The first woman to take a Bishop’s seat in the House of Lords has said that God should not be referred to as either ‘He’ or ‘She’, insisting that God is gender-neutral. The Bishop of Gloucester, who today took her
A Conservative MP has suggested that Anglican bishops should be removed from the House of Lords and replaced with Syrian refugees. https://twitter.com/HenrySmithMP/status/656777834967539712 Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, made the comments after 84 Church of England bishops signed a letter calling
The Church of England (CofE) has lost so many members it is having to consider restructuring its centuries-old parish system to cut costs. In a bid to preserve funds for the upkeep of its historic churches, the Church is mulling
A Church of England clergyman who wed his male partner will have to wait until next year to find out whether his attempts to sue the church for unlawful discrimination have been successful. Jeremy Pemberton, who lost his job as
Hundreds of historic churches across the country face closure because dwindling congregations mean that the repair costs can no longer be met. Although day to day costs are still being covered, repair bills for historic churches, which can run into
England’s state church has backed a motion calling for new vicars to be trained in “ecotheology” and “eco-justice” alongside more traditional Christian ethics. In a motion debated at a meeting of the General Synod in York, Church of England leaders
The Church of England has been criticised by one if its own bishops as “borderline racist”. The Right Rev Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford, said the church needed to do much more to recruit ethnic minorities, accusing it of “complacency
The Church of England has become the first major Christian denomination in Britain to speak out against George Osborne’s plans to relax Sunday trading laws – legislation that prevents shops from opening longer than six hours on Sundays – saying
The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has criticised America’s Episcopal Church for inventing a religious ceremony for gay marriages and referring to God in gender-neutral terms. Welby, who serves as symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which
A vicar has criticised plans to drape a giant rainbow flag from the steps of York Minster in solidarity with gay and transsexual rights, describing it as “provocative” and “offensive”. The Rev Melvin Tinker, whose parish is within the Anglican
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United Kingdom, and the Church of England is in steep decline, according to the latest information released by the British Social Attitudes (BSA) Survey. The newest BSA report shows that while 40
In the wake of the Bruce Jenner story—the most celebrated gender reassignment in the short history of the procedure—female Anglican clergy members have begun quietly campaigning for a similar sex change of the divinity into a female.
Religious leaders seem desperate to hide behind “bland statements of anaemic intent” about what they have in common rather than facing up to the “profound differences” between them, said Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who called the practice “dishonest.”
The Church of England has pledged to divest investments in thermal coal and tar sands due to concerns over the ethics of investing in fossil fuels. But the Church is also the largest private owner of UK forestry, which enjoys
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is still on the rise in Britain, new statistics have revealed. Despite being banned for thirty years in the UK, not a single successful prosecution for FGM has taken place. Now, campaigners have called for churches
Britain must take in the migrants currently crossing the Mediterranean, a senior Bishop has said, arguing that we have a “moral duty” to accept refugees from wars partly of our own making. Writing in today’s Observer, the Rt Rev David Walker,
Christians will officially be a minority group in the UK by 2050 as atheism and Islam continue to surge in popularity. According to new research, the proportion of people identifying as Christian will drop to 45.4 percent over the next
A charity whose patrons include the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and journalist Jeremy Paxman is taking Welfare Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to court over welfare reforms including the spare room subsidy and stricter guidelines on discretionary housing payments. The
A Church of England Bishop who has attacked the government’s record on helping the poor enjoys a salary and perks worth up to £250,000 a year, it has emerged. The Reverend Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, was a key figure
Legalising gay marriage has cost the Conservative Party thousands of votes, a study by the Evangelical Alliance has found. A recent poll by the Alliance saw support for the Conservatives drop amongst evangelicals from 40 percent down to 28 percent. The
In a statement characteristic of the current political climate in the Church of England, the House of Bishops issued a letter ostensibly aimed at helping the faithful make up their mind on the imminent UK election. After some initial positive
(Inform) Reverend Libby Lane has been announced as the first female bishop for the Church of England. She will become the new Bishop of Stockport, filling a post that has been vacant since May, and marking an end to years of
