Church of England schools to be “rebranded”; New Canon Provost for Sunderland Minster; New Director of Church Society ; Singing from the wrong hymn sheet: The Church of England is out of tune with its flock
Church of England schools to be “rebranded”
The Church of England is to “rebrand” its schools in an attempt to ensure that they remain a popular choice for parents. The Church of England is the biggest single provider of education in the UK, teaching one million pupils in 4,800 schools. The review of its role comes as local authority provision of education is reduced and more schools are given independence from town hall control. The report will say that the Church has to compete in the “free market” against academies, free schools, and school “chains” such as Ark and Oasis.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9150817/Church-of-England-schools-to-be-rebranded.html
New Canon Provost for Sunderland Minster
Christian Today – Sunderland Minster is about to become the only Minster with a Canon Provost following the appointment of Canon Sheila Bamber.
The move is something of a homecoming for Canon Bamber, who is returning to the Diocese of Durham after two years at St Nicholas Cathedral in Newcastle.
Canon Bamber started her working life in social housing before embarking on a new path in life as a clergywoman in the Durham area.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/new.canon.provost.for.sunderland.minster/29487.htm
New Director of Church Society
The Council of Church Society has announced today that the Revd Lee Gatiss has agreed to become the Society’s new Director with effect from 1st January 2013.Lee is presently completing a PhD on Seventeenth Century biblical interpretation at Peterhouse, Cambridge. When he takes up the role of Church Society Director, he will remain in Cambridge, enabling the Society to develop its profile and work within the Cambridge churches, theological colleges, and other networks.Lee is well known to the Society already as a speaker and writer and is a member of the Editorial Board of Churchman, as well as its Review Editor. He is also Editor of the Society’s Reformed Evangelical Anglican Library project (REAL).
In addition, Lee is a Visiting Lecturer in Church History at Wales Evangelical School of Theology and has lectured undergraduates and ordinands while in Cambridge, as well as speaking around the country and in various European cities (most recently Eger, Athens, and Nuremberg). Prior to commencing his PhD, Lee was Associate Minister at St Helen’s Church, Bishopsgate (2004 – 2009) and Assistant Curate at St Botolph’s Church, Barton Seagrave with St Edmund’s, Warkton (2001 – 2004), a Church Society Trust parish.
Singing from the wrong hymn sheet: The Church of England is out of tune with its flock
Daily Mail – Before it became known mainly as a repository for ‘with it’ trendy vicars, usually wedded to what was fashionable 10 years previously, the Church of England was often referred to as ‘the Conservative Party at prayer’. Nobody would ever suggest that to be the case now, when ‘Guardian readers at prayer’ might be a more accurate description of many of the C of E’s clergy. Yet, when one examines just how hopelessly out of tune the Anglican Church is with its flock, it’s clear that, at least in that respect, it is very similar to Dave Cameron’s modern Conservative Party.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2115872/Why-Church-England-tune-flock.html