New home affairs adviser for Church of England; New Dean for the Diocese of Brechin; Interview with the Dean of Westminster on the work and witness of the Abbey; Christians challenged to read Bible in a year; plus three further reports
New home affairs adviser for Church of England
Martin Kettle is joining 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.
Martin joins MPA as Adviser on home affairs 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.
“Martin will take the lead responsibility for the Church of England’s national action on, and responses to, public policy on Home Affairs, including work on penal policy, criminal justice, social policy (such as equalities) and similar areas.”
Martin joins the MPA team in February 2013, after a career including 13 years as an incumbent in the Diocese of London, and a period teaching Ethics and New Testament at Ridley Hall Theological College, Cambridge. He has also served as an officiating chaplain to the Army, as bishop’s ecumenical adviser and as an area dean. For more than 14 years, Martin worked for the Prison Service, in roles from prison officer to senior management in a high security prison – including two years on a national IT project and three heading a unit for prisoners with dangerous and severe personality disorders. For the last four years, he has worked in the Prisons Inspectorate, spending 2012 leading the team inspecting police and court custody.
Speaking last his week Martin said: “I look forward to bringing together my experience of working in the prison service, theological education and parish sectors to inform and develop the Church of England’s thinking on home affairs policy. On a wide range of issues from welfare reform to youth unemployment, I believe this role provides an exciting opportunity to work with others in the Church in seeking to articulate a distinctively Christian and hopeful perspective on public policy in home affairs.”
New Dean for the Diocese of Brechin
The Rt Rev Dr Nigel Peyton, Bishop of Brechin, has announced his appointment of the Rev Dr Francis Bridger as Dean of the Diocese of Brechin, and says “Dr Bridger brings a long and wide experience of Anglican Church life and ministry development and I look forward to working with him in the Diocese of Brechin.”
Dr Bridger is Rector of St Mary’s Church, Broughty Ferry. Prior to taking up the appointment in St Mary’s in September this year, Dr Bridger was Principal of the East Midlands Ministry Training Course at Nottingham University and Professor of Anglican Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, California.
In accepting the appointment, Bridger says “I am delighted to accept Bishop Nigel’s invitation to serve as Dean. It will be an honour to work with him and with colleagues throughout the diocese as we move forward in mission during 2013 and beyond.”
Dr Bridger will be installed as Dean of the Diocese in a special service in St Paul’s Cathedral, Dundee on 13 January 2013, the guest preacher will be the Very Rev Susan Macdonald, Dean of Edinburgh
Westminster Abbey
A Daily Telegraph report on the life and organisation of the Abbey reflecting Dean John Hall’s book Queen Elizabeth II and Her Church: Royal Service at Westminster Abbey, is published by Bloomsbury.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/9745468/Her-Majestys-secret-service-in-Westminster-Abbey.html
An interview with the Dean of Westminster.
http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/the-dean-the-queen-and-his-millionvisitorsayear-moneymaking-machine-8412500.html
Christians challenged to read Bible in a year
Christianity Today – Worshippers in Wales are being invited to make a New Year’s resolution to read the entire Bible in 2013.
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, has launched the Bible Challenge out of a desire to see people become more familiar with the book at the centre of the Christian faith.
He is asking people to set aside just 20 minutes each day to read passages from the Old and New Testaments.
In addition to the reading challenge, people are being invited to nominate their favourite book in the Bible.
The top five nominations will form the core of a Bible course to be led by the Archbishop during Lent, in the weeks before Easter.
Writing to parishioners, Dr Morgan said, “How much of your busy and hectic day is spent watching TV, listening to radio, scanning newspapers, social networking, and reading (or even writing) blogs? How much is spent reading the Bible? More at –
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/3/christians.challenged.to.read.bible.in.a.year/31257.htm
Report that “faith schools have continued to outperform other primaries in the core subjects”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/leaguetables/9741110/Primary-school-league-tables-2012-Nearly-500-schools-miss-targets-for-the-three-Rs.html
Vote against criminalisation of insults ‘a victory for free speech’
The House of Lords has voted 150 to 54 to amend Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 and therefore to end the criminalisation of insults.
The move has been welcomed by civil liberties advocates who are members of the Reform Section 5 campaign coalition.
NSPCC launches new anti-child abuse awareness campaign
A new publicity campaign by the NSPCC aims to help prevent sexual abuse of children by encouraging people to report their concerns.
The recent allegations against Jimmy Savile and others have exposed many tragic cases of sexual abuse against the young, says the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Terry Waite: personal reconciliation
In 1987, while travelling on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury to help in negotiating the release of western hostages captured by Hezbollah, Terry Waite was himself taken prisoner. He was held, largely in solitary confinement, for almost five years and was subject to torture and mock executions during the first year of his captivity.
This month, he returned to the apartment block in Beirut where he was captured to meet with Ammar Moussawi, a senior Hezbollah figure, saying he wanted to consign his suffering to the past and forgive his captors.
Waite, a former staff member at Lambeth Palace, is now a member of the Society of Friends.