April 2015
in review
The National Church Institutions working for you
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Young ordinands in training at Trinity College, Bristol Credit: Jack Boskett
Young people now make up a quarter of new priests in training 116 young people under 30 now accepted - page two
#Washday15 Find out how to be involved on p4
5000 Acts435 gifts given page four
WELCOME to the latest edition of InReview, featuring news from the National Church Institutions.
Church Commissioners, the Pensions Board and other bodies who serve the Church at national level.
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Page two | The National Church Institutions working for you
25% of those accepted for ordination are under 30 Latest statistics released by the Church of England show that the number of young people (under 30s) now make up a quarter of all people accepted for training for the Church of England ministry. Figures show for 2014 show that 116 young people under 30 were accepted for training. This is the highest number of young people accepted for ordination training in the past 25 years. One young ordinand, who six years ago was a soldier serving in Iraq, describes her journey to ordination in a Church of England blog: “I’d hit rock bottom and feeling I had nowhere else to turn decided to shout out to God whilst on a helicopter in the way to the Iranian border,”. Liz Boughton, Young Vocations Advisor, Ministry Division of the Archbishops’ Council said: “We are so pleased to see more young people being recommended for ordination than in the last ten years. The gifts and insights that young people bring to ministry are more important than ever in the life of the Church of England and I look forward to seeing the impact that a generation of young priests will bring.” The Bishop of Sheffield, Steven Croft, chair of the Ministry Council, said: “It is really encouraging that young people are continuing
“Six years ago the thought of being ordained couldn’t have been further from my mind. I was a soldier posted in Iraq and wouldn’t have classed myself as a Christian. My life through a series of different events had spiralled out of control. I’d hit rock bottom and feeling I had nowhere else to turn decided to shout out to God whist on a helicopter on the way to the Iranian border. To my immense surprise God turned up and I felt his presence in such an almighty and powerful way I could no longer deny the truth and knew he was real. The call to ordination happened almost straight after my conversion. It was like a faint thought in the back of my head, which I labelled instantly as ridiculous, because my experience of church was extremely limited.” Read Kim’s blog at: bit.ly/oneyoungordinand to come forward, playing their part in the Church of the future. More and more young people are hearing God’s call to bring their energy and gifts to serve in the mission of the church. As a Church we need this movement
to deepen and grow still further” You can also listen to young people reflecting on their calling to ordination in the Church’s latest weekly podcast at: bit.ly/podcastmarch12th
Hope for “a fresh moral vision” - House of Bishops issue Pastoral Letter on the General Election 2015 The House of Bishops of the Church of England have expressed the hope for political parties to discern “a fresh moral vision of the kind of country we want to be” ahead of the General Election in May of this year. In a pastoral letter from the House of Bishops to the people and parishes of the Church of England, the Bishops urge Christians to consider the question how can we “build the kind of society which many people say they want but which is not yet being
expressed in the vision of any of the parties?” The letter also encourages church members to engage in the political process ahead of the General Election and to put aside self-interest and vote for ‘the common good’: “The privileges of living in a democracy mean that we should use our votes thoughtfully, prayerfully and with the good of others in mind, not just our own interests.” Print copies are available now from the Church House Bookshop (www.chbookshop. co.uk) for £3.99 including P+P or available online at: bit.ly/GE2015pastoralletter
Focus on quality of provision not admissions says Education chief The Church of England’s Chief Education Officer Nigel Genders has contributed to a book by education experts and commentators on selection in secondary schools which explores the complexity of the present system. He concludes that the solution to
body to provide education for all), being able to access any education at all was the pressing concern, not the choice of school. The issue of admissions, as we define it today, was nonexistent. It was only as universal provision was achieved that
Credit: Jack Boskett
the extremely complex arrangements caused by parental choice in school admissions and the oversubscription criteria that schools use, is to not focus on admissions but rather on quality of provision. The Ins and Outs of Selective Secondary Education: A Debate, edited by Anastasia de Waal of Civitas, is a wide-ranging collection of essays showing how the old divide between comprehensive and grammar schools has been supplanted by a range of much broader selection processes, across school types. In his chapter Nigel Genders states: “In those early years (when the CofE was the first
the question of which school a parent should choose for their children became such a significant matter. Schools operated with a catchment area, but the resulting rise in house prices around good schools meant that parental choice was more limited for those who could not afford to live there. However, the freeing up of the system and a greater expectation regarding parental choice of school has meant that the landscape has become increasingly difficult for many to navigate.” For more details and a copy of Nigel’s chapter: bit.ly/civitasbook
Secretary General to step down William Fittall, the Secretary General of the Archbishops’ Council and General Synod of the Church of England, has issued a statement to members of the General Synod announcing his intention to leave his post on November 30th this year. Announcing his intended departure, Mr. Fittall said: “After a succession of demanding roles I have, with my wife, concluded that the time has come for me to retire from full time work and move to a more flexible pattern of life. I am giving a substantial period of notice in the hope that this will facilitate a smooth and orderly transition. It is likely to
take around three months for the selection process to be completed and the person chosen may then have several months’ notice to serve from their present role.” The Secretary General’s full statement can be found at: bit.ly/williamfittall
InReview | Page three
Archbishop launches new lecture series Young Christians invited to spend ‘a year in God’s time’ with passion for evangelism talk
The Archbishop of Canterbury has set out a vision for how every Christian in the country can share their faith in Jesus with others.
In the first of a new lecture series at Lambeth Palace, Archbishop Justin Welby set out his passion for evangelism, its place among his priorities, and his
intent to help the church enable every Christian to be a faithful witness to Jesus Christ. Featuring a different speaker every few months, the Lambeth Lectures will tackle topics such as evangelism, reconciliation, interfaith relations and other themes concerning the church in the 21st century; and can be following on Twitter using the hashtag #LambethLectures. Archbishop Justin’s opening lecture, Revolutionary Love, is available online now at: bit.ly/revolutionarylovelecture
Work together for the good of the community- Archbishop Justin visits the Diocese of Birmingham The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, highlighted the importance of working together across faiths as he spent four days visiting churches and church-led projects in the Diocese of Birmingham. Archbishop Justin gave the keynote address to more than 150 people of faith drawn together from across Birmingham and the Black Country to reflect how they can tackle poverty in their communities together. The Archbishop reminded the conference about the importance of working together for the good of the community even if there remain disagreements about faith. He gave a global perspective on faiths working together to tackle poverty. Archbishop Justin and Brit-
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has opened the application process for young Christians around the world to spend ‘a year in God’s time’ at Lambeth Palace in London. Christians aged 20-35 have the opportunity to spend a year living together as a community inspired by the ancient monastic traditions of St. Benedict, St. Francis and St. Ignatius. They will live according to a shared Rule of Life and follow a pattern of silence, prayer, worship, study and service to the poor. The Community of St Anselm will initially consist of 16 people living at Lambeth Palace fulltime, and up to 40 people, who live and work in London, joining part-time. Young Christians of any denomination are invited to
apply to join the community, which will be made up of both men and women. Archbishop Justin Welby, who is the Abbot of the new community, said: “I expect this venture to have radical impact – not just for the individuals who participate but for life at Lambeth Palace, across the Church and in the world we seek to serve. This is what we expect in following Jesus. I urge young people to step up: here is an open invitation to be transformed and to transform.” The Prior of the community, the Revd Anders Litzell, said “there will be will be sacrifices required. People will need to leave things behind.” To find out more and apply, visit: www.stanselm.org.uk
Credit: Richard Shephard
ish Bake-off contestant Martha Collison served sticky toffee pudding for guests at a local night shelter as a programme for the church to appeal to younger people was launched in Birmingham. Around 300 young people, aged between 16 and 30, joined them at St Martin in the Bull Ring church at the event, the Recipe for Life (left). As well as watching the TV baker teach the Archbishop to make sticky toffee pudding, the young people at the event had the chance to text questions to the Archbishop about life, faith and the Church.
Credit: Philip King
The Archbishop also brought a global perspective to the evening by reminding participants that the average Anglican probably lived in danger of losing their life and faced serious poverty. Archbishop Justin also visited St Alban’s Academy, Highgate during his visit (above), sharing lunch with invited representatives from the community and had the opportunity to hear from students in a question and answer session. Students posed questions about the Archbishop’s life, his role as the leader of the Church of England as well as current issues affecting the church and our society. For more, visit: bit.ly/archbishopvisits birmingham
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Page four | The National Church Institutions working for you | InReview
‘Your Voice Counts’ - new materials released to raise
awareness about 2015 General Synod Elections The Communications office of the Archbishops’ Council has created a new set of materials encouraging people to consider standing as a member of General Synod in advance of it’s elections taking place in October. The materials, including a printable leaflet (left) and video (inset), Below is an extract from the materials, available now online: Because your voice counts! Everyone has something to offer and the Synod can learn from everyone. Don’t let age put you off – we need younger as well as older members! If you are 18 or above, you are eligible to stand. We particularly encourage BAME and people with disabilities to stand as both groups are currently under-represented amongst the membership of the General Synod. Being a member of Synod can be tremendously rewarding and make you feel that you are part of something really worthwhile. The materials are now available at: www.synodelections.org
In a video made for ‘Your Voice Counts’, General Synod members talk about their experience and why it is important for church members of all ages, experience and backgrounds to consider standing for election. Watch the video at: bit.ly/yourvoicecountsvideo
#Washday15 - social action in Holy Week Acts 435 sees 5000th request The Church of England is supporting a new campaign, led by Oxford Diocese, to encourage social action during Lent and Holy Week. The initiative is called #washday15. #washday15 is a way of encouraging people to make a difference to their communities this Lent through some kind of washing-related activity. The washing element is a way of re-enacting Jesus’s washing of the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper. There’s a short video online which explains the idea. You can find out more on the special website, www.washday.org and by following @washday15 where there are also resources for use in primary schools to support the project. The intention is that people take pictures and tweet
granted
using the hashtag #washday15. The project has been taken up by the Church of England nationally, and has the support of the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, who used to be Bishop of Reading in the Oxford Diocese. Bishop Stephen, who is shown helping to wash a lifeboat (above) to launch the
campaign, said that people could make a big difference by small acts. “The washday challenge is to respond to the needs of our community through acts of loving service,” he said. For more information including ideas for your church: www.washday,org
Acts 435, the Archbishop of York’s online giving charity, announced that its 5,000th request has been granted. The charity puts the increase in donations down to a #anothergift campaign it ran over Christmas, inviting churches, schools and community groups to stretch their budgets to buy ‘one more gift’, for someone in need. Acts435 encouraged support for people in desperate need of items such as a cooker, emergency repair work or help
with food or clothing. The Archbishop of York said: “Lent gives us a wonderful opportunity to show God’s love in action. The remarkable thing is – in meeting other people’s basic human needs we ourselves are blessed – for we meet Jesus in others, and that changes the way we see things. In fact it changes the way we see others too! It’s fantastic that Acts 435 is helping individuals to do just that”. Find out more at: www.acts435.org.uk
funerals in England, with around 3,300 funerals held each week in churches, crematoria, cemeteries and green burial sites all being led by Church of England ministers – clergy and readers. “We have been helping people to think about the big questions of life and death for generations. Our local clergy and lay people are a valuable source of support and help at every stage. Whether it is thinking
about what hymns and readings you might want in your funeral service, or finding someone to listen during the painful journey of grief, a local church can play a big part in getting people talking about death and dying.” This year’s Dying Awareness week is May 18th-24th, and further information including church resources are available at: www.dyingmatters.org
Dying Awareness week - May 18th-24th The Church of England and other members of the Dying Matters coalition are marking the annual Dying Awareness Week in May to get parishes and people talking about dying, death and bereavement. The Revd Canon Dr Sandra Millar, Head of Projects and Development for the Archbishops’ Council said: “The Church of England is the biggest single provider of