Next month’s meeting of General Synod will be debating this private member’s motion, proposed by The Revd Mark Bratton, on Thursday 11 February:
“That this Synod request the Archbishops’ Council and the Church of England Pensions Board to bring forward changes to the rules governing the clergy pension scheme in order to go beyond the requirements of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and provide for pension benefits to be paid to the surviving civil partners of deceased clergy on the same basis as they are currently paid to surviving spouses.‟.
Here are the papers for this debate.
GS 1770A Background paper by Mark Bratton available here as a PDF, and also here as a web page
GS 1770B Background note from the Rt Reverend John Packer available here as a PDF, and also here as a web page
Well that’s a start towards honesty. Recovery begins when you admit your faults. Keep coming, it works!
Shocking that this has to be debated!
Can anyone really want old and elderly bereaved women and men to be denied their partners’ pension in their final years ?
I’m surprised this has not been resolved in England already. It has in Scotland, a long time ago.
So first the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds claims on radio and in the press that the bullying of clergy is unheard of, rare and always dealt with brilliantly by the bishops (despite the – unscientific – Church Times poll which overwhelmingly contradicts him) and now explains why basic justice cannot be done……….
‘Of course I believe in the apostolic succession! How else could I explain the direct descent of the bishop of … from Judas Iscariot?’