The laity in the Church of England must be treated as equal with the clergy if the Church is to grow, a new report on lay leadership will conclude.
The report, compiled by the Lay Leadership Task Group, was approved by the Archbishops’ Council last month. It is to be presented to the Ministry Council on 10 November, when it will be made public, and will go to the House of Bishops for consideration with a view to its presentation to the General Synod in February.
A C of E spokesman said this week that the crux of the report “identifies the need for two shifts in culture and practice” which were deemed by the Archbishops’ CounÂcil to be “critical to the flourishing of the Church and the evangelisaÂtion of the nation”