2003

Latest figures show churches alive in the community
8 December 2003

Four people out of every 10 (more than 39%) are likely to attend a church this Christmas with more than 2.6 million attending Church of England churches and cathedrals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to research released by the Church of England and English Heritage.

Bishops' office and working costs published
5 December 2003

The 2002 office and working costs of bishops in the Church of England are published today.

National Rural Officer appointed
28 November 2003

Dr Jill Hopkinson is to be the next National Rural Officer for the Church of England and the Archbishops' Council. She currently leads research at the Arthur Rank Centre, based at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, formerly known as the National Agricultural Centre.

Evangelism - Which Way Now?
26 November 2003

An evaluation of Alpha, Emmaus, Cell church and other contemporary strategies for evangelism by Mike Booker and Mark Ireland With a foreword by the Archbishop of York

Giant steps in the online world of Church House Bookshop
10 November 2003

Church House Bookshop, the official bookshop of the Church of England, is pleased to announce the relaunch of its popular and successful web site - www.chbookshop.co.uk - on 10 November 2003. The fresh, attractive, and user-friendly design combined with powerful new catalogue and search facilities will provide the visitor with a state-of-the-art experience in Christian online shopping.

Some issues in human sexuality: a guide to the debate
4 November 2003

The House of Bishops has commended for study a guide to some aspects of the debate on human sexuality. Some Issues in Human Sexuality: A Guide to the Debate, requested by the House three years ago, sets out a variety of views on homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexualism and seeks to promote informed reflection on them. It neither changes nor suggests changes to current Church policy.

Woman priest praised by Lord Carey tells of her past pain
24 October 2003

Recognising the interest that has been been generated by mention, by Lord Carey in the House of Lords, of a woman who escaped from prostitution and has since been ordained in the Church of England, the priest in question agreed to undertake a single interview about her story to be made available to the media.

National Mission and Evangelism Adviser announced
21 October 2003

The Rev Paul Bayes is to be the next National Mission and Evangelism Adviser to the Archbishops' Council. Paul has extensive experience of parish life, evangelism, church planting and developing different forms of new congregations.

Education Sunday aims for a deeper learning experience
20 October 2003

Churches representing the spectrum of Christian denominations are publishing resources for Education Sunday 2004 as the new academic year gets underway. For well over a hundred years, there has been an annual recognition in England and Wales of this Special Sunday as a national day of prayer and celebration for everyone in the world of education. Next year, it will be on February 8. For its 2004 theme, Putting out into the Deep, the ecumenical steering group has focused on the challenge of education.

Church of England looks to repeat success at National Wedding Show
1 October 2003

Clergy and lay people staffing the Church of England's stand at the National Wedding Show are expecting a busy time at Earls Court from Friday to Sunday, October 3-5. The stand attracted some 1300 visitors on its first outing, at the NEC Birmingham from September 12-14, almost 1 in 10 of the total attendance.

Honorary National Moderator for Reader Training Appointed
17 September 2003

The Revd Alec George is to be Honorary National Moderator for Reader Training in the Ministry Division of the Archbishops' Council from 1st January 2004. He will continue to be non-stipendiary assistant priest in the parish of Hundon and associate minister in the Stour Valley Group.

New appointment in the Ministry Division
16 September 2003

The Reverend Chris Terry has been appointed Finance and Administrative Secretary in the Ministry Division of the Archbishops' Council.

Church of England's first National Wedding Show stand
8 September 2003

Future brides and grooms will have the chance to discuss their wedding with a bishop at the National Wedding Show at the NEC Birmingham starting on Friday, September 12. The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, will open the Church of England's first ever stand at the Show.

Special children special needs
8 September 2003

Special Children Special Needs provides essential information on how to integrate children with disabilities and special needs into your church's worship and children's programmes and activities.

Additional advice on Children and Bereavement
8 September 2003

The second edition of Children and Bereavement provides additional advice on helping children come to terms with tragic events such as the September 11th and the Soham murders, as well as the loss of a loved one.

Being human demands greater wisdom in handling power, money, sex and time
29 July 2003

People and societies urgently need to develop greater wisdom if they are to understand what it is to be human in the face of today's pressures and modern science. What is now possible or at least thinkable was not possible at the time traditional doctrines were being developed, says the Doctrine Commission in its latest report, Being human: a Christian understanding of personhood illustrated with reference to power, money, sex and time.

The Anglican-Methodist Covenant: celebration and signing
28 July 2003

The Anglican-Methodist Covenant in England, recently strongly endorsed by the Methodist Conference and the General Synod, will be signed at a national celebration on 1 November 2003.

Church saddened by failure of European Commission to recognise case for lower VAT rate on building repairs
22 July 2003

Following the recent publication of proposals for revising the lower rates of VAT across Europe, the Church of England is disappointed to note that the European Commission has failed to propose a reduction in the rate of VAT on repairs and maintenance to historic church buildings.

Church Commissioners appoint new Chief Surveyor
22 July 2003

The Church Commissioners announce the appointment of Paul Clark, MRICS as Chief Surveyor. Paul is a Director and Head of UK Property Investment Management at ISG Occupancy Limited.

Visual Liturgy 4.0 released
4 July 2003

Visual Liturgy 4.0 for Common Worship has finally been given the green light for release, complete with extra features and without the bugs that delayed its scheduled spring launch.

PCC OF ASTON CANTLOW etc v. WALLBANK
26 June 2003

Decision of House of Lords - Statement on behalf of Archbishops' Council 26.6.03

Racial justice, embryo research, buildings, children and Anglican/Methodist relations will be major features of a demanding Synod agenda
24 June 2003

Engagement between Church and society, and resource issues for the Church, feature strongly in a packed agenda of the General Synod, from Friday, 11 July, to Tuesday, 15 July. A particular highlight will be a presidential address by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

New Chairman of the Committee for Ministry of and among Deaf and Disabled People
20 June 2003

The Rt Rev Jack Nicholls, Bishop of Sheffield, is to be the new Chairman of the Committee for Ministry of and among Deaf and Disabled People (CMDDP), succeeding the Rt Rev John Perry, former Bishop of Chelmsford.

Church Commissioners appoint King Sturge as managing agents of £250 million commercial property portfolio
19 June 2003

The Church Commissioners for England has appointed King Sturge to manage their direct commercial property portfolio. The instruction will take effect on 1 September 2003. The portfolio consists of 75 retail, industrial and office properties located throughout the UK.

Response to publication of Government employment regulations
12 May 2003

Commenting on the Government regulations published relating to discrimination on grounds of religious belief and sexual orientation, the Bishop of Southwark, the Right Reverend Tom Butler said:

Churches propose new national statutory RE syllabus
30 April 2003

The leaders of three Church education bodies have this week together proposed the development of a new national statutory Religious Education (RE) syllabus.

Increased financial support for the Church's ministry despite very difficult investment climate
24 April 2003

Financial results in 2002 The Church Commissioners today publish their Annual Report & Accounts for 2002 and, in an exceptionally poor year for stock markets, announce that they have achieved a total return on their assets of -9.3%. This was much better than the average of -13.9% for UK pension funds.

FE colleges urged to 'try faith for a change'
16 April 2003

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has highlighted its growing recognition of the practical value of working with faith communities by, for the first time, sponsoring the annual National Ecumenical Agency in Further Education conference. The Try faith for a change conference drew more than 80 participants from the Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths to the Islamic Cultural Centre in Regent's Park, London.

War in Iraq - an article by the Archbishop of Canterbury in The Times, March 25
25 March 2003

The decision to embark on military operations in Iraq last week produced something unfamiliar in our politics: the sense of the genuinely tragic - by which I mean not the sad or the catastrophic, but the awareness of desperately constrained choices, profound moral risk, the knowledge of the cost of what we do, even when we do it from conviction.

Archbishop of Canterbury: pastoral letter to Anglican Primates
24 March 2003

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has written to the most senior Bishops and Archbishops of the worldwide Anglican Church to express his concerns about the conflict in Iraq and his hope for a positive future for the region.

Archbishop of Canterbury: pastoral letter to Forces Chaplains
23 March 2003

Lambeth Palace has released the text of a pastoral letter sent by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to UK military chaplains serving in the Gulf as part of the current operations.

Joint Statement by Religious Leaders
21 March 2003

We have gathered against the backdrop of military action in Iraq involving British forces. They, their families and everyone caught up in this conflict are in our thoughts and prayers-especially those whose lives or loved ones have been lost.

Statement by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York on conflict with Iraq
20 March 2003

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, today issued the following joint statement:

Church prays for speedy resolution of war in Iraq
20 March 2003

Following the outbreak of military action on 20 March 2003, the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Tom Butler, Chairman of the Church of England's Community and Public Affairs Unit stated:

Prayers in time of war
20 March 2003

The Church of England has published a range of prayers suitable for use in churches and in the wider community following military operations in Iraq.

Appeal to House of Lords: PCC of Aston Cantlow
3 March 2003

The appeal by the PCC of Aston Cantlow and Wilmcote with Billesley against the decision of the Court of Appeal in favour of Mr and Mrs Wallbank will be heard in the House of Lords today, Monday 3rd March 2003, and on the following two days.

Church Leaders Meet Foreign Secretary
3 March 2003

The Catholic Bishop of Leeds, the Rt. Revd David Konstant and the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt. Revd Tom Butler, both of whom have formal responsibility for international questions within their respective Churches, met with the Rt Hon Jack Straw, today (Monday, March 3), to discuss the Iraq crisis. This initiative followed the joint statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of Westminster, which drew attention to the Churches' outstanding concerns as to the moral legitimacy of any war against Iraq.

Church Commissioners nominate next Chief Executive
25 February 2003

The Church Commissioners' Board of Governors has nominated Mr Andrew Brown, FRICS, to be the next Secretary (Chief Executive) to the Commissioners. He is at present the Commissioners' Deputy Secretary and Chief Surveyor. His appointment is subject to confirmation at a Special General Meeting of the Commissioners to be held in April 2003. If confirmed, he will succeed Howell Harris Hughes, who retires at the end of June.

Joint statement from Archbishop and Cardinal
20 February 2003

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor have, following a recent private meeting, issued the following statement about the crisis involving Iraq:

Dean chairs Council for the Care of Churches
20 February 2003

The Very Revd Graeme Knowles, Dean of Carlisle, is to be the next Chairman of the Church of England's Council for the Care of Churches. He will take up office on 1 June 2003, following the retirement of the present Chairman, the Very Revd Raymond Furnell, Dean of York.

Submission on humanitarian consequences of war against Iraq published
17 February 2003

Military action against Iraq has the potential to lead to a serious worsening of the humanitarian situation demanding more extensive collaboration between military and humanitarian planners than was experienced during the war in Afghanistan, according to the Church of England's Community and Public Affairs Unit

Local workshops to address key environmental issues
14 February 2003

A national series of Workshops hosted by Bishops to help representatives of local communities understand local environmental issues gets underway this spring.

Commissioners' preliminary investment performance figures for 2002
12 February 2003

The First Church Estates Commissioner, Andreas Whittam Smith, today presented preliminary figures for the Church Commissioners' investment performance in 2002, confirming that the Commissioners performed better than many other similar investment funds in the extremely adverse markets of 2002. "Compared with almost all other funds, these are very good figures", said the First Commissioner.

Church welcomes Government's Licensing Bill amendment
3 February 2003

The Church of England has warmly welcomed the Government's tabled amendment to the Licensing Bill which ensures that places of worship will be exempt from the requirements for public entertainment licensing. At the same time the Government proposes to exempt Church and Village Halls from a need to pay licensing fees.

Mental health, cathedral entrance charges, clergy employment and African mission perspectives highlight varied Synod agenda
3 February 2003

In a short but varied agenda, Synod will consider issues of mission, social responsibility, heritage, law and liturgy. The Synod will sit from 2.00pm Monday 24 February to 5.00pm Wednesday 26 February, prior to the Archbishop of Canterbury's enthronement in Canterbury Cathedral on 27 February. The Archbishop will be present on the first day of the Synod.

Education Secretary questioned over admissions to Church schools
28 January 2003

The Board of Education has questioned the disclosure by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, the Right Honourable Charles Clarke MP, in an interview in this week's Sunday Times, that 'he is going to clamp down on church schools that "wheel in their vicar" to advise on admissions' and that 'he will outlaw this residual church power by 2005'.

Governing and managing Church schools
17 January 2003

Governing and managing Church schools, which is published on the 24th January, is the National Society's handbook for all those involved in Anglicanism's commitment to education, has been fully revised to reflect changes introduced in legislation passed between 1998 and the Education Act 2002. There are new sections covering the implications of the recent major review of Church schools, The Way Ahead, and also on admissions policies, inclusion and citizenship.

Case for war yet to be made, warns House of Bishops
14 January 2003

We believe that the Government's stated policy of disarming Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction is best pursued by facilitating and strengthening the work of UN weapons inspectors. It is crucial that this process be allowed to run its course. To launch military action while there remains the potential to secure a peaceful resolution would be ill-judged and premature.

Prayers for Peace at Epiphany
3 January 2003

Prayers for world peace, for use by parishes, congregations and individuals around Epiphany, are available on the Church of England's website An Invitation to Prayer.

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