Church of England

Is baptism by immersion Anglican?

by

Why was a faculty application for a portable baptismal pool in a church in Southwell and Nottingham rejected? What does that tell us about processes in the Church of England—and are they fit for purpose? It is not often that a consistory court judgment makes the national press, and when it does it is usually … Continue Reading

How should the Church of England respond to the Green Party’s antisemitism?

by

The Green Party has become one of the most extreme in the UK following its annual conference. If the Church of England bans clergy from being members of other extreme parties, why not this one? At their annual conference, the Green Party passed a number of measures, most of which went unreported. They included: Inclusive … Continue Reading

‘Open Reception’ and sexuality: three obstacles to a New Proposal

by

When the Church of England changed its practice to allow the ordination of women, there was a period of ‘open reception.’ Is there a parallel with same-sex marriage? Could ‘open reception’ both work and preserve unity? What are the major obstacles to such an idea? Andrew Goddard writes: The House of Bishops in July’s General Synod … Continue Reading

How do General Synod elections work?

by

Andrew Goddard writes: The election process for the new General Synod of the Church of England is now well underway with the voting period having opened just over a week ago on Monday 21st September and closing on Monday 12th (postal) or Tuesday 13th October (online). Results will be declared over the rest of that … Continue Reading

Who is writing the new Religious Education curriculum?

by

Guy Hordern writes: For more than eighty years, the Church of England has had a formal place in determining what is taught in Religious Education in England. That may shortly change. The Government is proposing that Religious Education should become part of the National Curriculum. I am not writing to argue for or against that proposal. … Continue Reading

Where have all the clergy gone?

by

The harsh reality of demographics means that the numbers of stipendiary clergy will continue to decline significantly over the next ten years. What will that mean in practice for the future of the Church? What issues does it raise—and is anyone actually facing up to these questions? Save the Parish, who are campaigning (not least … Continue Reading

Slavery, Ghana, and the Church

by

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, has been visiting west Africa, and was pictured meeting both the King of the Ashanti (above) and visiting the sites of slave trading, in particular the embarkation points for the Transatlantic slave trade, where she was clearly personally moved. I noticed this comment from Father Richard Woods, a retired … Continue Reading

A Cry and a Curriculum: Reading Kairos II Before Using It

by

In July of this year, the General Synod voted to ‘hear’ the Kairos II Palestine document as a ‘cry’ of their Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters. This caused serious offence amongst the Jewish community, and was claimed to be deeply antisemitic by some commentators, whilst others welcomed it as a necessary step in listening to … Continue Reading