Last Saturday the Diocese of Oxford diocesan synod discussed (in a Zoom meeting) its response to the Christ Church Independent Governance Review.
Updated Monday 21 November
We reported on the terms of reference for this review last April and on Dominic Grieve’s appointment last June.
There are two papers:
These papers had been prepared well before last week’s announcement from the Charity Commission.
At the time of writing, there has still been no mention of the Charity Commission’s Official Warning on the Christ Church website.
Surviving Church has published this critique of the college by Martin Sewell: The Christ Church Malcontents gambled “The House”, they should bear the loss.
Update
And now also this critique, by the same author, of the Church of England: The Church of England has a case to answer for its role in the institutional bullying at Christ Church
In one year ‘the Charity estimated professional costs of just £9k but spent over £1.5m.’ This and other excerpts from the Commission’s review shows the extent of seriously creative accountancy at play. Who did the book-keeping… Bialystock & Bloom ?! Martin Sewell’s SC piece points out that there were a few Trustees who always acted with probity and integrity. They, and others who were deceived, must be protected. It is right that the cabal who have the running of this rotten borough, and sought to hide the misspend of millions, should repay the money. But it would not be fair… Read more »
Provided that the trustees complete the governance review and tidy up the accounts, the matter seems to be closed as far as the Commission is concerned. There’s nothing in their report to indicate that actions against individual trustees or subgroups of the trustee body will ensue. On the contrary, in their Summary of the relevant legal framework, this course of action is expressly ruled out. Individual trustees are not named. Paragraph 11. Pursuant to section 75A(1), the Commission may issue a warning: a. to a charity trustee or trustee for a charity who it considers has committed a breach of… Read more »
In the Bishop of Oxford’s well-written ‘Vision for Christ Church’ his reminder that “Because it bears the name of Christ, the House is also called to have as its value the ministry and work of healing and the promotion of well being for all its members, guests and visitors”… “health and well being right in the centre of its aims and objectives”… “the mental health and welfare of its Students and scholars”… “and the proper safeguarding of all.” In the context of the disproportionate attempts to oust Martyn Percy, and the terrible harm done to his mental health, to the… Read more »
It has long seemed plain to me that the reason why the diocese was, at best, equivocal about Dr Percy, and the reason why certain members of the chapter were openly antipathetic towards him, is that their overriding objective has been to preserve the status, presence and privileges of the Church of England within Christ Church and, by extension, within the University. I assume that this, then, accounts for the character of the papers submitted by the diocese to Mr Grieve, which seem replete with so much special pleading for the retention of the 1867 settlement between the dean &… Read more »
If the Governing Body were relieved of all expenditure on the Cathedral (and all its associated trappings – I think there might be a case for sharing the cost of the choral foundation), given Christ Church’s vast financial assets, wouldn’t it be right for a one-off lump sum, and for all time, payment to be made to the Church Commissioners to bring about the separation which you advocate? It might require an actuarial calculation rather than what the Diocese of Oxford feels to be appropriate!
Many thanks. I rather agree, although my preference remains for the University Church to become the cathedral, and for Christ Church to be reduced to the status of a pro-cathedral. On that basis no payment (or Danegeld) need be made to the Church Commissioners and no Balkanisation of the existing premises would be necessary. The University Church would have its own existing choir, and Christ Church would continue to bear the full cost of the choir and choir school, much as Magdalen and New Colleges (and King’s and St John’s Colleges at Cambridge) do for their own choirs and choir… Read more »
I think we had this conversation before, but speaking as someone who grew up in Oxford, I would support a move of the cathedral to St Mary the Virgin. It is much more accessible for those of us on the “town” side of the city.
The cathedral in Christ Church was always a hassle to get to, having to talk your way past suspicious gatekeepers under Tom tower who were convinced you were tourist trying to sneak in for free.
I would also fully support this. I was a student in Oxford for 9 years and the uniqueness of Christ Church as Cathedral for the Diocese and as College Chapel never seemed realistic. I am a big fan of Martyn Percy, but spending 4 months back in Oxford in 2019 made it clear that the status quo was not sustainable for either Diocese or university.
I have a romantic attachment to the University Church in that it is where I first met my wife, but it has always struck me as the de facto Cathedral way before the current controversies.
A perfectly sound suggestion but where would those wishing to attend a service at the University Church cathedral park their cars as they descend upon Oxford from the three counties which currently make up the diocese? A more radical proposal would be for the Bishop of Oxford to move his cathedra to Christ the Cornerstone at Milton Keynes. I seem to recall that under the Area Bishops scheme Richard Harries retained as his own personal area the cities of Oxford and Milton Keynes. There has been talk for decades about dividing the diocese into three – Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire… Read more »
The Bishop of Oxford retains direct responsibility only for the deaneries of Cowley and Oxford. Milton Keynes is part of the Buckingham Area of the diocese.
There are two issues with the suggestion that Christ the Cornerstone might become the cathedral: it is at the far north of the diocese and so would be extremely remote from much of the diocese; and it is an LEP, which could both complicate governance issues and leave ecumenical partners in the position where they feel they have less of a stake in that particular church.
So, what’s new? Barrow in Furness is a long way from Carlisle with quite a few mountains and lakes in between. Rye must be the best part of 100 miles from Chichester, one former Rector of Rye used to refer to his parish as “The Far East” and several cathedrals with some even in France are far nearer to Rye than Chichester cathedral. Berwick upon Tweed is hardly cheek by jowl with Newcastle upon Tyne
And Milton Keynes has a university (a campus of the university of Bedfordshire) so it can provide the academic engagement that is apparently bishop Stephen’s primary concern in determining the location of his seat.
Milton Keynes is also home to the Open University, which was established long before the University of Bedfordshire came into being.
There is a Park and Ride service which allows people to travel easily to central Oxford, so I don’t think lack of parking space would be a problem.
All those entrance fees have evidently been frittered away on lawyers! This dreadful business has dragged the CofE’s already battered reputation further through the mire. You only have to look at Professor Percy in recent photos to see that it’s taken years off his life. Only the lawyers have done well out it all.
I suppose it’s not impossible for the Crown to divest itself of being Visitor of Christ Church Cathedral and that role passing to the Bishop. I wonder whether there was consultation about this before the Diocese making the proposal. I can see merit in the Bishop being Visitor and having jurisdiction not only to rule, but also to protect, the Cathedral foundation and its members. But the problem which has given rise to all of this doesn’t seem to be addressed: the ability of an aggrieved Governing Body to dismiss a Cathedral Dean. The Bishop’s proposal seems to attempt to… Read more »
The Diocesan Paper recommends that Christ Church remain the Cathedral. It also concedes that it is of modest size. Civic services and ordinations are often held elsewhere. So it is technically a cathedral but does not host many of the services that might be expected to be held there. The justification for the continuation of its cathedral status seems to be financial. Also, the links with the College and wider university are seen as benefits. Yet the Bishop admits that the Deans spent only 25 % of their time on Cathedral business . In particular they did not have time… Read more »
Indeed. It is because the Church wants to preserve the status quo. It does so because the retention of its residual influence within Oxbridge (an influence which is grossly exaggerated) allows it to claim that it is a cut above other denominations, and that it has access to the social cachet associated with those two universities. It is also so that it maintains a residual formal link with the two theological faculties, so that the ‘quality’ of theological input within the Church is maintained (which is, by implication, to discount the quality of theological input derived from other sources). However,… Read more »
The Bishop is not as clear about this as he might have been. He states “One of the possibilities under consideration in the governance review is the division of the office of Dean into two parts, Head of the Cathedral and Head of House.” In the context of his later comments about staffing difficulties and the Dean having a ‘bridging’ role within the Christ Church community, I read this as meaning that the role should be divided and, effectively, one person would hold both offices as Dean of the Cathedral and Warden or ‘Steward’ as Head of the House (the… Read more »
Many thanks again. However, I should note that in my submission to Mr Grieve I suggested that either there should either be a clear division within the existing site (much as, I suppose, the Inner and Middle Temples are divided on what is, in effect, the same premises) or that the cathedral be moved elsewhere. My preference is really for the latter solution, because the cleanest and most decisive cuts are usually the best and sometimes provide for the fastest healing. If the dean were to wear two hats as dean and warden s/he could quite easily be placed in… Read more »
Good to hear from you Froghole; I have been missing your observations.
I recall that there were ‘difficulties’ in finding a Bishop of Oxford on the retirement of John Pritchard. I also recall that the ‘search’ process seemed to suggest that the relationship with ‘the university’ was important, indeed over relationship with diocesan clergy.
I wonder what percentage of his time the bishop has spent on Christ Church related matters?
Many thanks. Although a meaningful history of Oxford diocese remains to be written, one of the reasons for its foundation in 1542 was the need for the crown to keep a close eye on the University; that task had hitherto fallen to the archdeacons of Oxford, with varying degrees of effectuality, but the bishops of Lincoln were generally far off – usually in Buckden (Hunts) – and if they got particularly close, it was to their manor of Wooburn (Bucks) on the Thames above Maidenhead (the substantial role of Grosseteste in the university was comparatively unusual). However, no sooner had… Read more »
Usurping Froghole’s prior right of reply, the answer to your question ought to be ‘none’ or ‘very little’. We have always known that the Crown, and not the Bishop, is the Visitor but now the Diocese itself has put out a statement (see the extract quoted below) that the Dean is the Ordinary of the Cathedral, i.e., “the highest ranking ecclesiastical authority in the cathedral and is not subject to any other ecclesiastical authority insofar as the cathedral is concerned”, the Bishop’s powers being limited to appointing one additional residentiary canon. The Bishop appears to have maintained this distance throughout… Read more »
I was on the CNC that nominated John Pritchard. I recall conversations about the need for the bishop to be able to hold his knife and fork at High Table, until we were reminded that there are some eight universities in the Diocese of Oxford. When Richard Harries was appointed, the dons observed that he had a doctorate, but that it was a DD from London! Arrogance personified. Little has changed.
Steven Croft has an Oxford theology degree and a Durham PhD in Old Testament but I suppose that some people in Oxford would think that was a waste of an Oxford education.
“It seems a little underwhelming”
Or perhaps there aren’t really many structural problems so far as the relationship goes? (I don’t, myself, see a need for substantial changes. I think the problems we have witnessed lay within the college and not on the interface with the diocese save for one thing: in such a unique role which party, in which circumstances, is responsible for discipline of the Dean should be clarified in a change of Statutes/Measure to ensure both do not again run in parallel.)
At last we have in black and white, and from a C of E source, the Christ Church Governance Review Consultation Paper, the current legal and ecclesiastical status of the Dean: 34. The Dean is a royal appointment to a royal foundation and so is not licensed by or subject to the bishop’s appointment or subsequent Ordinary control. Unlike every other cathedral in England, the Dean, not the Bishop, exercises Ordinary jurisdiction in the cathedral, ie the Dean is the highest ranking ecclesiastical authority in the cathedral and is not subject to any other ecclesiastical authority insofar as the cathedral… Read more »
The Students of Christ Church don’t want a Dean in Holy Orders, didn’t when Martyn was appointed, but had no choice. That view will have been reinforced. While the appointment remains a Crown Appointment and while the Dean is both Head of House and a cathedral Dean, absent of the Privy Council being petitioned, the status quo will prevail. Removing HMK as Visitor is the easy part, but again they won’t want the Bishop. The Bishop of Oxford plays almost no part in the process for the appointment of the Dean, although he would probably want to play a bigger… Read more »
It is such a pity that the good name of ‘The House’, (Christ Church, Oxford), has been brought into disrepute because of the wilful actions of the cabal of Trustees (they know who they are) who went so far to de-fame the career of Dr. Martyn Percy that it cost the College not only millions of pounds in legal fees but also its reputation as a place of learning at the ancient University of Oxford. Think of how many future students that money could have helped! For a few malcontents to exercise such power – costing the Charity so much… Read more »
The Bishop’s rambling & incoherent paper does not reflect well on him. For a start he ignores the fact that the jobs of the Dean of a Cathedral & the Head (Dean/Master/Warden/Provost, etc.) of an Oxford College are full-time jobs, and any attempt to combine the two under one hat will continue to produce an unsatisfactory result for both. Once the two are split the College can be run by a lay person who can concentrate on that job alone. He/She will have a herculean task in undoing the damage done by the last few years, not least in getting… Read more »
Accepting that as an outsider I have no right to do so, I have been saying something similar to this for three (?) years here on TA and another Christian blog. It would require reallocation of funding and accommodation for the new Head of College, assuming that the (new) Dean and Canons would continue to occupy their houses (which already legally vest in the Dean and Chapter). As a former church musician, I have concerns about the choral foundation which has a long and distinguished history. Again, under the Statutes it ‘belongs’ to the Cathedral and I view with some… Read more »
Many (perhaps most) heads of houses have a second ‘job’. Often that’s a professorship or similar in the university but it can be as an author or as a board member of other institutions. I don’t think the Dean having a second ‘job’ is particularly uncommon – rather it is the external visibility of it which I think is rare
Kate: Cathedral deans don’t have second jobs. Christ Church is unique and much of the discussion here comparing the situation at other Oxbridge colleges ignores the fact that they are not cathedrals. That also happens to be my argument in relation to the choral foundation.
With a Sub Dean to fill in I can’t see much impact on the cathedral either.
Sorry, I don’t understand this answer. We are discussing the possible reform of Christ Church, not the present unique and arguably unsatisfactory position of the Dean, potentially capable of being unseated by a group of predominantly lay people who may not even be practising Christians. Dominic Grieve’s terms of reference specifically require him to consider the provisions of the Cathedrals Measure 2021 (which currently does not apply to Christ Church except in one minor and non-relevant matter). That implies at least the possibility of a future Dean in terms of section 12 of the Measure, i.e., full-time and with all… Read more »
“the jobs of the Dean of a Cathedral & the Head (Dean/Master/Warden/Provost, etc.) of an Oxford College are full-time jobs”. This may or may not be true of cathedral deans. But it is not true of all heads of Oxford colleges, I think. It is not at all unusual for the head to be a part-time role. This allows the head to continue to have another role, e.g. as an academic in the university. My recollection for example (though this is a Cambridge example rather than an Oxford one) is that when Rowan Williams stepped down from being Archbishop of… Read more »
Some years ago my college had a brief hiatus after electing someone who thought being Provost could be a secondary role – he resigned after only six months. Perhaps what I should have said is ‘Primary role’ rather than full time job. Looked at all at my old college in last 100 years & although several had been professors, all gave up their chair on being elected provost.
I get the impression that in some colleges the grunt work is done by the bursar. The principal or master concentrates on schmoozing wealthy alumni and others in the hope of donations. Often he or she will have had a distinguished career outside of academia
. RAB Butler supposedly got Trinity Cambridge as a consolation prize for not becoming prime minister.
Martin Sewell’s further article “The Church of England has a case to answer for its role in the institutional bullying at Christ Church” deserves special consideration. Several TA contributors and, of course, Martyn Percy himself have already called for an independent inquiry covering the actions of both the Christ Church Governing Body and the Church of England, particularly the Diocese of Oxford, taking fully into account where their actions have overlapped. As two examples: the presence of Governing Body members on a C of E core group until required to stand down, and the controversial ‘risk assessment’, both as to… Read more »
All clerks in Holy Orders, whether in a post or retired, are subject to the provisions of the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003. There is a special procedure for bringing a complaint against a member of cathedral clergy (it requires the diocesan bishop to determine that the intended complainant has a proper interest in bringing the complaint – see section 42(2) – and the requisite complaint form (Form 1d) requires a copy of the bishop’s written determination to be annexed), but there is no exemption for Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, as there is under the Cathedrals Measure 2021. The question of… Read more »
With respect, David, all of your first paragraph and the fact that I was supporting Martin Sewell’s proposal are clearly stated in my own comment above! I looked at section 42 (2) to refresh my memory of the precise wording. Again, my own comment is entirely consistent; this isn’t new territory to me! I also looked at section 43 (2) which, I think, is concerned with geography as much as jurisdiction. Whilst I defer to your expertise, I’m not totally convinced that the CDM contemplates, or deals with adequately, the unique situation of a Cathedral Dean where the Bishop is… Read more »
Section 24 (2) of the CDM 2003 states this: No penalty of removal from office imposed on an archbishop or bishop or on any person holding any preferment the right to appoint to which is vested in Her Majesty (not being a parochial benefice) shall have effect unless and until Her Majesty by Order in Council confirms the penalty. I must have read it countless times without fully taking in its significance. This, surely, demonstrates the anomaly and absurdity of the Dean of Christ Church being subject to both a potential penalty of removal from office as Dean of the… Read more »