As culture and attitudes continue to change, the Church faces a range of new social realities. These include the rise in cohabitation and the wide scale acceptance of divorce with its negative impact on children, the explosion of diverse types of family relationships, the emergence of gender fluidity and bisexuality, and the recognition of same-sex unions. These far-reaching social changes raise questions and -- in some quarters -- undermine confidence in our inherited teaching.
Read moreThe Church of England has been suffering from a conflict of values with its members, especially the under 25s. Recent debates around same-sex marriage, abortion and female bishops, have threatened to split the church and alienate a significant proportion of its congregation. Throughout ongoing controversies, including the lack of support for policies on women, the Church of England has come across as outdated.
Read moreThe lawyer for David Potter, who has been banned for life from ringing the famous bells, claimed the move by church officials amounted to a "breach of natural justice" and called on Sentamu to explain his claim that there was an ongoing inquiry into "safeguarding" issues at the cathedral.
Colin Byrne, of the law firm Howard & Byrne, said Sentamu's assertion contradicted a letter he received in September from a minster canon saying: "The matter is closed."
Read moreBefore arriving at Lambeth Palace today, Patriarch Kirill had an audience with Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace, at which the Archbishop and the Bishop of London were present.
Read moreIt is a saga of scripted dishonesty, cover-up, lying, obfuscation, and nepotism of the most distasteful variety. It stinks. But there is no confession, no repentance and no reconciliation. What the world sees is only more scripted dishonesty, damage control, digging in of heels, and closing of ranks among the hierarchy of the Church of England.
Read moreThe ReNew warning was timely because shortly after the conference the 9:38 Network, which runs conferences for people considering church leadership, circulated a booklet called Mind the Gap: Raising up the Next Generation of Gospel Workers.
This booklet directly applied 2 Timothy 2v2 to local church leaders: 'What you (Timothy) have heard from me (the Apostle Paul) entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also' (RSV).
Read moreIt includes a replica checkpoint and features photographs by Peter Morgan, along with accounts of Palestinians' experiences. It was organised by Katherine Fox, who has recently returned from monitoring human rights in Bethlehem with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, which is supported by the Methodist Church.
Read more"Here's the castle with the bells, a world of merriment their melody foretells!" visitors to the happy land would sing as their carriages crossed the River Ouse and entered the gates of Eboracum. "How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, while the stars that oversprinkle, all the heavens, seem to twinkle," lovers in the happy land would croon while they nestled amid the gardens of Eboracum.
Read moreThe Church of England is at a crossroads in her calling to bring hope and transformation to our nation. The presenting issue is that of human sexuality, in particular whether or not the Church is able to affirm sexual relationships beyond opposite sex marriage.
Read more"Thank you enormously for the invitation to us as evangelical bishops in the Church of England where we are wrestling with some critical issues," said Dakin, spokesman for the group.
"Please keep praying for the Church of England at [this] critical time. The Church of England is like an oil tanker which is slow and hard to turn; it does not make decisions in a hurry and sometimes that is a good thing."
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