One of the greatest joys and strengths of our Church of England is its parish structure- we have a presence in every single place. What a mission opportunity this is. Like the Head of our Church, the Queen herself, our Church serves the whole nation. As we celebrate her 70-year reign, I wonder what will be left of our Parish system in another 70 years without many more of us stepping up to fight for it.
Madeleine Davies reports on the amalgamation of parishes over the decades. The Revd Marcus Walker, Rector of Great St Bartholomew’s, Smithfield, and chair of Save the Parish, highlighted research which…
Jonathan Baird asks why if, as David Lamming points out, the Patronage (Benefices) Measure of 1986 allows bishops to start looking for a new priest, do dioceses insist on a…
“The 2021 Governance Review Group report recommended “a new piece of work to explore the reform of the General Synod and Synodical government”. Even if reform is what it takes, I long for us to move away from decisions behind closed doors — for the Synod to be able to discern openly together the common will for the Church as we look to the future. Then we can all agree to put our money where our mouth is rather than find that money has already been promised, and our part as elected representatives is merely to welcome it, whether we want to or not.”
Sir James Burnell-Nugent writes in The Times this week of his hopes that the Crown Nomination for the next Archbishop of Canterbury will be pro-parish.
The Daily Telegraph has reported on the backlash in Leicestershire (where a whole-diocese reorganisation is being put forward which would end the parish system with its pastoral care). Leicester diocesan…
Local churches of all faith should and could work with local authorities and Labour will be able to make this happen: but there has to be a local presence in…