News

• News (all stories) for August 2024

  Pope warns of dangers of AI Legacy of Tiananmen Square, 35 years on More than £1.3 million approved for innovation in theological education Church Buildings Support Officers meet at Cathedral conference Bishop Guli’s tribute as composer Sir John Rutter is knighted More than £60 million awarded to three dioceses for ‘programmes of transformation’ Thousands of... (1217 words)

• Pope warns of dangers of AI

  Pope Francis has become the first pope ever to attend a G7 Summit, and he used his recent appearance to call for urgent “political action” to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). The Pope told leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) in Fasano, southern Italy: “AI is an extremely powerful tool. Its use will increasingly influence... (137 words)

• Legacy of Tiananmen Square, 35 years on

  This summer it is 35 years since China crushed the Tiananmen Square democracy protests (4th June). And since then, China has also progressively stepped up its persecution of Christians. The latest report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) warns that China’s crackdown on Christians has extended to Hong Kong and beyond... (203 words)

• More than £1.3 million approved for innovation in theological education

  More than £1.3 million has been awarded by the Church of England for research and pilot projects aimed at widening the pool of people training for ministry in the Church of England.  The projects range from work on neuro divergency to new courses in youth and children’s ministry. Grants have been made for innovation in... (96 words)

• Church Buildings Support Officers meet at Cathedral conference

  Newly appointed Church Buildings Support Officers have been speaking about their roles in providing practical advice and expertise to Church of England parishes. £3.2 million was awarded last year for CBSOs in 33 dioceses, and three partner organisations, providing parishes with advice on the management, conservation, repair and development of church buildings, including community use... (140 words)

• Bishop Guli’s tribute as composer Sir John Rutter is knighted

  The Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, has paid tribute to the composer Sir John Rutter who has been knighted in the recent King’s Birthday Honours List. Bishop Guli said: “Warmest congratulations to John Rutter on being awarded a knighthood in The King’s Birthday Honours. His enormous contribution to sacred choral music as a composer,... (74 words)

• More than £60 million awarded to three dioceses

  – for ‘programmes of transformation’ More than £60 million of funding is to be awarded to three Church of England dioceses for long-term programmes of transformation. This will include parish renewals, children and youth work, and outreach to low-income areas. The Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) has approved awards to the Dioceses of... (111 words)

• Thousands of Church of Scotland records go online

  The moment the Church of Scotland defied King Charles I is among a vast number of historical documents now available to view on the ScotlandsPeople website.  (www.ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk) As part of a wider release of almost 4,000 volumes of church court records, National Records of Scotland (NRS) has added papers from the church’s governing court, the... (344 words)

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