinion

‘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 Comments


SUFFRAGAN BISHOP OF SOUTHAMPTON

on Friday, 13 September 2024 at 10.22 am by Simon Kershaw
categorised as Church of England, News

Press release from 10 Downing Street. Further information from Winchester
diocese.

> APPOINTMENT OF SUFFRAGAN BISHOP OF SOUTHAMPTON: 13 SEPTEMBER 2024
> 
> The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Rhiannon King,
> Archdeacon of Ipswich and Director of ‘Inspiring Ipswich’, in the Diocese of
> St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, as Suffragan Bishop of Southampton, in the Diocese
> of Winchester.
> 
> From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
> Published 13 September 2024
> 
> The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Rhiannon King,
> Archdeacon of Ipswich and Director of ‘Inspiring Ipswich’, in the Diocese of
> St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, as Suffragan Bishop of Southampton, in the Diocese
> of Winchester, in succession to The Right Reverend Deborah Sellin, following
> her translation to Bishop of Peterborough.
> 
> BACKGROUND
> 
> Rhiannon was educated at Exeter University, has two Master’s degrees and
> trained for ministry at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. She served her title in the
> Huntingdon Team Ministry in the Diocese of Ely and in 2001 she was ordained
> priest. From 2004, Rhiannon served as Rector of Fulbourn and the Wilbrahams, a
> rural multi-parish benefice outside Cambridge, during which time she was
> elected to General Synod. In 2010 she was appointed Transforming Church
> Co-ordinator/Diocesan Mission Enabler in the Diocese of Birmingham and, from
> 2014, she served as the Director of Mission.
> 
> In 2019, Rhiannon took up her current roles as Archdeacon of Ipswich and
> Director of ‘Inspiring Ipswich’, in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.

29 Comments


PROPOSALS TO REFORM THE CNC PROCEDURES

on Wednesday, 11 September 2024 at 5.08 pm by Simon Sarmiento
categorised as Church of England, General Synod

Updated Thursday

Updated again 17 September

The House of Bishops meets on 18 September. The Agenda is published here.

The paper to be discussed HB(24)30 is published here: Crown Nominations
Commission September 2024.

General Synod members have today been sent an email, which includes the
following:

> House of Bishops
> The House of Bishops will meet on Wednesday 18 September at St Hugh’s College
> Oxford to consider proposals for reform of CNCs.  The paper and agenda will
> shortly be available on the House of Bishops section of the website .  This
> will follow on from a meeting of the College on this topic at which all
> bishops will be able to speak.  The House of Bishops Standing Committee has
> agreed that this part of the meeting should be open to the public and press,
> subject to limitations in the room, to observe.  Priority will be given to
> central members of the CNC but if General Synod members wish to attend they
> are asked to notify synod@churchofengland.org and seats will be allocated on a
> first come, first served basis.

Updates

Law & Religion UK has this report: Bishops to discuss difficulties in Crown
Nominations Commission processes

Church Times has this: After deadlocks, Crown Nominations Commission’s secret
ballots may end

Second Update

An order paper has been issued for the House of Bishops meeting. The meeting
will now last an hour (5.00 to 6.00 pm) instead of the originally planned 25
minutes. The bishops of Oxford and Rochester will be proposing amendments.

Law & Religion UK has also published the Order Paper text here. This copy
includes live links to the GS documents referenced.

69 Comments


OPINION – 11 SEPTEMBER 2024

on Wednesday, 11 September 2024 at 11.00 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Opinion

Gavin 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 Comments


BISHOP OF CREDITON ANNOUNCES HER RETIREMENT

on Wednesday, 11 September 2024 at 10.49 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, News

The Bishop of Crediton, the Rt Revd Jackie Searle, has announced that she plans
to retire at the end of January 2025.

3 Comments


OPINION – 7 SEPTEMBER 2024

on Saturday, 7 September 2024 at 11.17 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Opinion

Pippa 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 Comments


DR TIM WAMBUNYA APOLOGISES FOR HIS ROLE IN A BERLIN ORDINATION SERVICE

on Friday, 6 September 2024 at 3.08 pm by Simon Sarmiento
categorised as Anglican Communion, Church of England, News

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

108 Comments


CATHEDRAL STATISTICS 2023

on Thursday, 5 September 2024 at 10.48 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Church of England, statistics

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…)

20 Comments


CNC, WOMEN BISHOPS, AND LLF

on Wednesday, 4 September 2024 at 10.07 am by Simon Sarmiento
categorised as Church of England, General Synod

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.

31 Comments


USING THE PRAYERS OF LOVE AND FAITH: AN ONLINE COLLOQUIUM

on Sunday, 1 September 2024 at 1.46 pm by Simon Kershaw
categorised as Conferences

Transforming Worship (formerly Praxis) South West will be hosting an online
colloquium entitled ‘Using the Prayers of Love and Faith’ on Thursday 3 October
from 10am until 12.30pm via Zoom.

The keynote speakers are Canon Dr Phillip Tovey and the Revd Mark Earey, who are
co-authors of the recently published Grove Booklet Can We Use the Prayers of
Love and Faith? examining the liturgical possibilities of the PLF material. In
this colloquium they will look at the options and possibilities available with
the material thus far commended.

Further details, including booking information, can be found on the Transforming
Worship website.

The colloquium is open to all.

28 Comments


OPINION – 31 AUGUST 2024

on Saturday, 31 August 2024 at 11.00 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Opinion

Helen 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 Comments


SUFFRAGAN BISHOP OF WOLVERHAMPTON

on Tuesday, 27 August 2024 at 10.11 am by Simon Kershaw
categorised as Church of England, News

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.

62 Comments


OPINION – 24 AUGUST 2024

on Saturday, 24 August 2024 at 11.00 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Opinion

Madeleine 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 Comments


OPINION – 21 AUGUST 2024

on Wednesday, 21 August 2024 at 11.16 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Opinion

Helen 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 Comments


OPINION – 17 AUGUST 2024

on Saturday, 17 August 2024 at 11.08 am by Peter Owen
categorised as Opinion

Madeleine Davies Church Times

 * Resources churches: the Marmite effect
   “In the first of a two-part series, Madeleine Davies looks at their purpose —
   and reaction to them”
 * Resource churches: To sow, plant, or graft?
   “In the second part of her investigation, Madeleine Davies examines the
   evolution of the resource-church model in the C of E”

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 Comments
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