Despite innovations which included advertising the vacancy rather pointlessly in the Church Times early this year, the process remains rather opaque. There isn’t even an official shortlist. The secrecy encourages feverish speculation, with the leading candidates being debated like authors shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Unlike last time, there’s no obvious front runner. Will the committee go for a safe pair of hands who won’t be around long enough to cause too much trouble – the Bishop of London, for example, one of several candidates who were in the running ten years ago when Rowan Williams was chosen? Or will they choose someone younger and less well-established, but with potential? Justin Welby, the Bishop of Durham, is about the right age at 56 but has been a bishop for less than a year. His background in the City gives him a rare insight into the business world, and he’s well ahead in the current betting, but some would say that there are already quite enough Old Etonians running things.

John Sentamu of York is, by far, the biggest personality and was once seen as the front runner; yet he is also rather divisive, and his appointment would be a surprise. Graham James of Norwich (liberal, catholic) and Coventry’s Christopher Cocksworth (evangelical) both have their supporters but have a low public profile. Liverpool’s James Jones was generally written off as too old until the other week, when his chairmanship of the Hillsborough Commission won him plaudits from around the country. It could be anyone. One bookmaker was even offering odds of 200/1 on Richard Dawkins, though I don’t think so, somehow.

The CNC offers some nods towards ecclessiastical democracy, in that some of its members were elected by the General Synod, but is ultimately beholden to no-one but itself….

Read it all.

No clear front-runner for the post appears to have emerged within the Church of England with a number of senior figures said to be possible contenders including the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, 63, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, 65, the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Rev James Jones, 64, and the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James, 61.

The commission is also thought to be considering whether to appoint one of a younger generation of bishops including the Rt Rev Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, who is 53 years old, and the Rt Rev Justin Welby, 56, who was enthroned less than a year ago as Bishop of Durham.

Read it all.

The Church of England will almost certainly take a swing to the right as a conclave of powerful figures from within the Anglican Communion meet to decide who should become the new Archbishop of Canterbury over the coming days.

Almost all the front runners who have been put forward for the role are noticeably more conservative than Rowan Williams was before he took leadership of the church nine years ago – particularly when it comes to the thorny issue of homosexuality….

Read it all.

Almighty God,
you have given your Holy Spirit to the Church
to lead us into all truth:
bless with the Spirit’s grace and presence
the members of the Crown Nominations Committee.
Keep them steadfast in faith and united in love,
that they may seek your will, manifest your glory
and prepare the way of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Amen.

Read it all.

On Wednesday 15 men and four women meet to decide who will succeed Rowan Williams. The frontrunners include a Sun columnist, an economist, and chair of the Hillsborough independent panel.

Read it all and take the time to watch the whole 9 1/2 minute video.

Almighty God, who gavest thy servant Lancelot Andrewes the gift of thy holy Spirit and made him a man of prayer and a faithful pastor of thy people: Perfect in us what is lacking of thy gifts, of faith, to increase it, of hope, to establish it, of love, to kindle it, that we may live in the life of thy grace and glory; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Check it out. For those of you following this closely, you will notice there have been significant changes and movements.

What sort of man ”“ for man it will be ”“ does the church need at the see of Canterbury to succeed Rowan Williams?

He should be learned but with a populist touch; a man of prayer as well as a man of action; a sensitive pastor with a hide of leather; a good manager but also a visionary leader with a servant heart; decisive yet subtle; a poet, a prelate, a star performer. In other words, he needs to be “a realised impossibility” as George Bernard Shaw said of William Temple when he was appointed to the job in 1942.

One thing we know is this. He will be a currently serving bishop. This makes it easy for editors to assemble the longlist of candidates and for punters to get the odds. To be honest, they look a dreary lot. But maybe that’s also a prerequisite for high office nowadays.

Read it all.

Who would you like to be your next Archbishop of Canterbury? You may think this an odd way to put it. You may be Muslim, Jewish, Roman Catholic, atheist, or just vague. How can the Archbishop of Canterbury belong to you?

Yet if you live in England, he does. The Church of England is “by law established”, and so it is there for any citizen who wants it. The Queen is the Church’s Supreme Governor, and her people, regardless of what they believe, are its people. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who stands at the Church’s head, must serve them. He belongs to them.

But we shall not choose him. This process is nowadays controlled by something referred to, with varying degrees of affection, as the Wash House. The Wash House is the old laundry of Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop’s London residence, and it is now inhabited by the Crown Nominations Committee (CNC).

Read it all.

In “Something Understood” for BBC Radio 4, Mark Tully talks to the Archbishop of Canterbury about some of the controversies the Archbishop has negotiated throughout his time in office, and considers the premise that “discretion is the better part of valour”

Listen to it all via the link provided.

The bishop who chaired the panel responsible for exposing the devastating truth about the Hillsborough disaster has called for a national debate to establish accountability and to allow those in positions of authority to win back trust.

As Liverpool play a highly-charged game at Anfield against Manchester United this weekend, the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev James Jones, said that society was at a “crossroads”. His report, published last week, finally disclosed the extent of the cover-ups and lies told as authorities attempted to deflect blame for the 96 deaths.

He called for discussion that would help to restore accountability and trust to the police and other authorities. “It is timely for us to reconsider how people in positions of power, whoever they may be, behave in a transparent and accountable manner because to do so will then win back the trust which is so vulnerable at the moment in our society,” said the Bishop….

Read it all (requires subscription).

The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, has announced that he is to retire after more than a decade serving Greater Manchester and Rossendale, and 27 years as a Church of England Bishop.

The Bishop’s final formal thanksgiving service will take place at Manchester Cathedral on 25 November 2012, though he will remain Bishop of Manchester until 17 January 2013.

The Bishop, who will be 71 on his next birthday, will retire to Grange-Over-Sands with his wife Celia.

Read it all.

It is important that you take the time to listen to this–it starts 36 minutes and 20 seconds in (click on the arrow above the “45 mins” to the left of the picture in the box).

The conundrum we face has to do with how to get the General Synod to agree on the admission of women to the episcopate (enable them to become bishops). As I have said before, we are being asked to square a circle and no outcome is guaranteed to succeed. In fact, every option before us might either work or not.

What is clear to me, however, is that if women are to be admitted to the episcopate, they must be fully bishops on the same basis as male bishops. A bishop is a bishop is a bishop. How to get there is the problem. At least, how to get there while providing opponents with security within the church.

The arguments have been well rehearsed, so I am not going to go into them again here. However, the bishops are wrestling with this with integrity and great seriousness….

Read it all.

In an audio recording, the Archbishop of Canterbury gives his thoughts on Wednesday’s vote at the House of Bishops.

Follow the link and listen to it all.

The House of Bishops has today by an overwhelming majority settled the text of the legislation to enable women to become bishops in the Church of England.

The House of Bishops made clear its desire for the draft legislation to be passed into law when it goes forward for final approval to the Church of England’s General Synod in November.

Read it all.

An Eton-educated former oil executive has emerged as the unlikely frontrunner to succeed Rowan Williams as the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

Justin Welby has been a bishop for less than a year, but senior Anglican sources claim the committee responsible for making the appointment is preparing to overlook his inexperience to recommend him for the Church of England’s top job .

It would mark a meteoric rise and defy the odds that have placed John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, as the favourite among the public and bookmakers.

While the crown nominations committee will not make a final decision until it meets in secret later this month, sources say senior figures on the panel view the Bishop of Durham as the outstanding candidate….

Read it all (requires subscription) and you can read some basic information about Bishop Justin Welby there.

The House of Bishops will meet next Wednesday to discuss the next step in the legislation to allow women bishops. The response to a con­sultation in August suggests that opinion remains polarised.

The legisation, as it stands, con­tains Clause 5(1)(c), inserted by the Bishops before the July sessions of the General Synod in order to cater for traditionalist parishes. It stipulates that the Code of Practice should cover “the selection of male bishops or male priests the exercise of ministry by whom is consistent with the theological convictions as to the consecration or ordination of wo­men” of the PCC. The clause was so divisive that a vote on final approval of the legislation was post­poned until November…..

The steering committee proposed seven possible options in relation to the contentious clause…. A total of 120 submissions were received, it was announced on Wednesday. A third (41) were for simply deleting it; just under a third (35) were in favour of retaining it.

Read it all.

Human rights are becoming a new form of totalitarianism, being used to drive Christians out of public life and even their jobs, European judges will be warned next week.

Laws originally designed to protect basic freedoms are instead being used to strip British society of its Christian foundations while upholding the rights of minorities, they will hear.

The warning, from a prominent Church of England bishop, comes as part of a landmark case on religious freedom in Britain to be heard at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg next week.

Read it all.

In responding to the interim report, Archbishop Rowan Williams has made the following statement:

“I am very grateful to those who have been conducting the Visitation in the Diocese of Chichester and to all who have co-operated with this process ”“ not least those survivors of abuse who have shared their experience. The abiding hurt and damage done to them is something that none of us in the Church can ignore, and I am deeply sorry that they should have been let down by those they ought to have been able to trust.

I hope they will believe that we take their experience seriously: we owe them not only our words of apology but our best efforts to make sure that in the future our churches will be safe places for children and vulnerable people of all ages. The interim report confirms that there have been many and longstanding failures in implementing a robust and credible safeguarding policy in the Diocese of Chichester. The guidelines laid down by the national Church and the agreed standards of best practice have not been consistently followed and the flaws in safeguarding practice have put children and others at risk.

Read it all.

Twin warnings about the Church of England becoming irrelevant ”“ or even sinking into near oblivion ”“ are being sounded in the North.
And the oblivion forecast comes from Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch.
He sounds the grim message in the September issue of Crux, his diocesan monthly.
The doyen of Anglican Church leaders in the York province declares: “We are in a missionary situation.
“Alarming recent projections shared at the General Synod suggest that unless we start growing our congregations now at the rate of three per cent each year, we will decline into near oblivion.”

Read it all.

The Bishop of Chelmsford the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell has praised the vital legacy of the London Games saying in his own diocese – home to the Olympic Park and Village – and beyond, the Games are having an important impact on community life.

Commenting on the last day of the Olympics and looking forward to the Paralympics Bishop Stephen said that along with regeneration he believed the games could bring a further change – a legacy of good will….

Read it all.

If our behaviour patterns have shaped our consciousness towards money-domination, it is new behaviour patterns that will be the form of our resistance. Naming the idol and its power is a start. Insisting that our congregations see money as a spiritual issue, to be struggled with in Lent, for instance, is another step forward. Joining the Christian Council for Monetary Justice (www.ccmj.org) or other campaigns that help us to rehearse for a different world is next. Supporting actions that will rein in the debt explosion and restore to the people and their representatives control over the instruments of exchange is the aim.

When, last autumn, St Paul’s Institute published “Value and Values”, its survey of the ­attitudes of finance-sector ­professionals, one aspect was enormously striking. While the majority of those surveyed thought they were overpaid, they also admitted that it was the money that kept them in the work. And while they thought deregulation was vital, they also thought it lowered ethical standards. It is this sense of lived contradiction that tells us that we need to stop shouting “greed” and work with the professionals to understand this trap. After all, bankers reflect our values too.

Our slavery to the principalities and powers represented by what money has been allowed to become has to be broken. Among the blandishments of choice that money seems to offer, one choice is often hidden: “You cannot be slave to God and Mammon.”

Read it all.

A scheme in Norwich Diocese which gives broadband access to remote rural communities has been highlighted as an example of best practice in a report released today from the Lords Communications Select Committee which says the Government’s broadband strategy must not leave communities behind.

WiSpire – a joint venture between the Diocese of Norwich and Freeclix, a local ISP – was cited as an example “of emergence of a new industry of infrastructure providers in the final mile who will be able to respond to local demand and compete effectively with their national cousins to build out local access networks accordingly”.

Read it all.

A consultation/discussion paper from William Fittall, General Secretary
2. The House of Bishops will meet on 12 September to reconsider that provision. The possibilities available to the House will be to:
+ Retain clause 5(1)(c)
+ Amend the draft Measure by removing clause 5(1)(c)
+ Amend the draft Measure by replacing clause 5(1)(c) with a different provision.
……
9. The main purpose of this discussion paper is to explore the possible approaches that the House could adopt. Of these it is the one that involves replacing clause 5(1)(c) with a new provision that requires the most innovative thinking at this stage.

10. This paper, therefore, offers and analyses as a basis for discussion – and without commending any of them ”“ five initial possibilities, agreed with Standing Counsel to the Synod, for replacing clause 5(1)(c) with a new provision.

11. The hope is that these possibilities will stimulate further suggestions. At this stage it is more important to have proposals for possible elements of a new provision, and the objectives which they are designed to achieve, than detailed drafting suggestions.

12. Clearly the most important objective will be to identify an approach which can command a wide degree of support. But, above all, since it will form part of a statute, the effect of any new provision must be clear. It must also have a clear rationale, capable of being explained ”“including to the Ecclesiastical Committee of Parliament.

13. So, the starting point needs to be some analysis of what the present clause 5(1)(c), and any replacement of it, add to the rest of the Measure. Any new wording will, in the usual way, need to be agreed by Standing Counsel.

Read it all if you can be bothered and answers on an epostcard by August 24th. Thinking Anglicans have a stab at explaining it all here and there is comment on Anglican Mainstream here

150 young people aged between 16 and 25 have joined the Bishop of Chelmsford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, for ”˜Time for Youth’, a conference about the future of the Church.

They discussed the kind of Church God wants, the themes of Transforming Presence ”“ Strategic Priorities for the Diocese of Chelmsford and whether God is calling them into some sort of ministry in the Church.

Bishop Stephen told the young people: “The Church is you. If you find the Church difficult, make a difference to it yourself.”

Read it all.

The Rt Revd Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham, has been invited to sit on the Parliamentary Commission On Banking Standards. His appointment to the Commission underlines the depth and value of the non-partisan expertise the Lords Spiritual bring to their work in the House of Lords.

The Commission will be chaired by Andrew Tyrie MP, Chairman of the Commons Treasury Select Committee.

Read it all.

This post will be updated regularly – ‘Sticky’ for now
SUNDAY P.M. Manifestation of Faith in Public Life
The following Private Member’s Motion was passed For: 263; Against: 25; Abstentions: 52 [among other business]
[blockquote]’That this Synod express its conviction that it is the calling of Christians to order and govern our lives in accordance with the teaching of Holy Scripture, and to manifest our faith in public life as well as in private, giving expression to our beliefs in the written and spoken word, and in practical acts of service to the local community and to the nation.’

audio of session[/blockquote]Summary of business conducted on Sunday 8th July PM
[*NEW] Christians should show their faith in public, Synod says – Church Times

MONDAY A.M. Women Bishops The Church of England debate on women bishops has taken place this morning and has been adjourned until November – a report is here with audio of the debate this morning. There is a report on the debate and reaction by the BBC here and reactions by Forward in Faith, WATCH and Reform
[blockquote]The Bishop of Manchester (Chair of the Steering Committee) moved:

‘That the Measure entitled “Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure” be finally approved.’

The Steering Committee for the draft Measure had indicated its intention to seek the permission of the Chair, immediately following the moving of the motion for Final Approval of the draft Measure at item 501, to move an Adjournment under Standing Order 94(b).

Following permission from the Chair, the Bishop of Dover moved:

‘That the debate be now adjourned to enable the new clause 5(1)(c) inserted by the House of Bishops into the draft Measure entitled “Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure” to be reconsidered by the House of Bishops.’

Following a debate and a division of Synod, the motion was carried.

For: 288
Against: 144
Abstentions: 15

audio of session [/blockquote]
– This afternoon Synod passed unamended a private member’s motion on Israel and Palestine – details below the fold. With business set down for Tuesday being completed early, Synod has ended.

As it developed:
– the Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken advising that he would like to hear all the speakers but if Synod is minded to adjourn for a period of reflection then that will enable the church to spend more time on understanding what the bishops proposed and for the bishops to understand what is being said in the speeches in Synod today.
-The Bishop of Durham is speaking in favor of adjournment for mutual listening in the House of Bishop to listen to the Church – a plea for the creation of a brief space for discussion and then a clearer and more thoughtful decision
– listen to the speeches, and the audio podcast of this morning’s debate will be available in due course
– Archbishop of York closes the debate having asked Synod
– Bishop of Dover summing up for adjournment – asks Synod to vote with this in mind “that the world might believe”
– Results: For 288; Against 144; Abstained 15 – women bishops debate is adjourned [Archbishop of York advises at least until November the next Synod date – the Bishops to consider it in their meeting 12/13 September] – text to follow
– Motion to adjourn proposed by the Bishop of Dover was carried – text is:
[blockquote]That the debate be now adjourned to enable the new clause 5(1)(c) inserted by the House of Bishops into the draft Measure entitled “Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure” to be reconsidered by the House of Bishops
– thanks to Thinking Anglicans for the text[/blockquote]- The Church Mouse ”@thechurchmouse tweets: “Is it significant that exactly one third of #synod voted against adjournment? Shows how finely balanced final vote will be.” [For the main motion to pass it will require a 2/3 majority in each of the three houses of Synod: bishops, clergy and laity]
– Agenda for Monday afternoon is being reorganised over lunch given time set aside for women bishops debate has been vacated
– Forward in Faith responds – [see below] “Forward in Faith is disappointed that the General Synod today resolved to adjourn the debate on final approval of the draft Measure to permit women to be ordained as bishops in order to give the House of Bishops an opportunity to rethink its recent amendments to the Measure. We call upon the House of Bishops to stand firm in the face of this unwarranted pressure and to return the draft Measure to the Synod in a form which will provide for the future of traditional Catholics and conservative Evangelicals in line with the clearly expressed mind of the Synod throughout this morning’s debate”
– Reform: Rev’d Rod Thomas, chairman of Reform, said: “We stand ready to co-operate to find a solution if there is a genuine desire to see a permanent place secured within the Church of England for those who on theological grounds cannot accept women as bishops.”

Some press reports and responses

Women bishops: Church’s General Synod delays vote – BBC
Statement by Forward in Faith – FiF
Adjournment motion passed – draft Measure sent back to House of Bishops for further consideration CofE
General Synod – Summary of business conducted on Monday 9th July AM CofE
Permission to be sought to move adjournment motion – CofE
Women bishops: Church’s General Synod to delay vote – BBC News

MONDAY P.M. Israel/ Palestine

Synod passed the following Private Member’s Motion unamended in a division by houses [results from Church Times]:
Bishops: 21 for; 3 against; 14 abstentions
Clergy: 89 for; 21 against; 44 abstentions
Laity: 91 for; 30 against; 35 abstentions

[blockquote]”˜That this Synod affirm its support for:
(a) The vital work of the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment
Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), encouraging parishioners to volunteer for the
programme and asking churches and synods to make use of the experience of returning
participants;
(b) Mission and other aid agencies working amongst Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and
elsewhere in the region;
(c) Israelis and Palestinians in all organisations working for justice and peace in the area,
such as the Parents Circle ”“ Families Forum; and
(d) Palestinian Christians and organisations that work to ensure their continuing presence in
the Holy Land.[/blockquote]

General Synod – Summary of business conducted on Monday 9th July PM

Press Reports:
[*NEW] Jewish lobbying with Church of England ”˜backfires’ – Times of Israel
[*NEW] Jewish group: Church Synod Israel vote ‘inflammatory’ – Jewish Chronicle
Church Synod vote in support of EAPPI motion – The Jewish Chronicle
Church of England weighs link to anti-Israel group – Jerusalem Post
Jewish campaign targets Synod motion on Israel – Church Times

GENERAL SYNOD LINKS

AUDIO/TWEETS
Live audio when in session is being provided by Premier Christian Radio
Tweets #Synod ***

REPORTS AND AGENDA
Reports from Synod and audio podcasts of each session available from the CofE Media Center
Agenda and Papers for Synod
Timetable
Full Agenda

OTHER REPORTS
Evangelicals Now – [Church Society]
Thinking Anglicans
Anglican Mainstream
Church Times

***Particular tweets which may be worth following are:
Church of England
Church Times
+Pete Broadbent
Ruth Gledhill [Times]

Two weeks ago the Church published its formal response to the Government’s proposal to allow same-sex couples to marry, declaring itself firmly against the move.

The two bishops are the most senior figures to attack the stance. The Rt Rev Alan Wilson, the Bishop of Buckingham, said: “The statement is narrow and legalistic … Jesus didn’t say anything about being gay, but he said a certain amount about loving your neighbour as yourself.”

The Rt Rev Tim Ellis, the Bishop of Grantham, said the official position did not reflect the true “mind” of the Church.

Read it all.

The Bishop of Bath & Wells, Peter Price has commended Partnership for Change – a new strategy paper from Christian Aid, launched at Lambeth Palace last week.

Following the launch, Bishop Peter said, “I hope that churches across Bath & Wells can harness this renewed energy around aid issues, as heralded in the paper, as an opportunity for grassroots action.”

Read it all.