Kirk convener condemns Chancellor’s ‘war on the poor’; New economic and social affairs adviser for C of E; New Bishop of Whitby announced; Media review includes interview with Bishop of LIverpool, Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘Church clear on child safety’ following departure of Bishop Wallace Benn.
Kirk convener condemns Chancellor’s ‘war on the poor’
Sally Foster-Fulton, Convener of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council, has called on Chancellor George Osborne to apologise for his “propaganda war on the poor”.
In a commentary of the Chancellor’s recent Party Conference speech, Ms Foster-Fulton’s analysis highlights the unfair targeting of poorer people and those in receipt of benefits by the media and senior politicians.
A major report on the purposes of economic activity published earlier this year highlighted the Church’s fear about how an organised psychological war on the poor was being used as a pretext for welfare cuts.
New economic and social affairs adviser for C of E
Tom Sefton has joined the Church of England’s Mission and Public Affairs (MPA) Division as part of the team of specialists dealing with the wide range of issues which arise in the Church’s engagement with society, politics and ethics.
Tom joins MPA as Adviser on Economics and Social Policy at a time when the Division is reordering its staff team to create more flexible and responsive support for key stake holders such as the Archbishops’ Council, the General Synod and the House of Bishops.
Revd Dr Malcolm Brown MPA director said: “We are creating a small team of skilled and experienced staff whose specialisms complement each other and who will work collaboratively to address the wide range of issues which arise for the church in its engagement with society, politics and ethics.
Over the past few years the MPA team has been building its expert knowledge in the field of economics and social policy. In the context of the current recession and financial crisis, good social policy must be economically literate and few issues do not have an economic dimension.”
Tom has joined MPA from the Church Urban Fund, where he spent four years, latterly as research manager, helping to highlight the effective church responses to poverty and deprived communities. Before that, he worked for 10 years as a Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, where his research focused on UK poverty and inequality, including the distributional effects of public spending, attitudes to the welfare state, and fuel poverty
New Bishop of Whitby announced
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Philip John North, MA, Team Rector of Old Saint Pancras, in the Diocese of London, to the Suffragan See of Whitby, in the Diocese of York, in succession to the Right Reverend Martin Clive Warner, MA, PhD, on his translation to the See of Chichester on the 2 July 2012.
MEDIA REVIEW
Interview with Bishop of Liverpool James Jones”
Bishop who led Hillsborough panel says report will change attitudes towards Liverpool”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/oct/18/hillsborough-panel-interview-james-jones?INTCMP=SRCH
11 year old boy banned from Scouts for saying he does not believe in God
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2219513/Atheist-schoolboy-11-banned-joining-Scouts-refuses-swear-duty-God.html
C of E child protection
Archbishop of Canterbury: ‘Church clear on child safety’ ” with ref to statement about the retirement of Bishop Wallace Benn announced this week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19993482
Damages awarded to gay couple not allowed in Christian B&B
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9618431/BandB-owner-who-turned-away-gay-couple-claims-religious-freedom-under-attack-in-home.html
Cameron will persist on gay marriage
I would put a considerable amount of money on Cameron persisting with gay marriage” – interview with author Matthew Parris
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/matthew-parris-id-bet-money-on-cameron-persisting-with-gay-marriage-8216153.html?origin=internalSearchTimes p19
SNP members angry at party support for gay marriage
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/9619783/SNP-members-express-anger-at-gay-marriage.html