Martin Sewell Archbishop Cranmer Holy Week: dealing with deep sin is horrible, messy, prolonged, humiliating and painful
Giles Fraser UnHerd What does salvation look like?
“You can tell much by our response to the pain of asylum seekers”
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Talking of Maundy Thursday
Michael Sadgrove Woolgathering in North East England Thoughts on Nôtre Dame
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church What is Integrity? Failure of integrity betrays survivors
3 CommentsPress release from Number 10
Suffragan Bishop of Southampton: 16 April 2019
Queen approves the nomination of the Reverend Canon Deborah Sellin as Suffragan Bishop of Southampton.
Published 16 April 2019
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Deborah Sellin, MA, Vicar of St John the Baptist Wonersh with Blackheath and Area Dean for the Deanery of Cranleigh, in the Diocese of Guildford, to the Suffragan See of Southampton, in the Diocese of Winchester in succession to the Right Reverend Jonathan Hugh Frost, BD, MTh, DUni, MSSTh, FRSA, who resigned on the 13th December 2018.
The Winchester diocesan website has this: A New Bishop for Southampton.
The Guildford diocesan website has this: Wonersh Vicar to be next Bishop of Southampton.
April Alexander Church Times Cloaks of secrecy are too threadbare
“Despite a vote in Synod, April Alexander argues that nominating bishops by secret ballot has no place in the C of E”
Patrick Moriarty Church Times How to avoid Holy Week blundering
“Christianity’s Jewish roots are most obvious at this time. Patrick Moriarty offers advice for those leading services”
Janet Fife Surviving Church Prejudice and Tolerance
Jeremy Pemberton Openly The Church of England must open its doors to same-sex weddings
6 CommentsThe Church of England announced today that Melissa Caslake, Executive Director of Children’s Services for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and City of Westminster, has been appointed as its first permanent Director of Safeguarding.
First national Director of Safeguarding appointed
10/04/2019
Melissa Caslake, Executive Director of Children’s Services for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and City of Westminster, has been appointed as the Church of England’s first permanent Director of Safeguarding. She takes over from Sir Roger Singleton who took up an interim role at the beginning of the year.
Melissa has a strong professional background in adult and children’s services over a 20-year career, with particular experience of child protection and safeguarding, and a track record of leading good and outstanding children’s services in local authorities.
As executive director she has overseen the Bi-Borough response to non-current child sexual abuse and been the London lead Director of Children’s Services for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, working with Government departments to develop a stronger national response. Melissa has overseen the provision of support for children affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, also reporting to the Government’s Taskforce.
Prior to her current role she was Director of Family Services for the City of Westminster where she led the service to an Ofsted ‘outstanding’ rating in 2016. She was formerly a divisional director in the London Borough of Harrow and Director of Children’s Social Care and Youth Inclusion in the London Borough of Merton.
Melissa studied English at Oxford University followed by a Master’s in social work at Exeter University; she also has a range of management and leadership qualifications including from the Warwick University Business School.
Commenting on her appointment Melissa said: “I am proud to be taking on the role of National Director of Safeguarding for the Church of England. My career has been dedicated to safeguarding vulnerable children and adults and helping families in need.
“I am determined to ensure that the Church is a safer place for all, and I look forward to applying my professional experience and expertise to this challenge.”
William Nye, Secretary General to the Archbishops’ Council, said: “I am delighted by the appointment of Melissa Caslake to this role. The Church of England has come a long way in improving its safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in recent years, particularly since the establishment of the national safeguarding team in 2015. But there is much still to do, and the creation of a director post for safeguarding recognises that.
“We have been fortunate in the last few months to have Sir Roger Singleton filling the post on an interim basis and now to have someone with the experience and seniority of Melissa to fill the post on a permanent basis, and to take the national Church’s safeguarding work to a new level. She will be an excellent addition to the Council’s leadership team, and I am very pleased to welcome her to Church House.”
Bishop Peter Hancock, the Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop, said: “I welcome the appointment of Melissa as the Church of England’s first Director of Safeguarding. Her strong, professional background and experience will strengthen the National Team as it continues its work at a time of increasing demand. Melissa’s appointment is part of our commitment to ensuring the Church is a safer place for all and she will take on leadership of the team as we approach our main IICSA hearing. I look forward to working with her in my role as lead safeguarding bishop.”
Melissa’s start date will be confirmed in due course.
More information
31 CommentsStephen Spencer Anglican Communion News Service Why all the fuss about Discipleship?
Matt White Christian Today Preachers and their very expensive sneakers: why we shouldn’t be so quick to judge
Jeffrey John ViaMedia.News Don’t Conceal the Truth
[part of the Voices of Hope series]
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Bishops and Safeguarding failures. The SCIE report
1 CommentEphraim Radner The Living Church The Purpose of Lambeth and Staying Away
and one we missed earlier Cleaning up the Playing Field: Six Resolutions for Lambeth
Ian Cowley Church Times Freedom from the need to achieve
“Ian Cowley argues for rest, play, and reprieve from the numbers game”
Ted Harrison Church Times Clergy and stress: a time to rest
“What happens when the stress simply gets too much”
Simon Robinson ruminations, contemplations, stumblings Contemplation, the fraction and priestly absorption
33 CommentsUpdated on Friday to include initial media coverage
The Church of England has announced today’s publication of the final SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence) overview report, which details the learning from the 42 independent diocesan safeguarding audits and findings on improving responses to survivors of abuse. There is also a response from the National Safeguarding Steering Group.
Details are in the following press release.
The Church of England welcomes the final SCIE overview report
04/04/2019
The Church of England welcomes the final SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence) overview report, published today, which details the learning from the 42 independent diocesan safeguarding audits and findings on improving responses to survivors of abuse.
The report received by the National Safeguarding Steering Group (NSSG) acknowledges that the results of the survivor survey makes for very difficult reading and the Church’s failure to respond compassionately has undermined confidence in the its own safeguarding practice.
The report presents an overview of learning from the 42 audits, carried out between 2015-17, and introduces the additional work conducted by a survey to gather the views of people who have first-hand experience of Church responses, including survivors of clergy and Church-related abuse
It notes the audits have taken place in a changing context and the Church has done much to address early systemic issues raised by SCIE. It therefore summarises and appraises all activity (completed, underway and planned) to address issues that have been raised and makes clear areas where work is still required to improve safeguarding practices.
58 people responded to the survivor survey which focused on how the Church should be engaging with people who come forward; the vast majority said they were dissatisfied with the Church’s response.
Bishop Peter Hancock, the Church’s lead safeguarding bishop and chair of the NSSG said:
“It is essential that victims and survivor organisations have confidence that anybody coming forward to disclose abuse to the Church are treated with compassion, offered support and their concerns and allegations are taken seriously. They must have confidence that the Church will act to address instances of abuse and do all it can to prevent future harm. The Church recognises that significant changes will be required before survivors will have this level of confidence in the Church, and that this undertaking is no simple task. However, it is one that I and my fellow Bishops and the whole Church are absolutely committed to.”
Media coverage of this:
Helen King sharedconversations The indecent Virgin
Trevor Thurston-Smith The Pensive Pilgrim Schools, Sex, Parents and Churches
Michael Higgins Church Times A threat to cathedrals’ collegiality and independence
“The General Synod should be wary of the Working Group report’s more far-reaching recommendations”
Rupert Shortt Church Times Does religion do more harm than good?
“Rupert Shortt weighs up the evidence in a new book. Here is an extract”
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Towards understanding why people are drawn into extreme religious groups
Lucy Knight The Guardian Being a gay Christian can be hurtful and gruelling. But I refuse to lose faith
Giles Fraser UnHerd Why is punishment so popular?
“Collective vindictiveness often dresses itself up in the language of morality”
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Speaking of sexual irony
16 CommentsJesse Zink Church Times The ACC: A spurned Instrument of Communion
“As Primates assume more authority, the Anglican Consultative Council is being marginalised”
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church How abuse survivors are betrayed
and Too important to care about child sexual abuse? Problems for Church and State
Richard Moy A Reasonable Enthusiast The Myth of Episcopal Oversight in the UK Church
ViaMedia.News is continuing its series of Daily Reflections for Lent 2019; details are here. An example is this one by Alex Clare-Young.
William Cook The Spectator Taking the God option: why I send my children to C of E schools
“No, it’s not because they get better results, but because they teach peace, hope and compassion”
The electronic voting lists from last month’s Church of England General Synod are now available. Readers may be most interested in the list for item 35. This item was the proposed, but defeated, amendment to Standing Orders to remove the requirement for secret ballots at meetings of the Crown Nominations Commission.
Also available is the official summary of Business Done.
4 CommentsWomen and the Church Transparency or Opacity – declarations, websites and jargon
Jude Smith Christian Today Women priests 25 years on: How are we flourishing?
Miranda Threlfall-Holmes ‘Women’ priests?
Women and the Church 25th Jubilee!
Sarah Mullally Contemplation in the shadow of a carpark “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”
Jeremy Pemberton Openly The Church of England must break its toxic colonial legacy
17 CommentsMartin Sewell Archbishop Cranmer Emotional abuse in the Church: Bishops need psychological help
Justin Welby Church Times Good news — without coercion
“How should Christians evangelise people of other religions?”
Pat Ashworth Church Times The future of Christian ministry is collaborative
“Are we seeing the end of the individual vocation?”
David Ison Church Times The looking-glass world of the judgemental
“It is wrong to use St Paul’s teachings to deny LGBT people the sacrament of communion”
[also available at Via.Media.News]
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Honesty and Truthfulness in the Church
and What do I believe? Paradigm thoughts of a feral Christian
Michael Sadgrove Woolgathering in North East England The Ordination of Women as Priests – 25 Years On
Rosie Harper ViaMedia.News Why do Good People do Bad Things?
Meg Warner ViaMedia.News Elephants, Penguins, Procreation & Japanese Knotweed (Part 2)
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Impression Management. How Organisations control truth
Ian Paul Psephizo What are the issues in ministerial training?
ViaMedia.News is launching a series of Daily Reflections for Lent 2019, which are written by 40 LGBTI+ Christians from around the UK. There will be a daily posting, except on Sundays, with the first one today (Ash Wednesday). Full details are here.
0 CommentsPeter Leonard ViaMedia.News The Lambeth Conference & Those 6 Evils…
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church The DARVO phenomenon. How abusers blame and silence the abused
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Archbishop Justin invites all gay bishops to Lambeth 2020 – but refuses to invite their spouses
Ed Thornton Church Times What causes people to lose their faith?
“A combination of ingredients, preparation, and environment can lead to a crisis of faith”
Lynne Cullens Church Times A middle-class culture dominates the Church
“Barriers that hinder working-class people from responding to their call should be removed”
Opinion articles relating specifically to last week’s meeting of General Synod are in my article below.
19 CommentsSome of the answers to questions at last week’s General Synod included detailed statistical information which was not printed in the questions and answers booklet. It was instead placed on the members’ notice board. Usually such detailed information has only been published some months later in the Report of Proceedings. This time however it has been posted on the Church of England website. Here is a list of what has now been published.
Percentage of new ordinands declaring a disability for each year since 2010
Numbers and percentages of disabled candidates attending Bishops Advisory Panels etc
Numerical breakdown of ordinands by training pathway and by diocese
Questions 19-20 Miss Debbie Buggs
Membership of the Crown Nominations Commission from January 2014
Question 43 Ven Simon Heathfield
0 Comments2017 Endowment and Glebe Assets by Diocese and Assets per Capita
Theo Hobson The Spectator How agnostics can help save the Church of England
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Overcoming conflict. Mediation and reconciliation examined.
Opinion articles relating specifically to last week’s meeting of General Synod are in my article below.
0 CommentsWATCH (Women and the Church) has published A Report on the Developments in Women’s Ministry in 2018. There are tables giving
The tables are preceded by this introduction:
In 2019 it will be:
Last updated 2 March 2019
Videos of all sessions of last week’s General Synod are available here on YouTube.
Rachel Mann looks back at the sessions: ‘In Company’ – A Few Remarkable Days at Synod
[I’ll add articles below as more are published.]
Ivan Ball The Guardian Letters Church of England bureaucracy needs an update
Zachary Guiliano The Living Church ‘The Synod for Evangelism’
Andrew Lightbown Theore0 Mission & Evangelism: ecclesiology and liturgy. Reflecting on General Synod
Tim Hind Open Synod Group Overview of the Group of Sessions
William Nye The Guardian Letters Update on Church of England rules for parishes
a response to Ivan Ball’s letter by the secretary general of the Archbishops’ Council.
Meg Munn Chair of the National Safeguarding Panel My First Synod
Church Times has published its usual detailed reports on the Synod. Non-subscribers can only read a limited number of these reports.
8 CommentsUpdated 6 March
We reported on the suspension of Martyn Percy, the Dean of Christ Church Oxford, here.
Harriet Sherwood writes for The Observer this weekend that ‘Gossip and secrecy’ fuel Oxford row over suspended dean. Her article starts:
Prominent clergy linked to Oxford’s Christ Church cathedral are in revolt over a complaint against its dean which they say is “surrounded by secrecy and fuelled by gossip”.
In a row that has convulsed one of the university’s most venerable institutions, the Very Rev Martyn Percy, head of Christ Church – the college founded by Thomas Wolsey in 1546 – as well as dean of the cathedral, has been accused of “immoral, scandalous and disgraceful behaviour”. He has been suspended by the college’s governing body pending a tribunal led by a retired High Court judge later this year.
More than 30 honorary canons headed by Sue Booys, the chair of Oxford diocese house of clergy, wrote last week to Sir Andrew Smith, the former judge, to register concern about the handling of the complaint.
Their letter extolled the “dean’s personal integrity”, and criticised a “sad and cruel delay” before the college’s governing body publicly acknowledged that the unspecified charges against Percy did not relate to safeguarding issues. “The issues relating to this charge seem to be surrounded by secrecy and fuelled by gossip,” it said.
The article also states:
The college’s governing body wrote last month to alumni to say the dispute did not concern safeguarding, gender bias, access issues or the pay of academic staff: “We are not able to discuss the detailed basis of the complaint except to say that it relates to issues surrounding the dean’s own pay and how it is set.”
Update
Camilla Turner The Telegraph Oxford dean accused of trying to remove tutors from salary committee after pay rise request was refused
18 Comments