An abandoned church in Newington, Gloucestershire. Photograph: Adrian Sherratt/Alamy Source: Guardian |
AncientBriton
Blog notes
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Saturday 26 October 2024
Church closures
Tuesday 15 October 2024
Scottish Episcopal Church drops bullying tribunal against Scotland's first female bishop
Bishop Dyer was suspended in August 2022. Source: STV News |
Thursday 10 October 2024
Black hole
Source: X (formerly Twitter) |
Yesterday, Age UK’s own Equality Impact Assessment was released. It presents the true harm of the Winter Fuel Payment cut. 82% of pensioners in poverty or just above the poverty line will lose up to £300 in energy support this winter.
1, The Prime Minister describing the plight of pensioners when in Opposition.
2. Financial Times report: "UK Treasury refuses to disclose key details of £22bn fiscal ‘black hole’.
Wednesday 2 October 2024
EFCW statement in response to the recent statement by the Bishop of St Asaph at Governing Body
The bishop of St Asaph addressing Governing Body Source: CT/CinW |
Statement from the Evangelical Fellowship in the Church in Wales:
At the recent Governing Body meeting the Bishop of St Asaph made reference to EFCW and previous communications with the Bench of Bishop’s in his answer to a question on Conversion Therapy. His answer can be found here or in the Church Times here. Our response is printed below.
The original 2021 letter to the Bench of Bishops (with their original statement appended) and subsequent correspondence which were referenced are linked underneath.
We regret the interpretation put upon the EFCW letter of June 2021 to the Bench of Bishops in the Bishop of St Asaph’s response to Question 1 at the recent September meeting of the Church in Wales Governing Body. This letter was written to the Bench in good faith, as part of an ongoing dialogue, and we are saddened that reference was made to it in a situation that did not allow a right of reply or clarification before the Governing Body, and in its subsequent publication and distribution. We wish to rebut the implication that EFCW (wittingly or unwittingly) endorses conversion therapy.
EFCW does not, and never has, promoted coercive or abusive practices. Nor do we promote or encourage “practices in which pressure is brought upon vulnerable LGBTQIA persons to submit to efforts aimed at the conversion of their sexuality including attempted exorcisms and worse”, which we also agree are abhorrent.
As evangelical Anglicans we uphold the authority of Scripture over every aspect of our lives, as detailed in Articles 6, 7, 19 and 20. We are concerned that reducing the role of the Church to one simply of “welcome, acceptance and friendship” as the Bishop of St Asaph indicates, without the freedom to discuss the whole Canon of Scripture, or its application to daily life, would undermine the holistic pastoral care and discipleship journeys of those in our congregations.
We would also wish to have protections allowing prayer to take place with people, at their request, in the way the Bishop of St. Asaph suggests, namely “that God’s grace can be operative in the situation, and that a person would know God’s guidance and blessing, without a defined outcome”.
Full details here.
GB question and Bishop Gregory's answer in 'Highlights' (Session Two).
Tuesday 24 September 2024
The Great Church in Wales Giveaway
Original source: X (formerly Twitter) |
The Church in Wales has announced that it is to invest almost £10m in four projects designed to promote growth in church attendance in Wales.
The Church explained that "The grants are being made from the Church Growth Fund, in which the Church is investing £100m to support projects in a once-in-a generation opportunity to resource confident and consistent evangelism throughout Wales."
The diocese of Monmouth is dedicating £1 million to 'help grow new worshipping communities' by targeting local schools.
This news has not been universaly welcomed.
The South Wales Argus described it as a 'Cynical move' to use schools to ease 'plummeting' church membership.
Their community content editor writes:
"Campaigners have urged local authorities to ensure schools 'will not be used as mission fields', after the Church in Wales announced plans to 'build stronger links' with schools in South Wales.
"The diocese plans to install a 'Schools Engagement Pioneer' in areas including North Monmouthshire, Islwyn and Abergavenny to focus on 'relationship-building with primary and secondary school-age pupils in a manner which goes beyond school assemblies'."
A spokesperson for he Diocese of Monmouth explained that it has secured funding of more than £1m to help grow new worshipping communities by building stronger relationships with schools.
What is a Church in Wales 'worshipping community' today and what sort of relationships?
Recently a pride service was held at Newport Cathedral. Their same sex partnered bishop preached. The Celebrant was transgender.
For building 'inclusive' relationships in the Church in Wales see this entry published six years ago. The then preacher now occupies an influential post at Newport Cathedral while the concelebrant has been appointed bishop of Bardsey.
For the love of Christ?
Friday 20 September 2024
Wednesday 11 September 2024
Conned
The Labour winter 2024 - 2025. Source: X (Twitter) |
Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Government secured a majority of 120 in the winter fuel allowance vote to cut the payment for all but the country’s poorest pensioners. A few Labour MPs rebelled with a Labour Government, yes, a Labour government, to paraphrase Neil Kinnock's 1985 conference speech, winning by 348 to 228.
Source: X (Twitter) |