Church of England

Radical progressive activism and the Church of England

Civitas have published a new report: Rotting from the Head: Radical progressive activism and the Church of England. 'Radical progressive activism' is a slippery concept, not least because not all progressives would term their activism 'radical', and not all radicals…

bullying church of england priest suicide

The immoral, scandalous and disgraceful nature of CofE bullying

July 22, 2021
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'Immoral, scandalous or disgraceful' is a phrase from the Statutes of Christ Church, Oxford: it describes behaviour warranting disciplinary action being undertaken within that institution, but it is also an…

Fr Alan Griffin suicide safeguarding CDM

Church of England safeguarding drove Fr Alan Griffin to suicide

July 19, 2021
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A priest is dead. That's okay: all priests die; ashes to ashes, and all that. But this priest killed himself because he was subject to a CDM. That's a Clergy…

hedgerley church save the parish general synod elections

General Synod elections: can ‘Save the Parish’ save the Church of England?

July 13, 2021
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"There are about to be General Synod elections. So, stand. Stand and write in your manifesto that you are standing to ‘Save the parish’," writes the Rev'd Marcus Walker, Rector…

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Institutional bullying in the Church of England: it’s time to face the liturgical music

July 7, 2021
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On 1st July 2021 a research paper by Clive Billenness was published to assist the Diocese in Europe in addressing the problem of institutional bullying within the Church of England.…

‘Key limiting factors’: the end of stipendiary parish ministry

July 3, 2021
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Priests are expensive. Church buildings are expensive. Theological formation is expensive. So the Church of England has set out its 'Vision and Strategy' for cost-cutting: 10,000 new lay-led churches over…

Bishop Liverpool Paul Bayes Gender Neutral

Bishop of Liverpool seeks to expunge male and female from marriage

June 30, 2021
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"I want to see a gender-neutral marriage canon, such as they have in the Episcopal Church or in the Scottish Episcopal Church," said the Rt Rev'd Paul Bayes, Bishop of…

matt hancock adultery bishop manchester david walker

Bishop dismisses Matt Hancock’s adultery as “a bit of a fling”

June 28, 2021
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Two marriages have broken down, with all the heartache, tears and loneliness of the innocent parties. One wedding ring has been thrown to the floor in the passion of betrayal;…

Boris Johnson is not a professing Roman Catholic: he will still advise the Queen on the selection of Bishops

June 21, 2021
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Is Boris Johnson a Roman Catholic? Yes and no. During an ITV interview with Robert Peston, the Prime Minister was asked if he is now "a practising Roman Catholic", following…

Diocese of Oxford Dean of Christ Church Martyn Percy

Diocese of Oxford misrepresents the President of Tribunals, leaving Martyn Percy ‘under a cloud’

June 19, 2021
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This is a guest post by Martin Sewell and David Lamming, members of General Synod. The statement posted belatedly on the Diocese of Oxford website on 18th June Decision…

Dean Martyn Percy Dirty Dossier Risk Assessment Christ Church Oxford

Who wrote the ‘Dirty Dossier’ on the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford?

June 16, 2021
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Christ Church, Oxford, is being challenged to reveal who produced controversial safeguarding documents aimed at its Dean, the Very Rev'd Prof. Martyn Percy. The unattributed Risk Assessment relates to the…

Christ Church Oxford: Dean Martyn Percy cleared for the fifth time

June 2, 2021
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In the case of the allegation of sexual assault and harassment made against Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church Oxford, the Church of England determined that the CDM (Clergy Discipline…

Was Tim Dakin made Bishop of Winchester without being validly ordained priest?

May 30, 2021
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There is something very peculiar going on in the Diocese of Winchester (which may or may not have spent £500,000 on NDAs). Not only has its Bishop 'stepped back' or…

CDM PTSD: the trauma, stress and disorder of the Clergy Discipline Measure

May 28, 2021
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The Clergy Discipline Measure (2003, amended by the Safeguarding and Clergy Discipline Measure 2016) is a Measure passed by the General Synod of the Church of England for the maintenance…

Institutional narcissism church of england

Institutional narcissism in the Church of England

May 24, 2021
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"The BBC, the NHS and Oxfam have a bad case of institutional narcissism", wrote Matthew Syed in the Sunday Times yesterday. It is a terse but cogent thesis, coming in…

Chaplain Bernard Randall Trent College Nottingham

By sacking its Chaplain, Trent College, Nottingham, rejects fundamental British values

May 20, 2021
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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…

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If ‘contested’ monuments, statues and memorials must fall, who shall stand?

May 12, 2021
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The guidance issued by the Church of England in respect of its 'contested heritage' (specifically monuments, statues and monuments relating to the slave trade and/or colonialism) is confusing (to put…

Rev’d Paula Vennells should be removed from the CofE Ethical Investment Advisory Group

April 26, 2021
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Paula Vennells was CEO of the Post Office for seven years, from 2012-2019, when hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses had their lives ruined (really, really, ruined) as they were convicted…

From Lament To Action: the report of the Archbishops’ Anti-Racism Taskforce

April 23, 2021
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The Archbishops' Anti-Racism Taskforce have published their report 'From Lament to Action', which proposes a raft of changes designed to bring about a change of culture in the life of…

church england welby non-disclosure agreements

One Church of England diocese has spent £500,000 on 20 Non-Disclosure Agreements

April 22, 2021
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It has been disturbing to learn that victims of racism in the Church of England have had to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) before they could receive compensation which might be…