"These commitments will honour the votes already taken by the Synod and the general sense of direction, while also inviting the whole of the Synod to make a commitment to the principle of being a broad Church in which different views are not just accepted, but honoured as part of what it means to be the living, dynamic, and beautiful body of Christ."
The orthodox should be shocked.
Read moreThen move on to a discussion about the provision made for those unable to accept the ministry of women bishops -- knowing that it is an issue that divides those orthodox on sexuality and that one of the more forthright bishops has already announced, "It ain't working." The timing of this 'review' cannot be a coincidence.
Read moreBetween 1999 and 2015, more than 700 sub-postmasters were prosecuted after the faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their sites.
Fewer than 100 convictions have been overturned to date in what has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history.
Read moreNow Canterbury Cathedral, built by the Benedictines as the seat of St Augustine, is turning itself into a night club with its forthcoming "rave in the nave". The Dean, Dr David Monteith, has been honest, although he has talked unconvincingly in terms of "getting the youth into church".
Read moreThe most high-profile of these "Ministers in Secular Employment", as they are officially termed, is now undoubtedly Paula Vennells, the disgraced former Post Office boss. While it is possible for priests initially recruited as unpaid volunteers to later move into paid roles, sometimes senior ones, it is unprecedented that Vennells was one of three candidates interviewed as a possible Bishop of London in 2017, despite never having held an actual paid job in the Church.
Read moreLong-term decline coupled with COVID has left much of the church in deep trouble. Yes, there are wonderful pockets of vitality, but their number is shrinking. The new data show that, during COVID, the condition of much of the church has moved from serious to critical.
The End of Sunday
The latest C of E data are just out, covering 2022. Here are the overall figures for Sunday attendance in the Church of England since 2000.
Read moreIn an end of 2023 article, Nic Tall (Secretary of the General Synod Gender & Sexuality Group) presented a case that the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) has been "Plotting the Division of the Church of England" since at least 2016.
Read moreThe new panel will discern those who will be providing the informal alternative spiritual oversight and comprises:
Read moreThe CofE has been debating for a number of years whether to change its understanding and practice around same-sex marriage. Given how things went with the Living in Love and Faith process in the last couple of years, the proposals that came forward in February didn't come as a great surprise.
Do you regard December 17th as something of a dark day for the CofE?
Read moreThe first is the poor theology. Part of the problem is that the PLF have emerged from a theological context which values superficial church 'unity' and does not wish to disturb the conscience of the secular world. PLF dishonestly gerrymander doctrine in an attempt to appease the Bible-believing camp by suggesting that these prayers are not a change of doctrine, merely a pastoral provision.
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