The Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives has brought together over 350 senior faith leaders from around the world to call for an end to violence and discrimination against LGBT people and for a global ban on conversion therapy.
They have released a video of senior faith leaders saying this declaration.
They are holding a one day conference today, 16 December, which is available as a livestream from 0930 – 1630. This is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
The programme of the conference can be viewed here.
The Bishop of London has recorded this welcoming video.
This will be followed at 1730 by a Celebration at Westminster Abbey with both the Dean of Westminster and the Dean of St Paul’s.
They invite all people of faith to sign the declaration with them.
The full text of the press release is copied below the fold.
Media coverage
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“Doing this this might be motivated by pastoral intentions, but is a breach of fundamental principle”
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Charles Clapham Unadulterated Love Living in Love and Faith and heterosexual fragility
Janet Fife Surviving Church Alphabet Soup: A Glossary of Safeguarding
4 CommentsPress release from the Church of England
House of Bishops Meeting, December 2020 via Zoom
16/12/2020
The House of Bishops met for a scheduled two-day meeting on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 December 2020 via Zoom
The two-day meeting is customary for the House at year end, with the House approving items to feature on the agenda for February Synod.
Amongst the key issues covered were discussion and updates on the Emerging Church workstreams, Safeguarding (particularly independent oversight), updates from Ministry and further developments related to the reform of the Clergy Disciplinary Measure (CDM).
The Bishop of London gave an update to the House regarding the on-going situation with regards to COVID-19 in her role as Chair of the Recovery Group. In her update, she addressed the impact of COVID-19 in preparation for the Christmas season and the possibility of future restrictions over the coming months. She noted that every effort has been made to ensure that Christmas church services are held safely and in compliance with the law and that churchgoers can be assured of this. The House was reminded that throughout the pandemic, churches have worked with other faith communities, local groups and volunteers to support their communities and local health providers. The Bishop of London confirmed that this work will continue as the nation recovers from the pandemic but noted that we are not yet through the crisis and urged caution and care to all in the community.
The House was updated by the Bishop of Manchester in his capacity as Chair of the Coordinating group of the Emerging Church Workstreams. This was followed by discussion of a Perspectives paper outlining how dioceses individually, and the Church as whole, are responding in the short and medium terms to the challenges of COVID-19. The paper reviewed the impact of the pandemic and the changes dioceses are making to their mission and ministry plans, as regards finances, people and buildings. The house broke into groups to discuss the issues raised in the paper.
The conversation continued in the second day, when breakout groups reported on their discussions. The focus of the feedback and the discussions was how resources should be directed to where they will have the most impact, how national strategies should relate to diocesan strategies and where resources should be maximised for longer term transformation. The House also reviewed how bishops can work collaboratively to respond to the changing picture at ground level.
The Bishop of Leeds addressed the House in this capacity as Chair of the Governance Review Group and was joined by the Bishop of Willesden, who is a member of the group. A progress report was presented the House in line with the Group’s terms of reference which tasks the Group with reviewing the effectiveness of the existing governance structures and process across the national functions of the Church of England. The House noted the report and agreed to the direction of travel for phase two of the Group’s work. The Governance Review Group plan to publish a consultation document which will suggest a number of options for future governance models and will consult widely on them with all relevant stakeholders.
The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich then spoke to the House regarding the work of the Transforming Effectiveness workstream, whose purpose is to make the operations of the National Church Institutions more effective to enable the Church of England to better serve God’s mission.
The Bishop of Huddersfield (Lead Bishop for Safeguarding) introduced Melissa Caslake, Director of Safeguarding to speak to the House with contributions also from Meg Munn, the Secretary General and the Chair of the Independent Safeguarding Panel. In addition to a progress update on the interim support scheme following the recent ICSA report and recommendations and last month’s Synod debate, the House agreed in principle to interim arrangements to provide for independent oversight and scrutiny in the immediate future.
The Bishop of Huddersfield thanked Melissa Caslake for her contribution over the last 18 months prior to her forthcoming departure in January next year. He gave his personal thanks for her support and leadership within the National Safeguarding Team (NST) and National Safeguarding Steering Group. During her tenure, Melissa led and worked with colleagues towards the creation of new independent structures for the oversight of safeguarding and has helped the Church to become a safer and healthier place for all.
The Bishop at Lambeth updated the House on the progress to date on Clergy Disciplinary Measure (CDM) reform. The House noted the direction of travel of CDM reform, which will also take into account recent IICSA recommendations. Feedback was given by the House on three proposals with further discussion to form part of a wider consultation process, prior to proposals being put forward to General Synod.
The Bishop of Chester gave a short presentation to the House on the Revised Formation Framework for Ordained Ministry. The Ministry Council has overseen this process on behalf of the House which began in September 2019, with the purpose of renewing the Formation Framework which is used to assess the suitability of ordinands to be an ordained and to assess the suitability of curates to be moved to a new post. The House gave its blessings to the work of Ministry Council on the framework and noted the protocol which has been devised to enable good practice in withdrawing ordinands from training.
The House also engaged in a discussion regarding Brexit. The House considered the current situation and the impact of the various future scenarios on churches and communities across the country. The Bishops in the House of Lords will continue to contribute to discussions in the House of Lords on this matter.
1 CommentThe Church of England has today issued this press release:
Update on NST independent oversight
The Archbishops’ Council has voted unanimously that a proposal on interim independent oversight of the National Safeguarding Team is to be put in place before February Synod (2021) to pave the way for full independent oversight, by February Synod 2022. Both the Archbishops’ Council and the House of Bishops have already endorsed the principle of independence for the Church’s safeguarding work.
The House of Bishops also discussed this at its meeting today supporting the direction of travel for these proposals while noting the importance of engaging with dioceses. The interim oversight model would include the creation of a new safeguarding board with a majority of entirely independent members, including a Chair, who would have delegated responsibility for the oversight of the NST, to ensure independence of scrutiny and feedback. The Board could then help determine the approach to implementing full independent oversight which will include proposed structural changes for closer working with and oversight of diocesan safeguarding officers, particularly on casework, as outlined in the IICSA recommendations. The detailed arrangements for this, and the resulting allocation of responsibilities, will need to be worked out fully through this process of consultation.
Consultation with survivor representatives has made it very clear that they want to see independent oversight for all cases, not just national ones. This particularly reflects the first IICSA recommendation. There will be full consultation with survivor groups and with dioceses as detailed proposals are drawn up. The Archbishops’ Council noted the importance of how the principle of independence is worked out in relation to dioceses and of ensuring input and feedback from parishes and PCCs. There will be a more detailed timeline in place by February Synod for the following 12 months as this work is progressed. The Council agreed the importance of increased resources to ensure this structure is in place by February Synod.
The Council also unanimously endorsed the setting up and funding of the Interim Support Scheme for survivors.
0 CommentsThe Dean of St Albans, the Very Revd Dr Jeffrey John, has accepted a post as Associate Chaplain at St George’s Anglican Church in Paris, after seventeen years at St Albans Cathedral. St George’s is an Anglican Church of the Diocese in Europe.
16 CommentsThe Rt Revd Christopher Foster announced today that he will retire as Bishop of Portsmouth in April 2021.
21 CommentsAdrian Thatcher Modern Church Living in Love and Faith
Savitri Hensman ViaMedia.News LLF: The Cost of Careless Talk and Needless Silence
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Safeguarding and the LGBTIQ+ Christian vision in the LLF process
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Smyth’s Bystanders and Enablers
Peter Collier Church Times Flawed clergy discipline is ripe for reform
“Measure to be proposed would deal with complaints regionally, and be more pragmatic and theologically sound”
Susan Gilchrist Church Times The barriers to listening need to be broken down
“The Living in Love and Faith process will work only if Anglicans pay attention to the stories of real people, not sectional viewpoints”
Siôn B E Rhys Evans Priors
Ian Paul Psephizo What is the vision and strategy of the Church of England?
John Barton Modern Church The Bible in Living in Love and Faith
64 CommentsStephen Parsons Surviving Church Whited sepulchres and Integrity
Charlie Bell ViaMedia.News LLF: Please Break the Silence, Bishops
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Honest to God and the Salvation Theology of LLF
Martin Sewell Archbishop Cranmer Martyn Percy cleared again: CofE safeguarding goes from tragedy to farce
(Warning, the picture at this link may cause distress.)
The Governing Body of the Church in Wales has published on this page its proposals for: A Bill to authorise experimental use of proposed revisions of the Book of Common Prayer (service of Blessing following a Civil Partnership or Marriage between two people of the same sex).
The documents are all in MS Word format:
The Church of England’s CDM Working Group published a progress report last Friday. The group proposes that there should be a new measure rather than revision of the current measure. It also proposes a number of interim changes that do not require primary legislation. Consultation meetings are being held this week and next; details of how to join are in the report.
The accompanying press release is copied below the fold.
Also on Friday the Ecclesiastical Law Society announced a further public consultation on the Measure. Responses, to be submitted by 20 December 2020, are welcome from non-members.
7 CommentsPeter Anthony All Things Lawful And Honest Tunnel Vision
Laudable Practice A Time to Rediscover Mattins
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church The Melissa Caslake resignation. Crisis for Safeguarding?
Simon Butler ViaMedia.News LLF: History Repeating Itself: The “Beautiful” Story
Philip Murray All Things Lawful And Honest Truth and Tradition
Janet Fife Surviving Church Saving Lives at Sea
Sarah Mullally Contemplation in the shadow of a carpark “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid”
“My introduction to Living in Love and Faith at The London Diocesan Synod”
Updated Friday morning
Gabriella Swerling at the Telegraph reported last night: Exclusive: Church of England’s child protection director quits after 18 months
The Church of England’s child protection boss has quit after 18 months amid claims that she faces too much resistance from clergy.
Melissa Caslake was appointed as the church’s first permanent Director of Safeguarding in April last year. She will take up a role as Director of Children’s Services with a local authority in the New Year.
However, The Telegraph has spoken to sources who claim that after just over a year and a half in the role, Ms Caslake “wouldn’t be leaving unless she felt that task had become impossible”…
…A source said: “Half of the leadership of the Church of England knows that it needs to change to survive, but the other half feels that survival depends on preventing change at all costs.”
“Melissa Caslake is a dedicated and competent safeguarding professional. She was brought in to reform the church’s safeguarding practice. She wouldn’t be leaving unless she felt that task had become impossible. Perhaps she has discovered what many victims know from bitter experience – that the church is simply too complex, too defensive, and too self-absorbed to face up to its own cruelty…”
…In response to the claims surrounding her departure, she said: “I have been privileged to work with survivors, members of clergy, diocesan and safeguarding professionals and others in the national church and beyond.
“I hope their expertise will continue to be respected and heard. I would like to thank all those who have supported the safeguarding journey so far, and wish the church well as it reflects on how best to implement the IICSA recommendations for the future…”
This morning no official announcement from the Archbishops’ Council has so far appeared, but this afternoon the Church Times has published: C of E safeguarding director resigns.
THE Church of England’s Director of Safeguarding, Melissa Caslake, is resigning after just 18 months in post (News, 12 April 2019), it was announced this week.
Ms Caslake is to take up the post of director of children’s services for Devon County Council…
…A small group of survivors replied on Thursday with a statement wishing her well, saying that she would “leave with respect from many in the survivor community and beyond, for the energy she brought to transforming the Church’s safeguarding, and rescuing a moribund National Safeguarding Team.
“Some have offered legitimate criticism of the controversies over which she nominally presided, but still recognise that she has left a good mark of the changes required for the future. Indeed, she has done more than anyone to change the culture. She ‘got it’. We note that she came from a local authority context and returns to a similar position where she will have clear unambiguous roles, rules, and structures, none of which currently exist within the Church of England in general and Church House in particular.
“Until these are sorted out the position of Director of Safeguarding is virtually impossible to do with integrity, and we don’t blame Melissa for leaving whilst hers is still intact. . . It is crucial that her successor picks up on and carries forward the direction of change and reform. We wish her well.”
The Bishop of Huddersfield, Dr Jonathan Gibbs, the lead safeguarding bishop, said: “Melissa has brought experience, skills and commitment to her role and I would like to express my personal thanks for her support and leadership within the NST and National Safeguarding Steering Group. . .
“I am conscious that this has been a very demanding and personally costly role, facing challenges from many different directions. Melissa has sought to help the Church to become a safer and healthier place for all and we owe her a real debt of thanks for all her work on our behalf.”
The full text of the statement from survivors mentioned above is as follows:
Melissa Caslake will leave with respect from many in the survivor community and beyond, for the energy she brought to transforming the Church’s safeguarding, and rescuing a moribund National Safeguarding Team. Some have offered legitimate criticism of the controversies over which she nominally presided, but still recognise that she has left a good mark of the changes required for the future. Indeed, she has done more than anyone to change the culture. She “got it”. We note that she came from a Local Authority context and returns to a similar position where she will have clear unambiguous roles, rules, and structures, none of which currently exist within the Church of England in general and Church House in particular. Until these are sorted out the position of Director of Safeguarding is virtually impossible to do with integrity, and we don’t blame Melissa for leaving whilst hers is still intact. We suspect Moses would struggle to reshape the culture and mindset of Church House. We feel Melissa Caslake has done well to survive there for eighteen months. It is crucial that her successor picks up on and carries forward the direction of change and reform. We wish her well.
Friday morning update
An official announcement has at last appeared and can be read here: National safeguarding director takes up new role. It is copied in full below the fold. (more…)
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15 CommentsThe Archbishops of Canterbury and York in a joint letter to all clergy have responded to the pressure for Communion to be administered in both kinds, sharing further guidelines from the Recovery Group of the House of Bishops. These guidelines effectively suggest that Communion may be administered using a form of intinction, though the document does not use that word, instead using the phrase simultaneous administration. This document is not yet available on the Church of England website.
In their covering letter the two archbishops write
The Bishops are involved in working to find an appropriate way to ensure Communion in both kinds is possible. We attach with this letter guidance from a working group who have been commissioned by the House of Bishops. We commend this to you. We hope that what they outline will be helpful for many as we plan what our practice will be over the coming weeks. The House of Bishops is committed to working further on this matter. However, the outcome of their discussions will take some time. The guidance attached is therefore interim and further information will be sent once the work has been done in the new year.
The text of the letter and the guidelines is copied below the fold.
Updated 2 December: A revised version of the covering letter and document has also been circulated. A copy can be found here: Holy-Communion-letter-and-guidance-011220. The original covering letter was undated, and the revised version is dated 1 December. We have updated the copy below with the changes leaving the earlier text in place as well but crossed out like this, and additions or alterations are highlighted like this.
James Martin America magazine Whatever brings a person to God is holy–whether you like it or not
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Giles Fraser UnHerd We don’t need more spreadsheet vicars
Stephen Conway All Things Lawful And Honest Only Connect
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Inclusive pro-LGBTIQ+ group writes to thirty four pro-gay bishops
Jonathan Clark The Commonwealth of Heaven Living in love and faith – and peace, with justice
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Reflections on Churchmanship Labels in the Church of England
Archdruid Eileen Beaker Folk of Husborne Crawley Take a Break, Justin
70 CommentsPress release from the Church of England
Living in Love and Faith: Learning together with our different experiences and theological understandings
25/11/2020
A statement from Bishop Sarah Mullally (Chair of the Next Steps Group) and Bishop Christopher Cocksworth (Chair of the LLF Coordinating Group).
Specific and harmful targeting of some of the individuals who have courageously shared their stories as part of LLF is wrong and not in the spirit of LLF and the Pastoral Principles commended by the House of Bishops. Personal insults and attacks are contrary to the respect, love, grace, kindness and compassion to which we are all called.
We are profoundly grateful to each person who has taken the path of sharing their story publicly for the Living in Love and Faith project. They enrich our learning and invite us to acknowledge the diversity found in the Church today. They are to be received with openness.
Engaging with the LLF resources is enriching and, at different points for different people, challenging. Questions of identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage are deeply personal with real-life consequences. It is vital that our ongoing conversations and processes of learning and discernment take place in as safe a way as possible.
The LLF process of learning together with our different lived experiences and theological understandings is challenging and will not succeed without respect, love, grace, kindness and compassion.
49 CommentsJayne Ozanne ViaMedia.News LLF: That Video, Those Principles & a Call for a Public Inquiry
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Christian Concern and Anglican Mainstream sabotage the LLF process
Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Politics, Evangelicals and the Church of England
Meg Munn Chair of the National Safeguarding Panel Past Cases Review 2
Karen Armstrong The Guardian Dear archbishop, now is not the time to take a sabbatical
50 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod meets virtually from 1300 on Monday until 1530 today. The papers are available here.
Video recording of the day’s proceedings
Order paper 4 – details of the morning’s business
Order paper 5 – details of the afternoon’s business
The main item of business in the morning was a presentation and debate on Safeguarding (GS 2184). There is an official press release reporting on this: Unanimous Synod support for IICSA report.
This was followed by final approval of a new Diocesan Boards of Education Mesure: Diocesan Boards of Education Measure approved by General Synod.
Reports from members and the press
Stephen Lynas Who’s sorry now?
Andrew Nunn ‘Wearing thin’
Church Times Synod votes unanimously to accept IICSA recommendations
2 CommentsPress release from Number 10
There is more detail on the Oxford diocesan website.
Suffragan Bishop of Dorchester: 24 November 2020
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Gavin Andrew Collins MA to the Suffragan See of Dorchester.
Published 24 November 2020
From: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Gavin Andrew Collins MA, Archdeacon of the Meon, in the diocese of Portsmouth to the Suffragan See of Dorchester, in the diocese of Oxford, in succession to the Right Reverend Colin William Fletcher OBE who resigned on 16 November 2020.
Gavin was educated in Law at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and worked as a solicitor in the City of London, before training for ministry at Trinity College Bristol. He served his title at St Barnabas, Cambridge, in the diocese of Ely and was ordained Priest in 1998.
In 2002, Gavin was appointed Vicar at Christ Church, Chorleywood, in the diocese of St Albans and, from 2006, he additionally served as Rural Dean of Rickmansworth.
In 2011, Gavin took up his current role as Archdeacon of The Meon in the diocese of Portsmouth.
Gavin is married to Christina, who is a Health Visitor, and they have three young adult children.
8 CommentsThe House of Bishops met yesterdday evening and issued this press release. There is a misprint as the Regulations are actually GS 2191. There are also some explanatory notes (GS 2191X).
House of Bishops – Monday 23rd November 2020 via Zoom
24/11/2020
The House of Bishops met on the evening of Monday 23rd November, in the margins of Synod, and approved the Religious Communities Regulations 2020 as set out in (GS 2192) (“the Regulations”).
The Religious Communities Regulations set out the conditions a community must meet in order to be declared, under Canon DA 1, to be a religious community in the Church of England. These conditions include the requirement that all religious communities of the Church of England must comply with all House of Bishops Safeguarding policies and practice guidance.
This legislation follows on from a resolution at General Synod in February 2018. The resolution called on the Business Committee to provide a framework for religious life in the Church of England noting the historic importance of religious communities in the life of the faithful and celebrating the many new expressions of the religious life through Recognised and Acknowledged Communities.
Once approved by the House, the Regulations will be subject to approval by the General Synod.
The House then briefly received updates from the various works streams operating under the auspices of the Emerging Church Groups, with a forward look to the House of Bishops meeting in December, where they will be discussed in greater detail.
0 Comments