The chief executive of the Anglican mission agency USPG, the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, has issued a strong response to claims that its recent name-change means that it is embarrassed by the gospel. The society announced last month that it would become known as “Us” from November, saying: “The original title […]
Author: GavinDrake
PM backs right to wear cross at work
The Prime Minister has pledged to change the law to ensure that Christians can wear crosses at work. Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, David Cameron said that he fully supported the right of people to wear religious symbols at work. He described it as “a vital religious […]
Board of Deputies of British Jews slams General Synod debate on Palestine-Israel
A senior Jewish leader has described the language used in Monday’s General Synod debate about Israel and Palestine as evoking “nothing but simple anti-Semitic themes from history”. The Synod approved a Private Member’s Motion moved by Dr John Dinnen (Hereford), endorsing the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), despite objections […]
General Synod Digest – summary of just about every speech
Last week I was with Church Times reporter Madeleine Davies; reporter and deputy news editor Ed Thornton; and deputy editor Glyn Paflin; at the General Synod in York for the Church of England’s General Synod. We were there to produce a number of reports for the paper and the Church Times new website; but also to […]
Church endorses Israel hate agenda
In the worst rift between Anglo-Jewry and the Church of England in recent years, the president of the Board of Deputies has accused the Synod of “riding roughshod” over the Jewish community. The attack by Vivian Wineman follows a vote by the General Synod this week to endorse the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment […]
Synod postpones final decision on women bishops
THE General Synod has voted to send the draft women-bishops Measure back to the House of Bishops, and not to vote on final approval until November. An adjournment motion, moved by the Bishop of Dover, the Rt Revd Trevor Willmott, was carried by a two-thirds majority, after about two and a half hours of debate. […]
Bishop warns of austerity’s ‘social consequences’
THE BISHOP of Bath & Wells, the Rt Revd Peter Price, has warned that the country faces more episodes of violent disorder similar to that which hit the nation in August last year. In an address to the General Synod on Sunday afternoon, Bishop Price warned that the Government’s austerity measures had social consequences, which […]
Steering committee seeks to adjourn women bishops debate
A GROUP of senior Church of England officials have announced that they intend to ask the General Synod to postpone tomorrow’s historic vote to allow women to be bishops, so that last minute amendments made to the draft legislation by the House of Bishops could be re-considered. If Synod approves, the earliest they would be […]
Ban on clergy in racist groups approved
The General Synod moved a step closer to banning clergy from membership of groups such as the British National Party (BNP) when it gave final approval to the Clergy Discipline (Amendment) Measure this afternoon. The Measure doesn’t itself proscribe membership of the BNP, but gives the House of Bishops power to declare, by a two-thirds […]
Convocations and laity say preliminary yes to women bishops
THE General Synod will debate women bishops on Monday, after the House of Laity and the Convocations of Canterbury and York voted to approve the draft legislation this afternoon. While the language of the motion before Synod members today was whether or not they approved of the legislation, many speakers indicated they were voting in […]