Thinking Anglicans

Archbishop of Wales – news and comment

Some of these articles appeared before the announcement of Archbishop John’s retirement.

Gavin Drake The Living Church Welsh Primate Resigns in Cathedral Leadership Scandal

Church Times Archbishop of Wales steps down, with immediate effect

Harriet Sherwood The Guardian Archbishop of Wales stands down after Bangor cathedral scandal

Gwyn Loader BBC News Archbishop retires amid cathedral behaviour failings

Martin Shipton Nation Cymru Church in Wales charities probed by Charity Commission

Here is the personal statement by the Archbishop issued on Monday this week: Statement on Bangor Cathedral Visitation Report implementation.

The process for electing a new Archbishop is in the Constitution. Within thirty days after a vacancy arises in the archbishopric, the senior Diocesan Bishop (currently the Bishop of St Asaph) shall summon each member of the Archbishop’s Electoral College to a meeting to be held not less than fourteen and not more than thirty days after the date of such summons. So the meeting must be held not later that 26 August.

The only reason for delay is if a see is vacant or becomes vacant within 14 days of the archbishopric becoming vacant. In that case the process does not start until the vacant see has been filled. But Bishop John has delayed his resignation from his see by more than 14 days, so the timetable above must be followed.

12 Comments

Opinion – 28 June 2025

Anne Richards Modern Church The Death of Us

Helen King sharedconversations Ceasefire?

Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Safeguarding and the Falsely Accused

14 Comments

Retirement of the Archbishop of Wales

The Archbishop of Wales has announced this evening that he has retired with immediate effect as Archbishop. He will also retire as Bishop of Bangor on 31 August. There are statements from the Archbishop, the Bench of Bishops and the Chair of the Representative Body in this press release, copied below.

Retirement of the Archbishop of Wales
Posted: 27 June 2025

Statement from the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd. Andrew John

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you to announce my immediate retirement today as Archbishop of Wales. I also intend to retire as Bishop of Bangor on August 31st.

It has been an enormous joy to serve in the Church in Wales for over 35 years. I cannot thank you enough for the privilege of working at your side for the sake of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

I would very much like to thank the clergy and congregations of this wonderful diocese before I retire and I will be in touch again about the way in which this might happen.

Thank you, and Christ give you joy and peace in believing.

+Andy

Statement on behalf of the Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales

The Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Rev’d Gregory Cameron, Senior Bishop of the Church in Wales, spoke on behalf of the Bench of Bishops:

“As Archbishop Andrew announces his retirement today as Archbishop of Wales and his forthcoming retirement as Bishop of Bangor, the Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales wish to express our heartfelt thanks for his service to the Church during his ministry.

“Andy has dedicated thirty-six years of his life to ordained ministry in the Church in Wales, and has served with commitment and energy to proclaim the Christian Gospel and draw people to deeper faith in Jesus Christ. He has given so much for the good of the Church in Wales. He now lays down his considerable responsibilities in the same spirit in which he has served for these decades.

“We offer most sincere thanks, and our commitment to hold him and his family in prayer at this time and in the days ahead.”

Statement by Professor Medwin Hughes, Chair of the Representative Body of the Church in Wales

As Archbishop Andrew retires from his duties, I wish to thank him on behalf of The Representative Body of the Church in Wales for his hard work, commitment and vision during his time as Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor.

The Archbishop has led the Church through a time of immense change and challenge. Throughout his time in post, has shown his deeply felt concern for the welfare, not just of the Church itself, but of our society and the world as a whole.

I know that everyone who has worked with The Archbishop during his ministry will have been touched by his pastoral care and his profound dedication to improving the life of the Church in Wales and of the wider community.

As he now passes that work to other hands, I want to place on record my sincere gratitude for all he has achieved, together with my admiration for the integrity of his ministry to the people of Wales. All members of the Representative Body will continue to hold The Archbishop and his family in our prayers.

39 Comments

General Synod Papers – July 2025

The Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York from 11 to 15 July. The agenda and papers for the meeting were released today.

There are links to the papers below the fold, grouped by the day on which they are due to be debated. There are also a number of GS Misc papers and items of deemed and contingency business.

Also available are these two zipped files.

(more…)

11 Comments

Pre-synod press release

The Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York next month. The papers were released today along with the following press release. I will publish a detailed list of papers later today.

Christian responses to war, people coming to faith, and measures to support clergy on Synod agenda

A major package of proposals to support clergy; signs of growth in church attendance, and how Christians can respond to potential for armed conflict are among topics on the agenda at the upcoming General Synod.

Members of Synod will gather in York for their annual residential meeting from July 11 to 15, with a wide-ranging agenda of legislation, topical debate and discussion.

There will be several items of financial business including debate on the Church of England’s recently announced £1.6 billion three-year national spending plans and a request for Synod to approve proposals to increase clergy pensions.

Significant time will be set aside for the final stages of the legislation to set up the National Redress Scheme for victims and survivors of Church-related abuse.

Amid war in Ukraine and the Middle East and tensions around the world, Synod will be hearing from a senior member of the Armed Forces reflecting on the current global context and how churches can respond to armed conflict. Synod papers published today also include a reflection by the Church of England’s Bishop to the Forces, Hugh Nelson, on how parishes can support members of the armed forces and their families in their communities and addressing questions of how the Church can serve its mission in times of conflict. (See GS Misc 1428)

Following four years of overall growth in church attendance, Synod will spend some time considering church growth and outreach, drawing on research by the Archbishops’ Council on factors which help churches grow.

A paper by the Rev Kate Wharton, a member of Archbishops’ Council and Prolocutor of the House of Clergy, explains: “This is a moment of opportunity. Churches are revitalising, starting new services, planting, and reaching people in new ways.

“The Church is rediscovering its calling to be younger, more diverse and rooted in every community.

“All of this reminds us: growth is God’s work. Our task is to pray, prepare, and respond with faith.”

23 Comments

House of Bishops – minutes for March 2025

These are now available online. Earlier minutes are here; scroll down to “Documents”.

4 Comments

Opinion – 21 June 2025

Lizette Miller Pray Tell Blog An Overview of Anglican Liturgical Music:
Part I
Part II
part III

Paula Blake Women and the Church Lay people should be consulted in decisions about alternative episcopal oversight

108 Comments

Opinion – 14 June 2025

Timothy Goode ViaMedia.News The Body the Church Forgot: Reimagining Sacred Space from the Margins

Phil Groves ViaMedia.News Some Things You Never Forget

The Bishop of Hereford has responded to Monday’s announcement of the Church of England national spending plans, as reported here in the Church Times.
Shrink grants in favour of funding parish clergy, Bishop of Hereford urges Church Commissioners

106 Comments

Opinion – 11 June 2025

Alice Goodman Prospect The strange ritual of confirmation

Helen King sharedconversations Another one bites the dust: resignation, LLF … and murder?

Trevor Thurston-Smith The Pensive Pilgrim Hymns : Entering the Minefield

123 Comments

Church Commissioners Annual Report for 2024

The Church Commissioners published their annual report for 2024 last week, and a press release which is copied below.

Church Commissioners for England endowment fund delivers 10.3% return in 2024
06/06/2025

The Church Commissioners for England, which manages the Church of England’s endowment fund, delivered a 10.3% return in 2024, marking the sixteenth consecutive year of positive returns, with the fund now valued at £11.1bn at the end of 2024. (more…)

5 Comments

Church of England national spending plans

The Church of England has announced its national spending plans for 2026-2028, in particular how it will use the funds made available by the Church Commissioners. The text of this morning’s press release is copied below; there is also a helpful video.

Major investment in local churches and parish clergy as £1.6bn three-year national spending plans unveiled
09/06/2025

  • Church Commissioners’ funding towards work of the church set to leap by 36 per cent in the three-year period 2026-28, amounting to the biggest distribution in Church’s history.
  • Indicative distributions of £4.6 billion over nine years from 2026 to 2034.
  • Typical stipend set to rise 10.7 per cent next year under new proposals as clergy well-being put at centre of spending plans. Boost in support for churches in lowest income communities.

The Church of England today unveils plans to invest more than £1.6 billion towards sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and serving local communities over the next three years – a 36 per cent rise on the national funding made available in 2022 for the current three-year period. (more…)

23 Comments

Canterbury Statement of Needs published.

The Diocese of Canterbury’s Vacancy in See Committee has published its Statement of Needs. There is also an article with background information on the diocesan website; it is copied below.

Diocese of Canterbury publishes document to help discern next Archbishop

The process to identify the next Archbishop of Canterbury is underway and the Diocese of Canterbury’s Vacancy in see Committee – the group that manages and oversees the Diocese’s role in the process – has published its Statement of Needs.

The document incorporates views which were gathered as part of a public consultation as well as explaining what life in our diocese is like for those who live, work and worship here.

The online consultation had responses from people across Kent, including the views of children and young people in the Diocese who took part in consultation activities in schools and youth groups.

The Statement of Needs will be read by candidates as well as the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), the body that is meeting to pray, reflect and ultimately nominate someone to be the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury. The CNC will make its nomination to the Prime Minister who, if he accepts will advise His Majesty the King, who will formally appoint the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

The document states: ‘The Archbishop is ‘our’ Archbishop alongside their responsibilities in the Church of England, the nation, the Anglican Communion and on the world stage. We offer in the Diocese of Canterbury and in the Cathedral Precincts a home, where the Archbishop will feel they belong.’

The Chair of the Vacancy in See Committee, the Venerable Dr Will Adam, said: “I would like to thank everyone who took part in our diocesan consultation to help the process of discernment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury. The responses gathered have helped us put together a Statement of Needs that captures the opportunities and challenges in our diverse corner of the country, reflecting the coastal, urban and rural communities and the church in all its variety in this diocese. The document will be enormously helpful to the Crown Nominations Commission and to candidates as we continue to discern who God is calling to be our next Archbishop.”

The process of identifying the next Archbishop of Canterbury began after Archbishop Justin Welby announced his intention to resign in November 2024.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Bishop in the Diocese of Canterbury alongside their national and global roles. The candidates and CNC will be informed by the themes from a wider consultation that took in the views of 11,000 people. It will sit alongside the Statement of Needs as well as other information provided by the National Church and Anglican Communion.

First published on: 5th June 2025
Page last updated: Friday 6th June 2025 10:31 AM

56 Comments

Martyn Snow steps down as lead bishop of LLF

Martyn Snow, the Bishop of Leicester, has stepped from his role as Lead Bishop for Living in Love and Faith. He published the following statement on his Facebook page earlier this afternoon.

With a very heavy heart, I have decided to step down from my role as Lead Bishop for Living in Love and Faith. I am hugely grateful to the staff team that I have worked with over the last 18 months and similarly the Working Group members who have given hours of their time to seek an agreed way forward in the Church of England on matters of sexuality, relationships, and marriage. I hope it may yet be possible to reach such an agreement, but I don’t think that can happen under my leadership. I will not be making any further comments.

155 Comments

Next stage of Makin Review CDMs announced

The Church of England issued the following press release this morning.

Next stage of Makin Review CDMs announced
05/06/2025

Following the conclusion of the work to review all clergy under the authority or oversight of the Church of England who are criticised in the Makin review, it was announced in February that the National Safeguarding Team (NST) would seek to bring disciplinary proceedings under the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM) against 10 clergy including two bishops. In all cases, the complaint was ‘out of time’ and so the permission of the President of the Tribunals needed to be sought to initiate proceedings. The President has now considered the applications and granted permission in seven of the 10 cases. This is an independent judicial process, and the National Safeguarding Team entirely respect the decisions.

The NST will now initiate proceedings under the CDM against the following individuals:

  • Bishop Paul Butler
  • Revd Roger Combes
  • Revd Sue Colman
  • Revd Andrew Cornes
  • Revd Tim Hastie-Smith
  • Revd Nick Stott
  • Revd John Woolmer

No further action under the CDM will be taken against the following individuals:

  • Bishop George Carey
  • Revd Paul Perkin
  • Revd Hugh Palmer

The decision to bring CDMs was undertaken in line with the process announced in December and concluded in February with recommendations of an independent panel and reviewed by an independent barrister.

Victims and survivors and all those criticised in the Makin review have been informed and support offered. The National Safeguarding Team will make no further comment on these cases whilst the CDM proceedings are under way.

36 Comments

Bangor Cathedral – more updates

Updated on Thursday to add Church Times article.

Earlier updates are here and here.

The Cathedral has advertised for a new dean; applications close on 6 June 2025.

Meanwhile Gwyn Loader reports for BBC News that the Cathedral has spending suspended over debts.

The Revd Dr John Prysor-Jones and the Very Revd Professor Gordon McPhate have written to the Church Times: Bangor Cathedral inquiry needed. They are members of the College of Priests at Bangor Cathedral, where they have worshipped since retirement. There are press reports on this.

Madeleine Davies Church Times Bangor Cathedral Chapter puts freeze on new spending

15 Comments

Opinion – 4 June 2025

The Church Mouse Confessions of a Quiet Revival Sceptic

Anon Surviving Church Surviving Abuse and Institutional Betrayal

Mark Clavier Well-Tempered Hope for a Hurting Church

39 Comments

Executive Chair, Safeguarding Structures Programme Board

Updated to add link to appointment brief.

The Church of England is recruiting an “Executive Chair, Safeguarding Structures Programme Board”. The advert is copied below, and there are further details in this Appointment Brief. The advert refers to a paper (GS2378) but does not include a link. Those interested can find it here.

Executive Chair, Safeguarding Structures Programme Board

Location: UK

Recruiter: National Church Institutions

In February 2025, the Church of England’s legislative body, General Synod, voted on a motion brought by the Lead Bishop for Safeguarding on future structures for safeguarding in the Church of England. The motion was based on this paper (GS2378) which outlined the proposals. This work was the culmination of a response by the Church of England to two reports published in 2024 about safeguarding structures and operations. The General Synod motion, as amended, sets the direction of travel for safeguarding structures and operations in the future.

The Lead Bishop for Safeguarding Structures and her team are in the process of constituting a Programme Board, which will oversee two Project Boards delivering major workstreams. The day-to-day operation of delivering the work that General Synod has commissioned is the responsibility of the Safeguarding Structures Team. This team will support the Programme Board and Project Boards. The Executive Chair of the Programme Board will provide hands-on strategic leadership to ensure the successful delivery of the Safeguarding Structures programme.

The successful candidate will bring senior leadership experience from a public sector (Government or equivalent) organisation which delivers safeguarding, along with proven experience of planning and delivering large-scale, complex, organisational change and of chairing or leading governance bodies within complex programmes. With exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, they will be able to build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and deal with intense media scrutiny. They will also have a commitment to transparency and accountability, and sympathy with the ethos, mission and work of the Church of England.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the National Church Institutions on this appointment.

For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference FBUCA. Alternatively email Belinda.beck@saxbam.com. Applications should be received by midday on 13th June 2025.

16 Comments

Opinion – 31 May 2025

Church in Wales Statement of the Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales on the Supreme Court ruling regarding the legal definition of a woman

Mark Clavier Well-Tempered Why I Love the Church Year (Even Lent)

Andrew Brown The slow deep hover The Bishop who didn’t believe a word of it

60 Comments

Appointment of Bishop of Doncaster

The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that the next Bishop of Doncaster will be the Revd Leah Vasey-Saunders; details are in the press release copied below. There is more on the Sheffield diocesan website here and here, and on the Blackburn diocesan website here.

Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Doncaster: 29 May 2025

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Leah Beverley Vasey-Saunders, to the Suffragan See of Doncaster in the Diocese of Sheffield

From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 29 May 2025

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Leah Beverley Vasey-Saunders, Vicar of Lancaster Priory in the Diocese of Blackburn, to the Suffragan See of Doncaster in the Diocese of Sheffield in succession to the Right Reverend Sophie Jelley, following her translation to the See of Coventry.

Leah Vasey-Saunders was educated at Huddersfield University and trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham.  She served her title at St. John’s Church, Whorlton and St George’s Church, Jesmond in the Diocese of Newcastle, and in 2004, was ordained Priest.  From 2008, she served as Team Vicar of St. John’s Church Heath Hayes, Cannock, in the Diocese of Lichfield and was appointed Vicar in 2010.  In 2013, she was appointed Priest-in-Charge of All Saints Church, Harworth and Bircotes, in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham.

From 2016, Leah served as Canon Precentor at Wakefield Cathedral, in the Diocese of Leeds. Leah is also the chair of trustees for On Fire Mission. Leah has served in her current role as Vicar of Lancaster Priory in the Diocese of Blackburn since 2021.

Leah is married to Mark and they have four children.

54 Comments

Opinion – 28 May 2025

Martyn Percy Meander

Andrew Goddard Psephizo Who are the bishops in the Church of England?

Theo Hobson A new style

Helen King sharedconversations The Church of England as a WASGIJ: more than Myriad?

86 Comments