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The General Synod of the Church of England met last month (November) to discuss the steps being taken to implement texts known as Prayers of Love and Faith, which ask for God’s blessing for same-sex couples. In February of this year, Synod agreed a motion welcoming the texts and calling on The House of Bishops to...

The Church of England has published a set of National Safeguarding Standards. They will serve as an ‘essential benchmark,’ enabling Church bodies to identify both their strengths and areas for development, which will in turn inform their strategic planning in respect of safeguarding. The five Standards have been developed after three years of consultation, and...

The Church of England still has a “considerable distance” to cover before it achieves racial justice, the Archbishop of York recently told a gathering of more than 100 lay ministers and clergy. Archbishop Stephen said: “We find ourselves on a profound path in our endeavours to build a church that fosters equal participation, and by...

Thousands of churches, cathedrals, schools and clergy houses in England will benefit from a first phase of grants and projects worth £30 million, as part of the Church of England’s ambitious plan to achieve net zero by 2030. The aim is to support the Church in reducing carbon emissions from the energy used in churches,...

The results of a vital survivor engagement survey have been published. The aim of the national anonymous online survey was to listen to the views of victims and survivors about how they would like to work with the National Safeguarding Team, NST, to develop and implement a Survivor Engagement Framework. The survey, which was open...

Independent research into the wellbeing of clergy from working class backgrounds has been recently published, as part of a 10-year programme into how clergy can flourish in ministry. The findings of the qualitative research conducted by York St John and Bournemouth universities, will inform Living Ministry, a Church of England research programme exploring clergy wellbeing. ‘Let...

A new kind of Remembrance poppy Renowned composer ‘thrilled’ to write new Christmas carol for Church of England Parishes are still “at our very heart”< C of E’s response to the Net Zero statement Legislation clarifying right of local authorities to support churches clears final hurdle Living in Love and Faith – first facilitated group...

For the first time in 28 years, there is a new kind of poppy for Remembrance Sunday this year: it is plastic free. Director of the Poppy Appeal, Andy Taylor-Whyte explains: “We are very proud to introduce the plastic-free poppy. It will not only enable people to support our Armed Forces community but also continues...

This Christmas, the Church of England is inviting choirs across churches, schools, and communities to ‘join the song’ alongside one of the country’s leading choral composers. The ‘song’ is a new interpretation of ‘The First Nowell.’ It has been given a brand-new melody by the well-known composer Bob Chilcott and is the centrepiece of this...

“Parishes are at the very heart of the Church of England’s mission.” This was the C of E’s response to a recent article in the Sunday Telegraph. The short comment was provided as a response to an article that had appeared in the newspaper on ‘parish closures.’ William Nye, the Church of England’s Secretary General,...

The Bishop of Norwich, who is the Church of England’s Lead Bishop on the Environment, has responded to the announcement by the Prime Minister on Net Zero policies. “The Prime Minister’s Net Zero speech calls for a welcome change in the debate from loud polarised voices, but he set out delays in policy before hearing...

Legislation clarifying that parish and town councils can provide support to churches for repairs and improvements has cleared its final stages in the House of Lords. A Government amendment to the Bill makes it clear that local authorities can provide grants for parish churches or places of worship, following many years of legal uncertainty. The...