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Religious leaders within the Church of England believe there is a real crisis when it comes to the future of the church, saying it will be dead in the next 20 years. The Rev Patrick Richmond, a Synod member from Norwich, warned the national assembly last week that the Church of England is entering into a ‘perfect storm’ with an overabundance of elderly members. Rev Richmond basically believes the Church of England as a whole is ‘dying off’ because of the number of senior citizens attending church in comparison to younger members. However, records from the Archbishops' Council's Research and Statistics Unit tell a different story. Updated records show that more than 36 per-cent of those who worship within the Church of England are under the age of 45. New statistics show that weekly services in cathedrals in 2011 is at 1.7 million people each month, a level that has been maintained since the turn of the millennium.
Pray: that the Church will rise from the ashes and soar like an eagle to glorify the Lord. (Is.40:31)
More: http://www.christianpost.com/news/records-show-church-of-england-will-not-be-dead-in-20-years-52454/
The Church of England has expressed concern that the BBC's controversial strategic review could lead to less religious programming. In its submission to the BBC Trust on director general Mark Thompson's strategy review, the Church of England said plans to refocus programme output must not mean giving up on content that appeals to smaller audiences, including religious output. The Church of England also had concerns that the BBC's online plans to cut half of the web pages it publishes might affect religious output. The church was ‘particularly concerned’ about online religion and ethics content provided by BBC Regions that it believed was under threat. The church is also concerned with making sure there is ‘appropriate resource’ set aside to ‘ensure high-quality provision of content that reflects and explores religion’. The church, at its general synod in February, reiterated a ‘deep concern’ about the overall reduction in religious broadcasting on British TV.
Pray: for the protection of religious content as the BBC seeks to make changes to the content it provides. (Pr.31:8)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/may/12/bbc-church-of-england
The Church of England risks a ticking “time bomb” if it does not take urgent action to prevent further incidents of child abuse, a report has warned. A single new case of abuse will immediately expose any weakness in the system if corners are cut when implementing the best professional standards, it said. Investigators looking into child protection policies following abuse scandals in the Chichester diocese found that safeguarding of children and other vulnerable people had fallen “woefully short” of what should be expected. They said the church should not be daunted by the difficulties ahead and that positive action was essential. The report, which was ordered by Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, said it was “inevitable” that there were victims of abusing clergy in Chichester who had not yet come forward and that, however difficult it may be, church leaders should do all they could to encourage those people to do so.
Pray: for courage and determination for the church to 'get its house in order' on this matter. . (Eph.4:15-19)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10036297/Church-of-England-urged-to-take-urgent-action-on-child-abuse.html
The Church of England is encouraging people to engage in its Church Growth Research Programme. The programme is exploring the factors behind spiritual and numerical church growth. The Church of England is working with researchers at the University of Essex, Cranmer Hall, St John's College Durham, the Oxford Centre for Ecclesiology and Practical Theology, and Ripon College. A website has been set up with case studies and literature on church growth. Visitors to the site can sign up to the discussions forum to share their views and experiences of church growth. Discussions include Fresh Expressions and church planting, how to measure church growth, and experiences of decline. The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, said: ‘There are many communities and parishes that are growing and we want to identify the levers and drives of this growth. In addition to the information gathered via the website, researchers will survey 4,000 Church of England churches’.
Pray: that the work of the Holy Spirit will be recognised as central to the growth of the Church. (1Cor.6:19)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.of.england.sets.sights.on.growth/30736.htm
The Bishop of Oxford, the Church’s lead spokesman on education issues, said ministers viewed the subject as a “scary nuisance”, despite retaining a legal requirement for schools to teach it. The Rt Rev John Pritchard’s warning came in a letter to bishops following a meeting with David Laws, the Liberal Democrat schools minister. Highlighting RE’s exclusion from the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), the new school leaving certificate, the bishop wrote: “The state and future of RE is still a major concern. Not only is it not in the EBacc, but teacher training places have nearly halved and a spiral of decline seems inevitable. The latest survey shows secondary schools not filling vacancies and reducing time for RE, and some primary schools giving the responsibility to teaching assistants.” He added: “We’ll keep up the pressure as I’m sure you will too, but it’s clear that Government has no real interest in RE.”
Pray: for an appreciation of the importance of RE in providing a foundation for our cultural history and our nation's moral a spiritual welfare (Dt.6:4-7)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9844144/Church-of-England-raises-fears-over-future-of-RE-in-schools.html
The Church of England is facing a fresh clash with the Coalition over welfare reform after publishing a new report accusing ministers of acting as if they were deliberately trying to “destabilise” society. In a highly critical analysis of the Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith’s overhaul of the benefits system, the established Church questions the “moral” case for such reforms in a time of austerity. The poor and vulnerable, it claims, are bearing a “disproportionate share of the burden” from recession yet being “squeezed” ever tighter by the Government - while the rich are allowed to escape “largely unscathed”. The comments come in a policy paper prepared for members of the Church’s General Synod which meets in York in two weeks time, where welfare will be one of the main items on the agenda alongside the Church’s difficulties over women bishops.
Pray: for a better understanding of the needs of the genuinely vulnerable and for appropriate measures put in place to support them. (Pr.30:8)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10136435/Church-of-England-faces-fresh-clash-with-ministers-over-welfare-reform.html
Clergy in the Church of England are being asked to cut their cloth to suit the economic times and to prepare for mergers and staff cuts that could drastically reduce pastoral care and worship. A report on finances has found that a quarter of all 44 dioceses are running deficits and plundering reserves to pay stipends and pensions. A similar proportion has liquid reserves to last them one month or less. High staffing levels of clegy and laity are highlighted. The Church of England spends £1 billion a year in salaries and pensions for clergy as well as the upkeep of its buildings, an amount roughly matched by donations from parishes. But rising pension costs mean that every year churchgoers are asked to increase donations. The report, commissioned to help churches to improve ‘efficiency and effectiveness’, suggests that finances are so finely balanced in some areas that parishoners will have to dig even deeper or face cuts in provision.
Pray: for savings to be made that do not jeopardise the core work of the church. (Ho.14:9
More: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7123460.ece
The Church of England has launched a fierce attack on the government, describing limited resources devoted to training religious education teachers as a scandal that is affecting "an essential part" of every child's studies. In an outburst that reflects the church's deepening unease at the government's perceived lack of support for the teaching of RE, it singled out the education secretary, Michael Gove, for implicit criticism, calling on him to work with religious leaders to improve the level of teaching in what is a core subject in the national curriculum. The criticism comes as a damning Ofsted report, published today, finds that more than half of all schools have been failing pupils in their religious education, a subject that the watchdog claims is increasingly important "in an ever more globalised and multicultural 21st century" because of the way it promotes respect and empathy.
Pray: for a positive response to the Ofsted report to make a significant improvement in Religious Education in schools and to recognise its importance in modern society. (Pr.4:13)
More: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/oct/05/church-attacks-gove-religious-education-schools
The Bishop of Sheffield has told the Church of England the next five years must see a deeper and more sustained engagement with its current primary goals of contributing to the common good, growing the Church, and re-imagining ministry. The goals were the subject of a report, Challenges for the Quinquennium, considered by the Church of England General Synod meeting in York last Saturday. Bishop Steven Croft told Synod members the Church of England needed a "more outward focus" that implied action as well as reflection. He welcomed the rise in the number of younger vocations to ordained ministry. However, he said there needed to be more diverse vocations and more from different ethnic backgrounds. The bishop admitted the area of growing the Church and of making disciples was the "most challenging" out of the three goals. "We urgently need to deepen that conversation about the challenge of passing on the Christian faith in our own Church."
Pray: for the Church as it looks ahead that it will be inspired and led by God. (Ro.8:28)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.of.england.has.20.years.to.reassert.its.position.as.national.church/33103.htm
The Rev Ian Galloway, the Convenor of the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council, said it was ‘repugnant’ that children were being used as sex slaves in Scotland. His comments follow the publication of a report from the Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People. The report says that at least 80 children may have been trafficked into Scotland for sexual or other exploitation without anyone being convicted for the crimes. Some of the victims have come from thousands of miles away, trafficked from the likes of China, Vietnam or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Writing in his Blog, the Rev Ian Galloway said: ‘The fact that dozens of children are being used as sex slaves in our cities, towns and neighbourhoods is utterly repugnant. This should be a call to action for everyone in Scotland. How can we let this happen?’ Pray: that the report and Convenor’s comment will be noted by the authorities and lead to positive action. (Mk.7:21-22)