2001

English Cathedrals see continuing rise in Christmas worshippers
25 December 2001

The Church of England and the Association of English Cathedrals today announce a rise in the number of people attending services in the 43 Church of England cathedrals during Advent (the four weeks leading up to Christmas) Christmas Eve and Christmas.

An Anglican-Methodist Covenant
12 December 2001

The official report of the Formal Conversations between the Church of England and the Methodist Church is published today, 12 December 2001. It proposes a national covenant between the two churches.

Board of Education responds to Cantle Report on Community Cohesion
11 December 2001

The Church of England Board of Education has welcomed the conclusions with regard to schools in the report of the Community Cohesion Review Team chaired by Mr Ted Cantle.

Bishops' office and working costs published
11 December 2001

The office and working costs of bishops have, previously, been published as a total figure. Figures for the year 2000 have, for the first time, been published for individual bishops.

Cathedral statistics for the year 2000 show growth
5 December 2001

Church of England cathedrals can expect more than 600,000 worshippers over the Advent period, almost 100,000 of them on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. These are among the first results of a new data collection system designed to give a more accurate picture of the Church of England. Latest figures also show a 20% increase in the number of people receiving communion at the 43 cathedrals on Christmas Day 2000, compared with 1999.

New support for parish mission in 2002-2004
12 November 2001

The Archbishops' Council and Church Commissioners are to provide an extra £10 million to support parish ministry over 2002 to 2004.

Church responds to the government's white paper on education: Schools achieving success
8 November 2001

The Church of England Board of Education has issued a Statement in response to the Government's White Paper on education, Schools Achieving Success.

White Paper on Lords Reform
7 November 2001

Careful study will be given in the Church of England to proposals in the government White Paper on further reform of the House of Lords, published today. The invitation to interested parties to offer responses has been noted and will be taken up.

Bishops respond to Home Secretary's asylum proposals
31 October 2001

Bishops in the House of Lords have given a cautious welcome to the reforms of immigration and asylum procedures outlined by the Home Secretary on Monday (29 October).

Good practice to combat institutional racism
25 October 2001

The Church of England has been called to concentrate on in its continuing response to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report. A review of actions taken in the dioceses shows that sustained change can be supported by reviewing diocesan structures, by ethnic monitoring, debates in diocesan synods, local committees with fixed terms of reference, clergy and parish education, and encouraging minority ethnic participation in church structures.

Synod focuses on the international situation, educational opportunity and financial challenge
22 October 2001

The agenda for the November Synod will have time set aside for a debate on international affairs, following the terrorist attacks on the United States. The precise form of this debate will be shaped in the light of the unfolding world situation.

Church leaders issue joint invitation to prayer in aftermath of American attacks
2 October 2001

Senior Church leaders across the nation have today issued a joint invitation to people in all walks of life to join a special time of prayer later this week for peace, justice and reconciliation in the aftermath of the atrocities in the United States.

For such a time as this: A Renewed Diaconate in the Church of England
1 October 2001

A renewed, permanent diaconate could support the flourishing lay ministries of readers, pastoral assistants and evangelists and bridge the gap between the Church and the needs of people who are not regular churchgoers . 'For such a time as this', the report of a working party of the House of Bishops, chaired by the Rt Rev Barry Rogerson, Bishop of Bristol, urges the Church of England to take the diaconate more seriously and to become aware of its untapped potential, especially in mission.

Report recommends higher and redefined stipends
27 September 2001

Clergy stipends should be redefined and increased, according to the report of the Clergy Stipends Review Group, published today, Thursday 27 September. The Group, set up in 1999 by the Archbishops' Council, has made 30 recommendations to the Church of England. The report, 'Generosity and Sacrifice', has only the authority of the Group that produced it.

Church responds to drugs policy inquiry
26 September 2001

The Board for Social Responsibility has warmly welcomed the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee decision to hold an investigation into the Government's drugs policy. In a submission, building on one to the Runciman Inquiry in 1998, the Board argued that the possession of cannabis should no longer be an imprisonable offence. This follows the recommendation of the Runciman Inquiry (para 77.2)

Octavia Hill Estates: Church Commissioners respond to consultation
26 September 2001

Existing tenants of the Church Commissioners' residential properties in London, the Octavia Hill Estates, will continue to be protected on their current terms under a new letting policy announced today, Wednesday, 26 September, 2001. Residents on assured shorthold tenancies will be able to apply to upgrade to assured tenancies after four years' residence, while, for future tenants only, the Commissioners will move to a mix of affordable rents and market rents on the estates.

Personality Disorder and Human Worth
21 September 2001

The Board for Social Responsibility has published the report of a conference on Dangerous Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD).

Church to sell Zurburan paintings of Jacob and his Sons
20 September 2001

The Church Commissioners' Board of Governors has approved, in principle, the sale of a series of paintings by Francesco de Zurburan, of Jacob and his twelve sons. The paintings are displayed in the dining room in Auckland Castle, home of the Bishops of Durham.

Church welcomes Education White Paper Schools achieving success
5 September 2001

The Church of England's Board of Education has welcomed the Government White Paper, Schools achieving success, published today, but warned against any erosion of the place of religious education and spiritual development in the curriculum.

The BBC's new Head of Religion and Ethics
11 July 2001

The Bishop of Wakefield, the Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, has welcomed the BBC's announcement that Alan Bookbinder is to be the new head of Religion and Ethics for the Corporation and has wished him well in the challenges ahead.

Church reaffirms its ministry to all
10 July 2001

The Church of England has no intention of abandoning its ministry to the poorest of its parishes, the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, made clear before closing the July sessions of the General Synod in York.

Final run for old-style church statistics
28 June 2001

The Church of England's parochial membership and financial statistics have been published in their old style for the last time. Future publications will encompass the results of new 'statistics for mission' forms designed to produce a more accurate and inclusive picture of the Church of England.

Major focus on Church and society at Synod sessions
19 June 2001

The Church's engagement with society features strongly on the agenda of the July meeting of the General Synod in York, from Friday, 6 July, to Tuesday, 10 July. Debates on international aid and the health of the poor in this country challenge both Church and nation to commit more strongly to working towards the elimination of poverty.

The Way Ahead: Church of England Schools in the New Millennium
14 June 2001

The Church Schools Review Group, chaired by Lord Dearing, today publishes its final report on how the Church of England should shape the future of its 4,700 schools.

Historic milestone in Anglican links with French Churches
12 June 2001

Canterbury Cathedral, on Saturday, June 16, sees another historic milestone in the work of Anglican churches towards Christian unity in Europe. The Cathedral hosts the first stage in the signing of the Reuilly Common Statement between the French Lutheran and Reformed Churches and the Anglican Churches of Great Britain and Ireland. The process will be completed at a ceremony in Paris on July 1.

Young minority ethnic people invited to make a difference by having a say
11 June 2001

Having a say and making a positive difference is something most young people want. The Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) is hosting a National Youth Event to enable young minority ethnic people to do just that.

Resourcing Bishops
8 June 2001

Bishops of the Church of England are very hard working, face increasing pressures and do not have lavish lifestyles, according to a report published today. The key focus of the report is on the need to make sure that Bishops are properly equipped and resourced for the future.

An Open Letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York
25 May 2001

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Dr George Carey and Dr. David Hope, have today (Friday 25 May) issued a joint open letter concerning the forthcoming general election. The letter, entitled "That They May Have Life," is being distributed throughout the Church of England for use in parishes from this weekend.

Generosity and Sacrifice; the results of the clergy stipends survey
16 May 2001

Nine out of 10 Church of England clergy rated their job satisfaction and morale as adequate or better in a survey of their financial situation. Almost two-thirds of the 10,000 clergy on the Church's central payroll, including 100 licensed lay workers, responded to the survey carried out last summer by the independent company Information and Research Services to inform the current Clergy Stipends Review Group.

Another year of solid progress for the Church Commissioners
10 May 2001

The Church Commissioners for England today (8 May 2001) announce a solid investment performance in 2000 with a total return of 3.1% on £4.4 billion (benchmark -1.3%). They distributed a total of £160 million to support the Church's ministry, especially in poorer dioceses and parishes, as well as meeting pre-1998 clergy pensions.

Changes proposed by Crown Appointments Commission Review Group
9 May 2001

The Crown Appointments Commission Review Group, chaired by Baroness Perry of Southwark, has recommended changes aimed at ensuring the process of choosing the Church of England's diocesan bishops is seen to be open and transparent. It found no need nor any general demand to change the overall shape of the system, says the report Working with the Spirit: choosing diocesan bishops.

Council for the Care of Churches launches new edition of The Churchyards Handbook
8 May 2001

The Council for the Care of Churches has published a fully revised and updated edition of The Churchyards Handbook, first published in 1962.

Church Commissioners begin consultation on renovation
9 April 2001

Residents of the 1,500-dwelling Octavia Hill estates in London are to benefit from a £35m renovation of their properties, care of their landlords, the Church Commissioners.

Formal Conversations between the Church of England and the Methodist Church
5 April 2001

The final report of formal conversations between the Church of England and the Methodist Church will be published in December, following consideration of a draft text by the appropriate bodies within each church during the coming months. Publication in December will allow Methodists and Anglicans time to study the final report before its first consideration by the Methodist Conference in June 2002 and the General Synod in July 2002.

The Eucharist: Sacrament of Unity
22 March 2001

'The Eucharist stands at the heart of the life and mission of the Church,' the Rt Rev John Hind, Chairman of the Church of England's Faith and Order Advisory Group, stressed, today, on the publication of The Eucharist: Sacrament of Unity. This occasional paper from the House of Bishops provides a timely exposition of the Church of England's teaching on the Eucharist (otherwise known as the Holy Communion, the Lord's Supper or the Mass). It also encompasses a courteous yet robust response to One Bread, One Body, issued by the Roman Catholic Bishops' Conferences of England and Wales, Ireland and Scotland in 1998.

Women in the Episcopate - the Working Party begins its task
19 March 2001

The Rt. Rev'd. Dr. Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, is to chair the House of Bishops' Working Party on Women in the Episcopate, it was announced today.

The First Church Estates Commissioner
15 March 2001

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have been informed that Her Majesty the Queen has accepted the resignation of Mr John Sclater, CVO as First Church Estates Commissioner.

Statement on the outbreak of foot and mouth disease
1 March 2001

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have called for prayers to be said in Churches across the country on Sunday for farmers, their families and other communities affected by the foot and mouth outbreak. Special prayers are available on this page.

Bishop will lead prayers for rail accident victims
28 February 2001

The Bishop of Doncaster, the Rt Revd Cyril Ashton, will conduct the parish Ash Wednesday Service in Great Snaith Priory, Yorkshire, tonight. The site of this morning's rail accident lies within the Great Snaith parochial boundaries.

Church issues invitation to telecommunications operators
28 February 2001

More than 4,000 of the Church of England's 16,000 churches have registered an interest in hosting telecommunications aerials, says the Archbishops' Council's Telecommunications Working Party.

Chief Legal Adviser appointed
22 February 2001

Mr Stephen Slack, Head of the Taunton Section of the Charity Commission's Legal Division since 1990, has been appointed Chief Legal Adviser to the Archbishops' Council and Registrar and Chief Legal Adviser to the General Synod of the Church of England.

New Chairmen announced for Mission and Social Responsibility
22 February 2001

The Bishops of Southwark and Liverpool are to lead the Church's work on social responsibility and mission. Dr Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark, is to succeed the Rt Rev Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford, as Chairman of the Board for Social Responsibility. The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones, has been appointed to succeed Dr Butler as Chairman of the Board of Mission.

Archbishop's Officer for Evangelism among Children appointed
15 February 2001

Margaret Withers has been appointed to the new post of Archbishop's Officer for Evangelism Among Children. Her main task will be to assist the Church in sharing the gospel with children who have little or no contact with organised Christian faith.

A hopeful and honest look at Christian-Jewish relations
5 February 2001

Christian-Jewish relations are the oldest in the Church's history and have been among the most painful, says the Church of England's latest contribution to the continuing debate on this sensitive issue. The report, Sharing One Hope?, has been produced by a working group under the auspices of the Church of England's Inter Faith Consultative Group.

Education Sunday
30 January 2001

Education Sunday, on Sunday, 11 February 2001, has the theme of Preparing for Citizenship

Agreement reduces cost of software for church administrators
23 January 2001

Dioceses, deaneries, parishes and individual clergy now have access to computer software at educational and charity rates. The Archbishops' Council IT department has negotiated, for anyone involved in wider church administration, a similar agreement to that under which national church bodies purchase software.

Adviser on the Holocaust appointed
22 January 2001

Dr Margaret Brearley has been appointed by the Archbishops' Council as Adviser on the Holocaust. Dr Brearley has lectured widely to Christian and Jewish audiences in Britain, Germany, Finland, Israel and the USA, and has published many articles on subjects including the history of Christian anti-Judaism, the persecution of the Roma/Gypsies of Europe and Richard Wagner's antisemitism and its influence on Hitler.

Service sheet software scores success
19 January 2001

More than 5500 people have taken up the Church of England's service and worship planning software, Visual Liturgy, since its launch by Church House Publishing in 1997.

Bishop to challenge Government in Lords debate on marriage
17 January 2001

The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Rev John Perry, will, today, challenge the Government, in the House of Lords, to put marriage at the centre of family policy. Speaking in Baroness Young's debate on Marriage and traditional family values (3.00pm), Bishop John will also challenge the Government to recover the central principle of the Family Law Act: to support the institution of marriage and encourage partners in difficulties to take all practical steps to save the marriage.

Church launches electronic gazette
8 January 2001

The Archbishops' Council has launched an electronic Gazette, on the website http://www.gazette.cofe.anglican.org, to report the work of the Council and the National Church Institutions to the wider Church and beyond.

---