Viewing all items in Resource Category: News

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has responded with grave concern to a recent United Nations commission that has confirmed Russia’s mass abduction of Ukrainian children. “These actions are a shocking violation of the God-given dignity of every child and the sanctity of family bonds”, said the WCC’s general secretary, the Revd Professor Jerry Pillay....

The Vatican has affirmed that a person with Down syndrome has the same dignity and sacred value as any other. It firmly rejects prenatal screening and the selective termination of pregnancies, where the condition has been diagnosed in the unborn child. The Holy See’s Apostolic Nuncio in Geneva, Archbishop Balestrero, said that “persons with Down...

The Bible Society has said that the survey sample on which its report the Quiet Revival was  based was “faulty, and it can no longer be regarded as a reliable source of information about the spiritual landscape in Britain”. In a recent statement, the Bible Society’s CEO, Paul Williams, said: “We are. . . deeply...

Those of us who enjoy visiting Betws-y-Coed will be glad to know that the bells at St Mary’s Church in Betws-y-Coed were rung for the first time at a church service this Easter, following the completion of a major restoration project. Although the church was built with plans for a full ring of bells, that...

The new Archbishop of Canterbury’s first Presidential Address National drive to welcome Hong Kong Christians in churches is launched Church choirs receive £400,000 boost for programme   C of E welcomes Government’s Schools White Paper announcements ‘Still a ‘long way’ to go on working class vocations,’ Synod hears Synod approves motion confirming LLF programme Millions face...

 These are some highlights from the first Presidential Address by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, at the February 2026 General Synod group of sessions. I stand here among you by no means for the first time, but for the first time as the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is a humbling privilege to be called...

A new body to support the rapid growth of Hong Kong Christians in C of E parishes has been set up. Hong Kongers in the Church of England includes representatives from the C of E’s Racial Justice Unit, the Diocese of Oxford and the Teahouse group of Chinese heritage clergy. A Hong Kong Communities Enabler, Katie Woo, has also been...

More than 200 church choirs aimed at children and young people are to be launched in a new programme. ‘The Choir Project’, working in partnership with the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM), will engage children and young people with their local church choirs amid renewed interest in sacred church music. The launch comes as...

Progress has been made, but much more needs to be done, in order to increase the representation of people from working class backgrounds in lay and ordained leadership roles in the Church of England, the General Synod was recently told. The Bishop of Barking, Lynne Cullens, who is heading a key advisory group to encourage...

The Church of England has welcomed the Government’s Schools White Paper and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) consultation, “recognising the opportunity they offer to secure long‑term improvements for children, young people and families.” As the largest single provider of schools in England, and with a long history of serving the most vulnerable, the Church...

 and new working group to be established General Synod recently gave its backing to establishing working and consultative groups to continue work on same-sex relationships and marriage as the Church of England’s Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process came to a conclusion. LLF was originally set up in 2017 to explore the Church’s approach to identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage. It led to the introduction, following a key Synod vote in 2023, of public prayers of dedication,...

The General Synod has backed a call for the C of E to recommit to ending poverty. General Synod members voted to mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of the landmark report Faith in the City, and its impact on Christian social action, including the work of the Church Urban Fund. Churches must listen to...