John Bercow had ‘unholy row’ with the Church over Speaker’s Chaplain
Former Speaker John Bercow has been found to be a "serial bully" and a "serial liar". This is the judgment of an Independent Expert Panel appointed to investigate his behaviour…
Chaplaincy
Christ Church ‘victim’ Alannah Jeune inadvertently corroborates that Martyn Percy is the real victim of a gross injustice
When Alannah Jeune, the ‘victim’ in the renowned case of Christ Church, Oxford vs Dr Martyn Percy (which somehow became conflated with and morphed into an allegation of sexual harassment), decided to tell her story to the Daily Telegraph, it…
Bramble Welby introduces her human on a BBC Newscast
Bramble Welby upstaged her human on a BBC Newcast this week. "Lie down. Can you lie down. That's a good girl," said the Archbishop of Canterbury. "Nope," thought Bramble. "Not…
What if Nottingham University were right to ‘cancel’ its Catholic chaplain?
TRIGGER WARNING: The following blog post includes a discussion of the harsh treatment experienced by a Roman Catholic chaplain, and issues of religious liberty, common sense and Christian compassion. Its…
By sacking its Chaplain, Trent College, Nottingham, rejects fundamental British values
Trent College in Long Eaton, between Nottingham and Derby, is an independent Anglican school, which used to have a chaplain. He was the Rev'd Dr Bernard Randall, a former chaplain…
Islamic extremism in Brixton Prison: the curious case of the banned chaplain
It will come as no surprise to learn that the prisoner population in the UK is suffering immensely during the Covid lockdown. As if they weren't cut off and isolated…
Sabbatical problematical: give the Archbishop a break, for God’s sake
"Unlike the archbishop, Jesus could not retire to cultivate his personal spirituality because he was perpetually besieged by desperate people", writes Karen Armstrong in the Guardian's 'Comment is Free', objecting…
Care in a covid climate: in defence of Justin Welby
"The Archbishop of Canterbury has been secretly volunteering as a chaplain at St Thomas’s Hospital during the coronavirus lockdown, the Telegraph has learned." The Telegraph learned this when the rest…
Canon Simon Butler responds to Archbishop Cranmer & Fr Marcus Walker
This is a guest post from Canon Simon Butler, vicar of St Mary's, Battersea. ____________ I’m grateful for being given a right of reply to the article about an exchange…
Parliamentary prayers give strength and instil humility: they impose nothing and exclude no one
"If MPs don’t want to attend prayers, they wait outside for five minutes until they are over", tweeted Nadine Dorries MP, in response to those who are agitating anew for…
Rev’d Jonathan Aitken calls the nation to pray for Parliament
From The Times' 'Credo' column yesterday, by the Rev'd Jonathan Aitken, reproduced here with permission: After a seismic week of political and constitutional upheavals at Westminster, might this be a…
Sir Humphrey sneers at the CofE to appoint Chaplain General of Prisons
There is a vacancy for the post of Chaplain General of Prisons (or, to give it its full title: Head of Chaplaincy and Faith Services at Her Majesty’s Prison and…
Prison chaplains may no longer convict offenders of sin: preaching must be ‘sensitive’
Remember the case of the Rev'd Barry Trayhorn, the 'tent-maker' (gardener) volunteer prison chaplain at HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire? Being an ordained minister in the Pentecostal Church, he quoted Scripture…
Nurse sacked for offering to pray with patients? Draconian, but not persecution
To read that Sister Sarah Kuteh has been sacked by Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, for the crime of offering to pray with her patients, is a cause of…
Should Christians in the public sector 'keep mum' to get on?
"Christianity is being subtly 'silenced' within the public sector in the UK because of a civil service culture which treats speaking about faith as 'not the done thing'," writes…
Rev'd Barry Trayhorn "forced to resign" as prison worker – for quoting the Bible in chapel
HMP Littlehey is a 'Category C' men's prison ("Those who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who are unlikely to try to escape") and Young Offender Institute near…
The power of God's love to transform hardened criminals
Over the course of the last week, the Church of England has been running a fascinating series of podcasts talking to offenders currently in prison about finding God and the difference…