Two related pieces from the This estate we’re in blog
Ian Gomersall A Retired Rector’s Reflections Kafka’s Church
Esme Partridge Civitas Restoring the Value of Parishes: The foundations of welfare, community, and spiritual belonging in England
Tim Wyatt Religion Unplugged Racism In The Church of England: ‘Microaggressions All The Time’
Stephen Cherry The New Statesman The Church of England has been my life’s work. What has it done to my soul?
“This Christmas is not going to be an easy one for the Church – but fundamentally, its mission and message have not changed.”
The Church of England published its Statistics for Mission 2023 yesterday. There is an accompanying press release which is copied below.
Update Also available are the Detailed Diocesan tables from Statistics for Mission 2023.
Christmas and Easter congregations swell as Church of England sees third year of growth
04/12/2024
Attendance at Christmas services leapt by 20 per cent last year and the number of worshippers at Easter was up 8.6 per cent as Church of England congregations experienced a third year of growth, the latest full annual statistics show.
The number of regular worshippers in the Church of England edged above a million in 2023 for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Statistics for Mission 2023 report.
Overall attendance remains below 2019 levels but the report published today shows numbers recovering towards the pre-pandemic trend.
The report confirms the pattern highlighted in preliminary headline figures for 2023 published in May of this year, with some upward revisions.
Overall weekly attendance at Church of England churches rose to 693,000 in 2023, from 663,000 in 2022, an increase of 4.5 per cent. The total reflects an upward revision from the preliminary figure of 685,000 published in May.
Meanwhile the number of children attending weekly increased from 90,000 in 2022 to 95,000 (up 4.9 per cent in a year). Again, the figure was revised upwards slightly from a total of 92,000 quoted in May.
The Church of England’s overall “worshipping community” – the total number of regular worshippers – rose to 1,007,000 in 2023, from 982,000 the previous year.
Just under two million people (1,961,000) attended services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day last year, up from 1,636,000 in 2022.
Separately, 2.1 million attended services for the congregation and community during advent 2023 in addition to 2.3 million who attended civic and school advent services.
Meanwhile the number of worshippers at Easter rose 8.6 per cent to 938,000.
46 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod will meet in London from 10-14 February 2025. An Outline of Business has been published, and is available for download. It is copied below the fold. (more…)
25 CommentsThe statement below was issued by Lambeth Palace today.
Statement from Lambeth Palace
04/12/2024
With the gracious agreement of HM The King, Archbishop Justin’s last day in post as the Archbishop of Canterbury will be on the Feast of the Epiphany, 6th January 2025. From that date, his primatial functions will be delegated, mainly to the Archbishop of York, his metropolitan functions to the Bishop of London and his diocesan functions to the Bishop of Dover.
31 CommentsColin Coward Unadulterated Love It’s the Church of England’s doctrine of God that requires our primary attention
Steve Reeves ISB 11 The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present
35 CommentsMartine Oborne Women and the Church Why the next big safeguarding scandal in the Church is likely to be the abuse of women
Gavin Drake Church Abuse An open letter to the State Office Holders who are Church Commissioners
107 CommentsColin Coward Unadulterated Love Knowing and Not Wanting to Know the Truth
David Goodhew The Living Church TEC’s Latest Numbers: The Good News and the Bad News
Christine Polhill Women and the Church ‘Stop making bishops for specific groups’
Gavin Drake Church Abuse All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – except bishops, obviously
121 CommentsPhilip North Church of England Newspaper Three dangers and priorities for the C of E after the Welby crisis
Helen Yaxley Surviving Church Navigating the Church’s Complaints System – Not Fit for Purpose?
Giles Fraser UnHerd Burn down the Church Machine
Martine Oborne ViaMedia.News Safeguarding and Patriarchy in the Church of England
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love What kind of God do we believe in?
George Pitcher A Word to the Wise Nationalise the Church of England
176 CommentsThe statement below was issued today.
Statement from Lambeth Palace
20/11/2024
Following the announcement last week of his resignation as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Justin intends to complete his official duties by the upcoming Feast of Epiphany (6th January). Archbishop Justin intends very little public-facing activity between now and Epiphany, but plans to honour a small number of remaining commitments. At Epiphany, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official functions will be delegated to the Archbishop of York – more details will be provided on this in due course. The date on which Archbishop Justin formally ceases to hold office will be set in agreement with the Privy Council.
55 CommentsUpdated to add St Ebbe’s article
Helen King The Observer Cover-up of child abuse in Church of England tried to ‘protect the work’ of twisted theology
Andrew Anthony The Observer The Church of England is beset by shame and division. Can it survive?
Gavin Drake Church Abuse Open letter to William Nye, Archbishops’ Council’s Secretary General
Adrian Thatcher Modern Church No Lessons Learned? Makin, Welby and Theology
Martine Oborne Women and the Church Our church will not be safe while spiritual abuse remains unchecked
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Makin, substitutionary atonement and the distortion of homosexual desire
Bernard N Howard sixty guilders St Ebbe’s and the Smyth Scandal: An Inadequate Response
118 CommentsAndrew Brown has published these two articles on his The slow deep hover blog.
He also wrote this for the Church Times: Press: Media mob helps Welby’s foes to get their way
80 CommentsSeveral articles have appeared in the last few days describing the process for appointing the next Archbishoop of Canterbury.
Martine Oborne Women and the Church Coercion and gaslighting also need to be addressed
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The Podcast, the Archbishop, Makin, Resignation, and the Future
Jeremy Pemberton From The Quire Iwerne: The Anglican Trojan Horse
David Aaronovitch Prospect Justin Welby is a scapegoat for establishment failures
Harriet Sherwood The Guardian John Smyth abuse report triggers ‘existential crisis’ in Church of England
150 CommentsWe reported last year on the Bishop of Newcastle’s withdrawal of Lord Sentamu’s Permission to Officiate. Links to our previous articles are here. The bishop issued a new statement on Monday of this week, which is copied below.
A Statement from the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle
First published on: 11th November 2024
Please find below a statement from the Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle.
“Following my call for the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury I need to share the contents of a letter I received from both the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York a matter of days before the publication of the Makin Report.
“It is my considered view that the letter I received from both Archbishops sent to me in such close proximity to the publication of the Makin review (regardless of its intended publication date) signifies a wider and systemic dysfunction of how the hierarchy of The Church of England has dealt with matters of safeguarding and most particularly the impact of church-related abuse on victims and survivors. Moreover, the archbishops’ use of what I experienced as coercive language when I read their letter indicates a complete lack of awareness of how power dynamics operate in the life of the Church.
“The decision to make this letter and its response public has not been taken lightly. Quite simply it is the right thing to do.”
Click here to read the letter from the archbishops in full.
Please note that the letter received from the archbishops was sent on 31 October and the Bishop of Newcastle replied on 5 November, before the publication of the Makin review. Click here to read Bishop Helen-Ann’s response.
141 CommentsMadeleine Davies Church Times ‘In church-going terms, we have failed’
“Are lessons from the mixed results of church-growth programmes being learned”
Augustine Tanner-Ihm ViaMedia.News The Sovereignty of God and Pastoral Responsibility in Political Turmoil
Neil Patterson ViaMedia.News What Have the Bishops Done?
Pippa Bailey The New Statesman The race for Lambeth Palace
“Can the next archbishop of Canterbury unite a divided Church?”
Statements from bishops
News reports
Church Times Archbishop of Canterbury announces resignation
The Guardian Justin Welby says he will step down as archbishop of Canterbury
BBC Live News Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns over Church abuse scandal
The Telegraph Live Archbishop of Canterbury resigns
The Tablet Archishop of Canterbury resigns over abuse scandal
Independent Justin Welby resigns as Archbishop of Canterbury after ‘failures’ over Church of England sex abuser
The Guardian Bishop says more C of E senior clergy may need to resign over abuse scandal
[This is Julie Conalty, the bishop of Birkenhead and deputy lead bishop for safeguarding]
Other comment
Gavin Drake The Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation won’t make the Church of England a safer place
Stephen Bates The Guardian Justin Welby: why archbishop chosen for his managerial skills had to go
Martyn Percy Prospect Welby is gone–but trust in the Church is broken beyond repair
The Dean of Winchester, the Very Revd Catherine Ogle, has announced that she will retire next year.
5 CommentsThe following statement was released by the Lambeth Palace Press Office at 2pm today.
Statement from the Archbishop of Canterbury
12/11/2024
Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign as Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Makin Review has exposed the long-maintained conspiracy of silence about the heinous abuses of John Smyth.
When I was informed in 2013 and told that police had been notified, I believed wrongly that an appropriate resolution would follow.
It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024.
It is my duty to honour my Constitutional and church responsibilities, so exact timings will be decided once a review of necessary obligations has been completed, including those in England and in the Anglican Communion.
I hope this decision makes clear how seriously the Church of England understands the need for change and our profound commitment to creating a safer church. As I step down I do so in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse.
The last few days have renewed my long felt and profound sense of shame at the historic safeguarding failures of the Church of England. For nearly twelve years I have struggled to introduce improvements. It is for others to judge what has been done.
In the meantime, I will follow through on my commitment to meet victims. I will delegate all my other current responsibilities for safeguarding until the necessary risk assessment process is complete.
I ask everyone to keep my wife Caroline and my children in their prayers. They have been my most important support throughout my ministry, and I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. Caroline led the spouses’ programme during the Lambeth Conference and has travelled tirelessly in areas of conflict supporting the most vulnerable, the women, and those who care for them locally.
I believe that stepping aside is in the best interests of the Church of England, which I dearly love and which I have been honoured to serve. I pray that this decision points us back towards the love that Jesus Christ has for every one of us.
For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person.
Finding support
If you or anyone you are in contact with are affected by the publication of this report and want to talk to someone independently please call the Safe Spaces helpline on 0300 303 1056 or visit safespacesenglandandwales.org.uk.
Alternatively, you may wish to contact the diocesan safeguarding team in your area or the National Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@churchofengland.org.
There are also other support services available.
79 CommentsAndrew Graystone The Tablet Canterbury: who next?
Philip Welsh Church Times Language matters when talking about vocation
“The Church’s calling matters more than an individual’s sense of whether it is the right course of action”
Anglican Futures Call My Bluff
Jon Price Earth & Altar All Things Bright and Beautiful
Jonathan Clatworthy The point of it all Sacrifices, meat and celebration
11 CommentsTheo Hobson The Spectator
Miranda Threlfall-Holmes Modern Church (How) Can the Church Change Doctrine?
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The divine relationship; an audacious transformation
93 Comments