Despite many advantages of demography, immigration, finance, vigorous evangelical church-planting networks and prominent traditionalist expressions of worship such as the work of Revd Marcus Walker at St Bartholomew-the-Great, during the years Mullally was its diocesan bishop, the Diocese of London has managed to not just buck the growth trend but to shed 17% of its regular attendance.

Perhaps this shrinkage should come as no great surprise given what Sarah Mullally served-up at the announcement of her appointment – it would have starved any generations’ hunger pangs for ‘full-fat Christianity’.

It was more a diet of John Major channelling George Orwell – “warm beer” and “old maids bicycling to Holy Communion through the morning mist”– than any attempt to satisfy present spiritual cravings.

Having delivered a pre-written prayer, as if reading from an autocue (a schoolboy’s later counterpart was noticeably less wooden), Bishop Mullally spoke of how, “In the apparent chaos which surrounds us, in the midst of such profound global uncertainty the possibility of healing lies in acts of kindness and love… I hear parishioners ringing bells and inviting people to pray. I hear the quiet hum of faith in every community the gentle invitation to come and be with others and the welcome extended to every person. In all of this I see hope because I see the person of Jesus Christ reaching out to us all”.

Dished-up was, “The rhythms of Anglican worship echoed with familiar grace… made real in global diversity… joining their voices in advocacy for those in need,” and a portion of “people fleeing war and persecution to seek safety and refuge”, “communities that have been overlooked and undervalued”, “the ever-worsening climate crisis”, “the misuse of power in all its forms”, “Love one another- our source and our standard”,  “quieter but stronger”, “If we want to go fast, go alone but if we want to go far, go together”.

Dame Mullally said that she wanted her legacy as archbishop to be “…to nurture and cultivate confidence in the gospel” but, unlike at the Charlie Kirk memorial, what was noticeably absent was any real explanation at all, let alone a ‘confident’ one, of what that gospel is. “Jesus Christ is the life-changing hope that brings us together as church, even in our own brokenness and messiness – and sends us out into the world to witness to that Love” or “Hope is made of the infinite love of God, who breathed life into creation and said it was good. Hope shimmered in the courage of Abraham and Sarah and the challenging call of the prophets. Hope resounded through Mary’s ‘yes’ to God’s call to bear His Son. Hope is found in Christ’s triumph over sin and death” are not meaty explanations of the gospel.

Read it all.

Some thoughts on the new Archbishop of Canterbury – perhaps the worng choice for Gen Z who are looking for full fat faith?https://t.co/1R9PE8evXU

— Anglican Futures (@AnglicanFutures) October 3, 2025

Her predecessor as Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, resigned in the wake of a sex abuse scandal in which he was accused of taking inadequate action. The selection of Bishop Sarah to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury is seen as response to that controversy, though, given the theological trajectory of the Church of England, the appointment of a woman to the highest clerical leadership position in the church was inevitable. It was just a matter of time, and, at the end of last week, the time came.

Two of the last three primates had been advertised as some kind of evangelical. In both cases, with George Carey and Justin Welby, they turned out to be the kind of evangelicals who are not evangelical. Both withered in conviction while in office. If they had any strong convictions in the past, those convictions seemed to disappear as soon as they put on Canterbury’s miter. Conservatives in the Church of England—and there are brave ones left—are now put in a devil’s bind. Evangelical priests in the Diocese of London, where Sarah Mullally has been bishop, were allowed to appeal for external episcopal oversight. Now that she is to be Archbishop of Canterbury, that would seem to be impossible.

Understandably, conservatives in the Anglican Communion are up in arms. Many expressed outrage at the appointment of Sarah Mullally to Canterbury, both for the fact that they do not recognize a woman as priest or bishop, and because this particular woman bishop is quite liberal. Interestingly, she cited her experience as a nurse in coming out against assisted suicide, now debated in Britain’s House of Lords. You can imagine the puns. It certainly does appear that the Church of England is being self-euthanized. On LGBTQ issues the new archbishop is all in on welcoming practicing homosexuals in the church and blessing their unions. It is hard to see how the church will not move swiftly under her leadership to embrace legalized same-sex marriage and all the rest—meaning, all the letters of GLBTQ, and that pesky + sign as well.

Read it all.

“A liberal nurse to lead a dying church?: The Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury is devastating news for conservative Anglicans” — my column today @wngdotorg.https://t.co/6THg1wlmrG

— Albert Mohler (@albertmohler) October 6, 2025

The bishop of Ebbsfleet, who looks after conservative evangelicals in the Church of England (and is severely overworked because of the flourishing nature of this constituency), has pointed out the challenges this appointment creates for those with complementarian convictions. Having worked with Mullally in London, however, he points out that she “has a long track record of gracious engagement, and real understanding of the particular theological convictions we hold,” and has no doubt this will continue. He will need to seek alternative spiritual oversight for his own role, however, now that the Archbishop is to be a woman.

The biggest challenge for the new Archbishop is the crisis of trust and credibility she faces. She has led the way in an attempt to institutionally gaslight the entire church, claiming that she and other revisionist bishops are not changing the doctrine of the church on marriage and sexuality, even while they attempt the most radical change to Church of England teaching and practice for 500 years. This has led to the collapse of confidence in Canterbury around the world and a severe split not just in General Synod but in every parish and chapel in the land.

Whether Mullally will have the ability to heal these deep rifts or not, remains to be seen. I am hopeful (because Jesus reigns!), but not optimistic. To use Augustus Toplady’s phrase: she will certainly have our prayers, but her errors will have our opposition also.

Read it all.

My article for @TGC on the new Archbishop of Canterbury. https://t.co/xrVwYThVxZ

— Lee Gatiss (@LeeGatiss) October 6, 2025

When the Church of England’s General Synod opened the door to the blessing of same sex relationships at its February 2023 General Synod she described this as ‘A moment of hope’. For us, it was a moment of lament because we believe that the teaching of Jesus and the whole of Scripture is fundamental to human flourishing, both now and for eternity, and should not be compromised by the pressures of a particular culture.

Sadly therefore, our position must remain as it was in our Ash Wednesday statement of February 2023 when we stated that we were no longer able to recognise the then Archbishop of Canterbury as the ‘first amongst equals’ leader of the global Communion.

Grievous though this turn of events is, it is not unexpected and is one further symptom of the crisis of faith and authority that has afflicted the Anglican Communion for the past quarter of a century. 

Read it all.

GSFA Statement on the Appointment of the Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, as the Archbishop of Canterbury https://t.co/IFGA33EpIc via @Anglican Ink © 2025

— George Conger (@GeorgeConger8) October 3, 2025

After months of speculation, the Church of England has finally appointed a new Archbishop of Canterbury. The first woman in the post, she is the current Bishop of London and as such has already played a senior role in the Church for several years.

Her theological training and ministerial experience are minimal. She was enrolled on a local ordination course rather than at a theological college and served a couple of part-time curacies before being very briefly rector of a parish church. She was soon promoted to the episcopate as suffragan bishop of Crediton, but her main achievement appears to be that she was a competent administrator in the National Health Service. Is a track record like that promising for a future Archbishop of Canterbury?

The short answer must be no.

Read it all

💬"Everybody in the Church of England will be polite to her, but few will listen to whatever she has to say…"

📢Gerald Bray on the announcement that Sarah Mullally is to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury: https://t.co/ZKEEYPdOoT

— Evangelicals Now (@EvangelicalsNow) October 3, 2025

… more concerning is her failure to uphold her consecration vows. When she was consecrated in 2015, she took an oath to “banish and drive away all strange and erroneous doctrine contrary to God’s Word.” And yet, far from banishing such doctrine, Bishop Mullally has repeatedly promoted unbiblical and revisionist teachings regarding marriage and sexual morality.

In 2023, when asked by a reporter whether sexual intimacy in a same-sex relationship is sinful, she said that some such relationships could, in fact, be blessed. She also voted in favour of introducing blessings of same-sex marriage into the Church of England.

Anglicans believe that the church has been given authority by God to establish rites and ceremonies and to settle doctrine controversy, “and yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God’s Word” (Article XX). The church cannot bless or affirm what God has condemned (Numbers 23:8; 24:13). This, however, is precisely what Bishop Mullally has sought to allow.

Since the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to guard the faith and is complicit in introducing practices and beliefs that violate both the “plain and canonical sense” of Scripture and “the Church’s historic and consensual” interpretation of it (Jerusalem Statement), she cannot provide leadership to the Anglican Communion. The leadership of the Anglican Communion will pass to those who uphold the truth of the gospel and the authority of Scripture in all areas of life.

Read it all.

“This appointment abandons global Anglicans, as the Church of England has chosen a leader who will further divide an already split Communion.”https://t.co/7JOa1byH9m

— The Anglican Diocese of the Living Word (@The_ADLW) October 3, 2025

The next Archbishop of Canterbury is to be the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London since 2018, Downing Street announced on Friday. She is to be the first woman to hold the post.

The nomination of the next Primate of All England was agreed by at least a two-thirds majority of the 17 voting members of the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), who held their final meeting last week. A shortlist had been agreed at their previous meeting in August (News, 8 August).

Bishop Mullally, who is 63, succeeds the Rt Revd Justin Welby, who resigned in November after the publication of the Makin report on the Church’s handling of the abuse perpetrated by John Smyth (News, 15 November 2024). The CNC convened six months later, at the end of May.

Before ordination, Bishop Mullally trained and worked as a nurse in London, becoming a senior civil servant in the Department of Health. She was the youngest ever Chief Nursing Officer, holding that appointment from 1999 to 2004. She was ordained in 2001, and served as a self-supporting minister until 2006 in Battersea, south London.

Read it all.

BREAKING: The next Archbishop of Canterbury is to be the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London since 2018, Downing Street announced on Friday. She is to be the first woman to hold the post#archbishopofcanterbury #Archbishop106 #nextABChttps://t.co/J1WLKj1rQz

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 3, 2025

The Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, has urged communities to “draw closer to one another in love”, after two people were killed, and four left in hospital, in an attack on a synagogue in Manchester.

“Hate can never defeat hate, only love can conquer hate. Today, we stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbours and reaffirm our shared commitment to peace and safety for all,” he said.

According to reports, at about 9.30 a.m. on Friday a car was driven towards worshippers who had gathered outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, and at least one person was stabbed.

Police firearms officers shot and killed a man who is believed to be the suspect, and it was later reported that two other people had been arrested.

Read it all.

The Bishop of Manchester (@BishManchester), Dr David Walker, has urged communities to “draw closer to one another in love”, after two people were killed, and four left in hospital, in an attack on a synagogue in #Manchesterhttps://t.co/QI44cIMNhf

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 2, 2025

These works of local hospitality – flowers, music, refreshments, keeping the church warm – may seem simple, but they are fundamental to the church’s mission: to draw people together in fellowship to hear the word of Christ. And whilst the works are simple, organising them isn’t. A service like our Harvest Festival needs many to help: everyone from clergy to musicians and flower-arrangers. However, ever fewer are willing to volunteer.

In recent decades, the Church of England has undergone a relentless programme of centralisation. Money and powers have been drawn upwards from parishes to dioceses and new bodies like the Archbishops’ Council.

These central bodies are fixated on grand visions and political fashions rather than the practical work of local parishes. They are reluctant to spend money on paying for ordinary clergy and churches. Instead, funds are soaked up by growing bureaucracies.

Read it all.

✍️ 'The next Archbishop must care for the Church, not political fashions' | Writes Bijan Onrami

Read the column ⬇️https://t.co/w0mDBc3HsW pic.twitter.com/p2kGynnk50

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 2, 2025

The name of the Crown’s nominee as next Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to be made public on Friday.

The final meeting of the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) was held last week, and it is understood that a nominee was agreed by at least the required two-thirds majority.

The CNC comprised 17 members, including six elected from the General Synod, five representing the Anglican Communion, and three from the diocese of Canterbury, alongside the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, and the Archbishop of York.

Read it all.

The name of the Crown’s nominee as next Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to be made public on Friday

Follow the #ChurchTimes for up-to-date and informed coverage of the new appointment#archbishopofcanterbury #Archbishop106 #nextABC https://t.co/jIsz9igOgv

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 1, 2025

The sermons of Andrewes are not easy reading. They are only for the reader who can elevate himself to the subject. The most conspicuous qualities of the style are three: ordonnance, or arrangement and structure, precision in the use of words, and relevant intensity. The last remains to be defined. All of them are best elucidated by comparison with a prose which is much more widely known, but to which I believe that we must assign a lower place – that of Donne. Donne’s sermons, or fragments from Donne’s sermons, are certainly known to hundreds who have hardly heard of Andrewes; and they are known precisely for the reasons because of which they are inferior to those of Andrewes. In the introduction to an admirable selection of passages from Donne’s sermons, which was published a few years ago by the Oxford Press, Mr Logan Pearsall Smith, after ‘trying to explain Donne’s sermons and account for them in a satisfactory manner’, observes:

And yet in these, as in his poems, there remains something baffling and enigmatic which still eludes our last analysis. Reading these old hortatory and dogmatic pages, the thought suggests itself that Donne is often saying something else, something poignant and personal, and yet, in the end, incommunicable to us.

We may cavil at the word ‘incommunicable’, and pause to ask whether the incommunicable is not often the vague and unformed; but the statement is essentially right. About Donne there hangs the shadow of the impure motive; and impure motives lend their aid to a facile success. He is a little of the religious spellbinder, the Reverend Billy Sunday of his time, the flesh-creeper, the sorcerer of emotional orgy. We emphasize this aspect to the point of the grotesque. Donne had a trained mind; but without belittling the intensity or the profundity of his experience, we can suggest that this experience was not perfectly controlled, and that he lacked spiritual discipline.

But Bishop Andrewes is one of the community of the born spiritual, one

che in questo mondo,

contemplando, gustò di quella pace.

Intellect and sensibility were in harmony; and hence arise the particular qualities of his style. Those who would prove this harmony would do well to examine, before proceeding to the sermons, the volume of Preces Privatae. This book, composed by him for his private devotions, was printed only after his death; a few manuscript copies may have been given away during his lifetime – one bears the name of William Laud. It appears to have been written in Latin and translated by him into Greek; some of it is in Hebrew; it has been several times translated into English. The most recent edition is the translation of the late F. E. Brightman, with an interesting introduction (Methuen, 1903). They are almost wholly an arrangement of Biblical texts, and of texts from elsewhere in Andrewes’s immense theological reading. Dr Brightman has a paragraph of admirable criticism of these prayers which deserves to be quoted in full:

But the structure is not merely an external scheme or framework: the internal structure is as close as the external. Andrewes develops an idea he has in his mind: every line tells and adds something. He does not expatiate, but moves forward: if he repeats, it is because the repetition has a real force of expression; if he accumulates, each new word or phrase represents a new development, a substantive addition to what he is saying. He assimilates his material and advances by means of it. His quotation is not decoration or irrelevance, but the matter in which he expresses what he wants to say. His single thoughts are no doubt often suggested by the words he borrows, but the thoughts are made his own, and the constructive force, the fire that fuses them, is his own. And this internal, progressive, often poetic structure is marked outwardly. The editions have not always reproduced this feature of the Preces, nor perhaps is it possible in any ordinary page to represent the structure adequately; but in the manuscript the intention is clear enough. The prayers are arranged, not merely in paragraphs, but in lines advanced and recessed, so as in a measure to mark the inner structure and the steps and stages of the movement. Both in form and in matter Andrewes’s prayers may often be described rather as hymns.

Read it all.

Back home in Southwell Lancelot Andrewes keeps watch. pic.twitter.com/E8solNOHb9

— john milbank (@johnmilbank3) March 8, 2023

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.

25 Sept 1626: d. Bishop Lancelot Andrewes #Southwark #otd translator, devotional writer, he is buried in #Southwark cathedral

( photo:@rhetorician) pic.twitter.com/4ICVjPYglK

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) September 25, 2025

The Representative Body (RB) of the Church in Wales has come under fire for the statement that it issued on 1 July in response to the situation at Bangor Cathedral.

Critics suggested that the action had been beyond the RB’s remit, and had given the then Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor, the Rt Revd Andrew John, little option but to retire with immediate effect (News, 28 June).

On 23 June, Archbishop John issued an unqualified apology for his part in the failings at Bangor Cathedral. Two reports commissioned by the Archbishop had recorded concerns about “weak financial controls” and “inappropriate behaviours” (News, 27 June).

The following day, the situation at Bangor was discussed by the RB, and a brief note was issued: “After extensive and detailed discussions, the meeting has been adjourned, and a statement will be issued in due course.”

Archbishop John announced his retirement three days later.

Read it all.

The Representative Body (RB) of the Church in #Wales has come under fire for the statement that it issued on 1 July in response to the situation at #Bangor Cathedralhttps://t.co/ObU1OOrCJx

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) September 23, 2025

The Crown Nominations Commission needs to put forward a genuinely pro-parish successor to Justin Welby or thousands of churches will be at risk

The Crown Nominations Commission, tasked with choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury, is expected to make its recommendation this week. For the sake of England’s parish system, let us hope it chooses wisely. The Church of England hierarchy talks a good game on parishes but the evidence shows that, unless there is a significant policy shift, small and rural churches are doomed.

During the General Synod’s July meeting, the Bishops of Hereford and Bath & Wells, supported by Chelmsford and others, mounted a rescue bid. They proposed that 1 per cent of the asset value of the Church Commissioners’ £11.1 billion endowment should be apportioned each year directly to parish ministry.

The commissioners can surely afford £110 million per annum for the endowment’s intended purpose: supporting poorer parishes. Yet the plan was foiled by a wrecking motion and absurdly alarmist speeches from senior Church Commissioners.

Read it all.

Next Archbishop of Canterbury must be pro-parish churches | ✍️ James Burnell-Nugent
https://t.co/NcdkXtTzwg

— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) September 22, 2025

Almighty God, who didst call thy faithful servants John Coleridge Patteson and his companions to be witnesses and martyrs in the islands of Melanesia, and by their labors and sufferings didst raise up a people for thine own possession: Pour forth thy Holy Spirit upon thy Church in every land, that by the service and sacrifice of many, thy holy Name may be glorified and thy kingdom enlarged; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today the Church of England celebrates John Coleridge Patteson, First Anglican Bishop of Melanesia, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1871

Image: Carte-de-visite (1860s-70s), © National Portrait Gallery, London (CC BY-NC-ND) pic.twitter.com/CJuuyG6zpV

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) September 20, 2024

The Most Reverend Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Gafcon Primates Council, has called on all “orthodox” bishops within the Anglican Communion to join a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria in early March next year.

Gafcon is a global alliance of orthodox Anglicans who are opposed to the promotion and acceptance of homosexuality, particularly within the leadership of the church. It was founded in 2008, in part as a response to the consecration of the openly gay Gene Robinson as a bishop in the US Episcopal Church in 2003.

Archbishop Mbanda said that the next six months represent a “crucial” period for the Anglican Communion, and that the Gafcon meeting, to be held from 3 to 6 March, “may be the most important assembly of authentic Anglicans since Gafcon reset the Communion at Jerusalem in 2008”.

He warned, “Revisionists deliberately divide the Communion with schismatic actions that celebrate sin, as they appoint false shepherds to lead their flock away from God’s good word. But Jesus is building his church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail!”

Read it all.

O God, who by the preaching of thy blessed servant and bishop Ninian didst cause the light of the Gospel to shine in the land of Britain: Grant, we beseech thee, that, having his life and labors in remembrance, we may show forth our thankfulness by following the example of his zeal and patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

2/2 St Ninian at the bottom holding his chapel, with St Machar, St Cuthbert and St Margaret of Scotland, in a detail of the east window at St Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen by William Wilson, 1953. pic.twitter.com/ckBemr51Fj

— Simon Knott (@SimoninSuffolk) September 16, 2025

Bishops decried the proposed legalisation of assisted dying on Friday, as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill came to the House of Lords for the first of two days of debate.

“If passed, this Bill will signal that we are a society that believes that some lives are not worth living,” the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, said. It would become, she said, the “state-endorsed position”.

Bishop Mullally, a former Chief Nursing Officer, questioned whether Parliament had properly listened to the advice of medical experts, including professional bodies which have expressed concerns about the legislation.

The Bill also failed in its “central claim” to give people choice about the manner of their death, she said. “A meaningful choice would see the measures in this Bill set alongside easily available, fully-funded, palliative and social-care services. Without a choice offered, this choice is an illusion.”

Read it all.

"A meaningful choice would see the measures in this Bill set alongside easily available, fully-funded, palliative and social-care services. Without a choice offered, this choice is an illusion.” – @bishopSarahMhttps://t.co/y4bKSThSPJ

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) September 12, 2025

During the past 20 years or so, however, less emphasis has been placed on urban mission and ministry in the Church of England, as new challenges have arisen in response to the decline in affiliation and religious observance. This has resulted in new “mission” attempts to reverse that trend, which have focused more on increasing the number of personal conversions to Anglican Christianity, and on novel approaches to church-planting.

Sadly, however, in 2025, high levels of economic and social inequality, deprivation, and sometimes even mental despair are still being experienced by many in towns and cities. This raises the question of how far we have come since 1985 in improving matters.

It was with this purpose in mind that we decided to commission a number of essays written by some of those who were involved in the publication and implementation of the report itself, and others who have been engaged in urban ministry and community-organising since then, which evaluate the importance of Faith in the City for the present day, and seek to open a debate on urban policy, theology, and practice.

This collection of essays examines the impact that the report had at the time of its publication; the changes that have taken place in the political landscape in the period since; the changes that have taken place in English society in the period since; and the changes that have taken place in the Church of England, including in its approach to urban mission, ministry, and welfare provision.

Read it all.

📉 From radical report to quiet retreat? Critics say the Church of England has sidelined urban mission in favour of growth strategies. Time to re-centre the margins.

✍️ Terry Drummond & Joe Ford in the Church Timeshttps://t.co/7s2uC1gDTZ

— Sacristy Press (@SacristyPress) September 8, 2025

The Suffragan Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Revd Beverley Mason, has announced her resignation, after being away from the diocese for nearly two years.

Announcing the decision on Wednesday in a letter to the diocese, Bishop Mason said that she did not know what her future held, but she thanked supporters for their friendship and prayers.

The Interim Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd Ruth Worsley, said on Wednesday: “It is with heavy hearts we receive this news today. We are thankful for all that Bishop Bev has given in her ministry among us here in the Liverpool diocese. She goes with our love and prayers for the future.”

Bishop Mason has been on a leave of absence from Liverpool diocese since autumn 2023, and revealed in January that this was connected to a complaint that she had made about the then Bishop of Liverpool, Dr John Perumbalath. Dr Perumbalath resigned after Bishop Mason and another woman made allegations of misconduct against him, which he denied (News, 31 January).

Read it all.

The Suffragan Bishop of Warrington, the Rt Revd Beverley Mason, has announced her resignation, after being away from the diocese for nearly two yearshttps://t.co/VB4gIbsrgb

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) September 4, 2025

Archdeacon Betteridge described the announcement on Thursday as “an amazing privilege”. She said: “Whenever anyone has offered to pray for me in this new role I have asked for wisdom, kindness and courage. I’d like these qualities to be hallmarks of this new phase of ministry for me.”

She will become the first female bishop of Basingstoke when she is consecrated in Southwark Cathedral on 15 October. She will be formally welcomed at a service at St Mary’s, Andover, on Saturday 15 November.

Archdeacon Betteridge enjoys reading, baking, live music and theatre, and walking. She is married to Simon, who is the National Director of Linking Lives and head of community development for Compassionate Communities UK. She has two stepchildren. “With their partners, our granddaughter, parents, siblings, and cats, we have our own growing community of blessedness,” she said.

The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, said that she combined “a warm pastoral heart” with strong experience in parish ministry and diocesan leadership. “She has a deep passion for growing a church for all ages, and her ministry has been very much appreciated by the clergy of her current Archdeaconry,” he said.

Read it all.

The next Suffragan Bishop of Basingstoke is to be the Ven. Kelly Betteridge, the present Archdeacon of Bodmin, in the diocese of Truro, Downing Street announced on Thursday#BishopofBasingstoke #Bishopappointments #churchnews https://t.co/63WtYx3Yal

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) August 29, 2025

A shortlist of candidates for the next Archbishop of Canterbury has been agreed by the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), but the names of those being considered have not been made public.

In an interview last month, the chair of the CNC, Lord Evans, said that he preferred the term “confidentiality” to “secrecy” when talking about way in which the CNC operates, and said that it would help the commission “reach the right point” (News, 4 July).

Lord Evans, who is a former head of MI5 and a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, described the process as one of “discernment” rather than straightforward “selection”.

Read it all.

A shortlist of candidates for the next Archbishop of Canterbury has been agreed by the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission (CNC) #archbishopofcanterbury #shortlist #nextarchbishop https://t.co/F3fnrXIelQ

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) August 6, 2025

We do not judge people. We affirm God’s grace for all who turn to Him. But love does not mean ignoring sin. Unity cannot exist without truth.

This step by the Church in Wales makes it extremely difficult to find a faithful and lasting resolution to the divisions within the Anglican Communion. While many of us are diligently working to discern a way forward in this painful dilemma, continued actions of this nature hinder reconciliation, deepen the fractures, and risk rendering our efforts fruitless.

We continue to pray for the Church, and for strength to remain faithful to the Gospel of Christ.

Read it all.

Looking at the events of the past few years in the Church of Wales, beginning from the leadership of Bishop Rowan Williams who was also bishop of Monmouth, then Archbishop of Wales before becoming the Archbishop of Canterbury; the immediate past Archbishop of Wales, Archbishop Andrew John who ended in a most shameful circumstance, and the recent election of Bishop Vann, it may be said that biblical and godly leaders are now few in the leadership of the Church of Wales.

Thus, that an openly lesbian woman is the “right leader for the moment” in the Church of Wales shows how deep the church has sunk. Rather than advocating reconciliation as being championed by the new Archbishop of Wales, the important matter of the moment should be a call for genuine repentance. It is becoming clearer as echoed by Paul in Romans 1:28 in view of what had just happened in the Church of Wales that some in the global Anglican world have ultimately chosen not, “…to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.”

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales. We will strive to uphold the authority of the Scriptures, our historic creeds, evangelism and holy Christian living. We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will build His Church and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16 :18). We call upon faithful Christians of the Anglican fold to denounce, reject, condemn and expel the rebels in our midst, while we realign ourselves with Anglican remnants scattered in troubled dioceses all over the world, under the umbrella of faithful Anglican Christian bodies like GAFCON.

Therefore, as a matter of urgency, the Church of Nigeria believes that this moment calls for prayer for the Church of Wales, hoping that the Church of England will not follow in her steps.

Read it all.

Nigerian Primate Archbishop Henry Ndukuba accused the Church in Wales of abandoning “the truth of God’s word by sacrificing the authority of the Scripture for a postmodern agenda that has no divine backing".https://t.co/fmTgJhPkD8

— The Christian Institute (@christianorguk) August 5, 2025

We must confront serious error that compromises God’s glorious and authoritative word on human sexuality.

We must speak up and take a stand.

As we met to reform and renew the Anglican Communion in 2008, Gafcon delivered the Jerusalem Statement which outlined the true heart of Anglican orthodoxy.

We took a stand about the truth of God’s word, and we continue to stand in fellowship with the majority of the world’s Anglicans who grieve this rejection of God’s voice.

We must stand again against the relentless pressure of Anglican revisionists who blatantly impose their immorality upon Christ’s precious church.

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Theologically orthodox groups within the Anglican Communion are lamenting the election of a bishop in a same-sex civil partnership as the new Archbishop of the Church in Wales. https://t.co/e039mqRoh2

— IRD (@TheIRD) July 31, 2025

Amid debate among bishops about the pros and cons of the “strings” attached to financial grants from the Archbishops’ Council, national funding of £6.2 million has been awarded to Liverpool diocese, the poorest in the Church of England.

The award is part of a larger sum agreed in principle — about £30 million over the next seven years — with a goal of ensuring that every parish is “missionally and financially sustainable”, the diocese says.

The grant will enable it to maintain a reduced level of parish share, avoid a reduction in clergy numbers for financial reasons, and invest in a youth and children’s hub in most deaneries. Other aims include the creation of deanery resource hubs, with employed administrative posts, “lightening the load for parish offices and volunteers”.

Last year’s national Diocesan Finances Review warned of dioceses’ “increased dependency on the NCIs”. In the General Synod last month, some bishops criticised this balance of power, referring to the “exhausting” demands of the grant system (News, 18 July). Last year, only Archbishops’ Council fundings prevented the exhaustion of Liverpool’s usable reserves.

Read it all.

I had a look at the £6.2m granted to Liverpool, the poorest diocese, by Archbishops’ Council (£30m over 7 years in principle). The diocese will now be able to maintain a lower level of parish share & invest in the frontline. https://t.co/jveEjll9DU

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) August 1, 2025

The next Bishop of Worcester is to be the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson, Downing Street announced on Tuesday. He succeeds Dr John Inge, who retired last year (News, 3 May 2024).

Bishop Nelson has been Bishop of St Germans, in Truro diocese, since 2020 and was Acting Bishop of Truro during the vacancy-in-see after the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen’s translation to Winchester (News, 6 July 2023). Bishop Nelson also serves as Diocesan Warden of Reader. He will remain Bishop to the Armed Forces when he is translated to Worcester.

Speaking to the Church Times on Tuesday, Bishop Nelson described the calling as “an enormous privilege”. He said that he was most looking forward to “getting to know the people and places of Worcestershire and Dudley” and “finding out what God is up to amongst them and calling them on to next”.

He continued: “My priority will be getting out and about, getting to as many churches, as many of the local communities as I can, and hearing what’s going on. I hope, in doing that, to communicate to people as I listen, that the Church is called to be communities of hope. I’m sure I’m going to find lots of places that are already serving their neighbours practically, and pointing people towards God and changing lives in big and small ways.”

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The new Bishop of Worcester: the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson. He served his curacy in 6 rural parishes before serving for 8 as parish priest for two village churches. Before ordination, he spent 13 years living and leading the community of L’Arche London.https://t.co/lK1K9mxVuG

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) July 29, 2025

….Joseph was not Jesus’s only loss. His cousin, John the Baptist, was executed by a corrupt despot. Another blow. And then came Lazarus. When Jesus arrived and found him four days gone, he didn’t preach. He didn’t explain. He wept.

Jesus gets it. He gets me. His suffering wasn’t detached or sanitised — it was real, raw, and rooted in love. That truth became an anchor for me. Because, when I lost my dad, I didn’t need a theory. I needed a Saviour who understood.

And, even in his suffering, Jesus looked outward. The Gospels say that he had compassion on the crowds. The Latin root — compati — means “to suffer with”. That’s exactly what Jesus does. He co-suffers. He stays. He weeps with us.

IN THE early months of my grief, I found myself held — not just by God, but by the people he sent to walk beside me. Friends who prayed, cried, and remembered. Family who stood when I couldn’t stand alone.

Their presence reminded me of Ruth walking beside Naomi: “Where you go, I will go.” That’s what grace looks like — people who stay and pray.

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A year after his father’s death, Craig Philbrick celebrates an unexpected gracehttps://t.co/ahyrhkXXG8

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 27, 2025

For the first time, the bishop of a non-metropolitan diocese has been elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.

The Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn, Dr Mark Short, was elected last Saturday to succeed the current Primate, the Archbishop of Adelaide, the Most Revd Geoffrey Smith, (News, 16 May). Archbishop Smith’s resignation will take effect on 31 October. Dr Short will assume his duties on 1 November, while remaining Bishop of his diocese. After an initial term of six years, he could be re-elected for a further three.

All former Primates since the inception of the office in 1872 have been bishops or archbishops of the five metropolitan dioceses: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.

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The Rt Revd Dr Mark Short has served as 11th Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn since 6 April 2019. He will DV assume office as 17th Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia on 1 November 2025. The first time a diocesan who was not also an Archbishop has been chosen for the role. pic.twitter.com/eO4JttNGwN

— AustralianAnglican (@AustAnglican) July 19, 2025

The Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Pete Wilcox, is to chair a statutory inquiry into the violence at the coking plant at Orgreave, Rotherham, in 1984, when 6000 police officers, many on horseback, confronted a protest of striking miners who had responded to a call by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) for a mass picket of the pit.

The inquiry will be “thorough and fair”, Dr Wilcox said on Monday. The NUM has promised him “any assistance that he requires to ensure that the inquiry uncovers the truth about who orchestrated the events at Orgreave . . . so that precautions can be put in place so it never happens again.”

The miners were striking over the National Coal Board’s plans to close 20 collieries, with the loss of 20,000 jobs: 120 injuries were recorded as riot squads pursued fleeing miners into Orgreave village, and 95 picketers — assembled to prevent lorries conveying coke to the Scunthorpe steelworks — were arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder. All the charges were later dropped after the evidence was discredited.

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The Bishop of Sheffield @PeteWilcox1564 is to chair a statutory inquiry into the violence at the coking plant at Orgreave, Rotherham, in 1984 https://t.co/ygOdxWmV8d

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 21, 2025