Press release from the Prime Minister’s Office. There is more information on the Guildford diocesan website.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 26 July 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Richard Paul Davies, Archdeacon of Surrey, to the Suffragan See of Dorking, in the Diocese of Guildford, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Jo Bailey Wells, following her resignation.
Paul was educated at the University of Wales, Lampeter and the University of Oxford, and trained for ministry at Ripon College Cuddesdon. He served his title at St Davids Cathedral in Wales and was ordained priest in 1998.
In 2001 Paul became a Team Vicar in the Benefice of Dewisland with responsibility for Solva and Brawdy, in the Diocese of St Davids, and in 2006 was appointed as Vicar of Burry Port and Pwll in the same diocese. During these years, he additionally served as Diocesan Director of Ordinands, and an Officiating Chaplain to the Military.
In 2012 Paul was appointed as Archdeacon of Bangor and Anglesey in the Diocese of Bangor. In 2017 he took up his current role as Archdeacon of Surrey in the Diocese of Guildford.
55 CommentsPress release from the Church of England
New Dean of Newcastle announced
14/07/2023
The Reverend Canon Lee Batson has been announced as the next Dean of Newcastle.
He succeeds The Very Reverend Dr Jane Hedges, who has been Interim Dean since January, following the retirement of The Very Reverend Geoff Miller last year.
Lee is currently Team Rector of the Epping Team Ministry, as well as Area Dean and World Church Partnership Officer in Chelmsford Diocese, where he developed a strong connection with the Anglican Church in Kenya. He also serves on the Diocesan Board of Education, and is Chair of a large Multi-Academy Trust.
Read the full story on the Diocese of Newcastle website. An installation service for Lee to formally become Dean will take place at Newcastle Cathedral on 14 October.
7 CommentsThe Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, has announced that he plans to retire from the role at the end of February next year. He will have served as Bishop of Durham for 10 years.
86 CommentsPress release from the Prime Minister’s Office
There is more on the Winchester and Truro diocesan websites.
Appointment of Bishop of Winchester: 6 July 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, for election as Bishop of Winchester.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 6 July 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, for election as Bishop of Winchester, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Timothy Dakin, following his retirement.
Philip was educated at Southampton University and Magdalen College, Oxford, before training for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St James’, Gerrards Cross and St James’, Fulmer, in the Diocese of Oxford, and was ordained priest in 1989.
In 1992, Philip was appointed Vicar of St James’, West Streatham, in the Diocese of Southwark. Between 1998 and 2006, Philip worked for the Church Pastoral Aid Society during which time he held several roles. From 2007, he served as Chaplain of St Michael’s, Paris, in the Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe and, in 2012, he was appointed Chief Executive of the Church Mission Society.
In 2019, Philip took up his current role as Bishop of Truro. He is married to Ruth, a former strategic planner, and they have one adult daughter.
29 CommentsPress release from the Prime Minister’s Office
There is more information on the Carlisle diocesan website.
Appointment of Dean of Carlisle: 28 June 2023
The King has approved that The Reverend Jonathan Brewster be appointed as Dean of Carlisle.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 28 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Jonathan Brewster, Interim Mission Community Leader, Cartmel Peninsula, in the Diocese of Carlisle, for appointment as Dean of Carlisle, in succession to The Very Reverend Mark Boyling following his retirement.
Jonathan was educated at University College, Buckinghamshire and King’s College, London, and trained for ministry at Trinity College, Bristol. He served his title at St John’s, Great Horton, in the Diocese of Bradford (now in the Diocese of Leeds) and was ordained priest in 1995.
In 1998, Jonathan was appointed Chaplain at Westminster University, in the Diocese of London. From 2003, he served as Vicar at Christ Church with St John and St Saviour, Highbury and, from 2014, additionally as Area Dean of Islington. In 2017 he was appointed Canon Treasurer at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Jonathan was appointed to his current role as Interim Mission Community Leader, Cartmel Peninsula, in the Diocese of Carlisle, in 2021.
5 CommentsThe Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams has announced that she will retire as Dean of Guildford at the end of her ten years of service in September 2023. She will have her last evensong on Sunday 17th September to mark her final day in the Diocese.
6 CommentsPress release from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Coventry diocesan website states that Dr Cocksworth will take up his new appointment in November 2023.
Appointment of Dean of Windsor: 20 June 2023
The King has approved that The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth be appointed to the Deanery of The King’s Free Chapel of St George, Windsor Castle.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 20 June 2023
The King has approved that The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, be appointed to the Deanery of The King’s Free Chapel of St George, Windsor Castle, in succession to The Right Reverend David Conner following his retirement.
Christopher was educated at Manchester University and trained for ministry at St John’s College, Nottingham. He served his title at Christ Church, Epsom Common, in the Diocese of Guildford, and was ordained priest in 1989.
In 1992 he was appointed Chaplain at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London and from 1997 to 2001 he served as Director at the Southern Theological and Education Training Scheme (STETS). From 1999 he held the additional title of Honorary Canon at Guildford Cathedral. In 2001 Christopher was appointed Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
Christopher was appointed to his current position as Bishop of Coventry in 2008. He is married and has five adult sons.
15 CommentsPress release from the Prime Minister’s Office. There is more information on the Chelmsford and London diocesan websites.
Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Bradwell: 19 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Adam Atkinson for appointment to the Suffragan See of Bradwell, in the Diocese of Chelmsford.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 19 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Adam Atkinson, Archdeacon of Charing Cross in the Diocese of London, for appointment to the Suffragan See of Bradwell, in the Diocese of Chelmsford, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr John Perumbalath, following his appointment as Bishop of Liverpool.
Background
Adam was educated at Birmingham University, after which he worked in media before training for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St Paul Shadwell, in the Diocese of London, and was ordained Priest in 2008. In 2010 Adam was appointed Priest in Charge of St Peter & St Thomas Bethnal Green in the Stepney Episcopal Area of the Diocese of London.
In 2011 Adam was appointed Vicar of St Peter Bethnal Green. He additionally served as Network Chaplain, Church Revitalisation Trust from 2018 and from 2019 served as Director of Mission Development in the Two Cities Episcopal Area. In 2020 Adam was appointed Archdeacon of Charing Cross.
23 CommentsPress release from the Prime Minister’s Office. There is more on the Durham diocesan website.
Appointment of Dean of Durham: 16 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Dr Philip Plyming to be appointed as Dean of Durham.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 16 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Dr Philip Plyming, Warden of Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, Durham, to be appointed as Dean of Durham, in succession to The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett following his appointment as Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Philip studied German and Russian at Cambridge University followed by Theology at Durham University while training for ministry at Cranmer Hall. His PhD was awarded by Edinburgh University for research into Paul’s hardship narratives in 1 and 2 Corinthians. He served his title at Christ Church, Chineham, in the Diocese of Winchester, and was ordained priest in 2002.
In 2006 Philip was appointed Vicar of Claygate, in the Diocese of Guildford, and from 2012 he additionally served as Area Dean of Emly.
Philip was appointed to his current role as Warden of Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, Durham, in 2017. He was made an Honorary Canon of Durham Cathedral in 2022.
Philip is married to Annabelle, who works as a palliative care consultant for a local NHS Trust, and they have two teenage sons.
21 CommentsUpdated
The Religion Media Centre held a day-long Religion Media Festival on Monday. The full programme of events is copied below the fold. Only a few of them have been reported on so far. If I find links to more reports I will add them, but so far all I have found is in this list:
Church of England decline is ‘a personal failure’ — Archbishop of Canterbury bares his soul
Archbishop Justin’s Speech at the Religion Media Festival
Welby: I practised crowning the King and Queen in a Clarence House bedroom
Our religious programming is universal and appeals to the ‘nones’ too, says BBC chief
Anglican leader does not have to be ‘white guy from England’, says Justin Welby
Our religious programming is universal and appeals to the ‘nones’ too, says BBC chief
Updates
Religion Media Festival 2023: The importance of reflecting religion in the media
Sixteen headlines from Justin Welby’s address and interview at the Religion Media Festival
Video recording of Justin Welby interview
34 Comments
Press release from the Prime Minister’s office. There is more information on the Norwich and Chester diocesan websites. The new bishop will be conscrated on 29 September 2023.
Appointment of Suffragan Bishop of Thetford: 14 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Ian Bishop for appointment to the Suffragan Bishop of Thetford.
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
Published 14 June 2023
The King has approved the nomination of The Venerable Ian Bishop, Archdeacon of Macclesfield, for appointment to the Suffragan See of Thetford, in the Diocese of Norwich, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Alan Winton, following his retirement.
Background
Ian was educated at Portsmouth Polytechnic and trained for ministry at Oak Hill Theological College. He served his title at Christ Church, Purley, in the Diocese of Southwark, and was ordained Priest in 1992. In 1995, Ian was appointed Rector of the Tas Valley Team Ministry, in the Diocese of Norwich.
In 2001, Ian was appointed Rector of St Michael and All Angels, Middlewich, and St John the Evangelist, Byley, in the Diocese of Chester, and additionally served as Rural Dean for Middlewich from 2004. Since 2011, Ian has served as Archdeacon of Macclesfield.
17 CommentsPress release from the Church of England
College of Bishops June 2023
07/06/2023
The Church of England’s College of Bishops met in London over the past two days to pray and discuss progress on implementing the recent decision of General Synod on sexuality and marriage.
Bishops heard detailed updates on the work of the three implementation groups set up following the Synod debate which considered proposals to offer prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and for God’s blessing for same-sex couples.
Meeting both in small groups and in joint session, the bishops reviewed progress made on refining a set of texts, known as Prayers of Love and Faith, which could be offered in Churches voluntarily.
They also engaged with questions to be considered by the implementation group developing new pastoral guidance. And they discussed what pastoral reassurance could be required to ensure freedom of conscience for clergy and laity when the Prayers of Love and Faith come into use.
The meeting of the College, which includes all the serving bishops of the Church of England, did not take any formal decisions but provided feedback to inform the ongoing work of the implementation groups.
The House of Bishops, which is made up of diocesan bishops and some others, met at the end of the meeting of the College and formally agreed to bring an update on the progress made to Synod which next meets in July in York.
Notes
Church of England press release
Church Commissioners fund posts 5% return in 2022 despite challenging markets
London, 25 May 2023: The Church Commissioners for England, which manages the Church of England’s endowment fund, delivered a 5% return in 2022, a robust performance in the face of challenging market conditions.
“Our aim is to support the mission and ministry of the Church of England through providing as much funding as we can on a sustainable basis, year in, year out, come rain or shine – and achieving these returns in a year of double-digit inflation, an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is truly a testament to the skill and dedication of our investment professionals,” said Alan Smith, First Church Estates Commissioner. “As a result of our consistent strong returns over the long-term, we were able in 2022 to announce an increase in our distributions to the Church to £1.2bn over the next three years, a 30% increase over the previous three-year period.”
“Our focus on the long-term and genuinely diversified approach allowed us to be resilient in the face of strong economic headwinds in 2022, said Tom Joy, Chief Investment Officer. “Considering that equity and fixed income markets were under considerable stress, this is a very creditable result – and marks the fourteenth consecutive year of positive returns.”
The Church Commissioners 2022 results are published in its Annual Report.
The Church Commissioners for England manages the endowment fund of the Church of England in a responsible and ethical way. The portfolio is truly diversified across a broad range of asset classes to mitigate risk, and assets are invested with a long-term outlook. This approach has enabled the Church Commissioners to deliver an average annual return of 10.2% over the last ten years.
6 CommentsIt has been announced from Downing Street this morning that Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely, has been nominated to be the next Bishop of Lincoln. In a letter to the diocese of Ely, Bishop Stephen writes that he expects to be installed as Bishop of Lincoln in the autumn, and to remain there for the five years before he retires.
The press release from Downing Street is here.
Coverage on the Ely website, including the bishop’s letter is here. And Lincoln here.
40 CommentsThe King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely and Acting Bishop of Lincoln, for election as Bishop of Lincoln, in succession to The Right Reverend Christopher Lowson following his retirement.
The Diocese of Coventry has announced that the Bishop of Warwick, the Rt Revd John Stroyan, will be retiring on 7 August 2023 after more than 18 years in the role. His farewell service will be at Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon, on Wednesday 12 July at 7:30pm.
1 CommentPress release from the Church of England
Bishops agree key areas for further work implementing Living in Love and Faith
19/05/2023
The House of Bishops has set out the key areas in which it is requesting further work from the implementation groups taking forward the decision of General Synod on offering prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and for God’s blessing for same-sex couples.
During its meeting in York earlier this week, the House spent time reviewing the work of the three implementation groups set up after the debate at Synod in February on proposals on identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage.
The proposals debated at Synod, which were developed after a six-year period of listening, learning and discernment known as Living in Love and Faith, would mean that, for the first time, same-sex couples could have a service in church in which there would be prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God’s blessing following a civil marriage or civil partnership.
The proposals would not, however, change the Church’s doctrine of Holy Matrimony. The texts known as Prayers of Love and Faith will be voluntary, with freedom of choice about their use.
There will be protections both for those who, on grounds of conscience, will not be able to offer them and those who will.
Three implementation groups have been set up to refine the draft texts of Prayers of Love and Faith; work on new pastoral guidance for the Church of England; and examine what pastoral reassurance will be required to ensure freedom of conscience for clergy and laity.
At this week’s meeting, the House agreed that while the Bishops’ views differ on matters of sexuality and marriage, they wish to create a generous theological, ecclesial and pastoral space holding the Church together in one body.
After spending time meeting informally, reviewing the work so far, the Bishops have provided further steers for the implementation groups to shape their work.
They are requesting further work around key subjects which will shape the new pastoral guidance. They are also asking for specific proposals to be developed that will ensure that those who offer the Prayers of Love and Faith, and those who don’t, are respected, supported and protected, recognising they are made out of theological conviction.
A further update will be provided before the July meeting of General Synod.
The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, and Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen, co-chairs of the group co-ordinating the work of the implementation groups, said: “The House of Bishops had a very constructive meeting in York this week and it has been pleasing to see how much progress has been made by the implementation groups even in a short time.
“We look forward to further proposals being developed.
“It is important to take the time we need to get this right however there is a strong sense of progress in implementing what Synod agreed.”
10 CommentsThe Bishop of St Davids in the Church in Wales, the Rt Revd Joanna Penberthy, will retire on 31 July 2023.
11 CommentsUpdated Thursday
Dominic Grieve KC has completed his independent review of the governance of Christ Church and a report setting out his recommendations to the Governing Body.
Christ Church commissioned the review to ensure that its governance meets the needs of an Oxford University college in the 21st century. It has made a series of important recommendations, which are set out below.
Now that the review is complete, the Governing Body will consider its conclusions and the changes necessary to ensure that Christ Church has an effective system of governance in place. Implementing these reforms will require consultation with the University, the Church of England, and the Charity Commission, and the approval of the Privy Council and Parliament.
The press release linked above contains a 43 paragraph summary of the recommendations.
The full text of the review (218 paragraphs) is linked here.
Update
The Diocese of Oxford has published this: Dominic Grieve KC completes governance review of Christ Church, Oxford
31 CommentsFrom the Exeter diocesan website:
Bishop of Exeter Announces Retirement
Posted: 10th May, 2023
The Bishop of Exeter has announced he is to retire on 30 September 2023 after more than nine years in the role.
The Rt. Rev’d Robert Atwell was installed as bishop at Exeter Cathedral in July 2014.
He is currently convenor of the Bishops in the South-West region, chair of the Church of England’s Liturgical Commission and the lead bishop for Rural Affairs.
He has been a member of the House of Lords since November 2021…
17 CommentsThe LLF documents that I linked to last week, and which were subsequently taken down from the Church of England website, have reappeared (in each case as version 2). I cannot see any differences in the contents of the old and new versions.
Members of the LLF Implementation Working Groups
LLF Implementation Working Groups Terms of Reference
There is an accompanying press release which is copied below.
Update from the Living in Love and Faith implementation working groups
02/05/2023
A series of working groups taking forward proposals for the Church of England on identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage are up and running.
At its February meeting in London, the Church of England’s General Synod, considered proposals from the bishops which would enable same-sex couples who have marked a significant stage of their relationship such as a civil marriage or civil partnership to come to church to give thanks, offer prayers of dedication to God and to receive God’s blessing.
As well as a landmark debate on a motion (below), Synod members also met in smaller groups to consider and comment on a set of draft texts known as Prayers of Love and Faith, and to offer their views on proposed pastoral guidance.
At its meeting in March, the College of Bishops agreed to set up three working groups to implement Synod’s decision, tasked with:
The full membership of the groups, drawn from across the Church of England, is below and the draft terms of reference for the groups can be found on the Living in Love and Faith section of the Church of England website.
Their work will be co-ordinated by a steering group co-chaired by the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, and the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen.
The groups met together in London recently and have been meeting individually regularly.
(more…)