Malmesbury Abbey prepares for return of popular Skate Festival; C of E fears downgrade of RE; New Archbishop of Canterbury facing showdown with senior bishops; Media review
Malmesbury Abbey prepares for return of popular Skate Festival
Hundreds of young people are expected to flock to the fifth Malmesbury Abbey Skate Festival during the February half-term break.
The 12th century Benedictine Abbey will be transformed into a 21st century skatepark with ramps,quarter-pipes, grinding boards and trick boxes that have proved so popular since 2009. There will also be a programme of live music from a range of local young singers, musicians and bands.
The skatepark is run by Abbey volunteers in partnership with the national Christian Surfers and Christian Skaters UK organisation.
Rev Neill Archer, the vicar of Malmesbury Abbey, said he was looking forward to this year’s event. “The skatepark is evolving every year and involving more and more young people in providing what is a great event for our community, working in partnership with Christian Surfers and Skaters UK.
“At the heart of the event is the message to the young people of Malmesbury that the Abbey is as much a building for them as it is for everyone, and that God and the church community loves them.”
Phil Williams, national director of Christian Skaters added: ”It’s a fantastic opportunity to partner with Malmesbury Abbey, and to provide a great facility to practically serve the communities of skateboarding that do not normally enter a church building. Every year lives are changed as a result of the event, and the Gospel is shared in numerous ways.”
The Malmesbury Abbey Skate Festival runs from 13-15 February 2013.
www.christiansurfers.co.uk
C of E fears downgrade of RE
The Rev Jan Ainsworth the Church of England’s Chief Education Officer said: “We welcome today’s announcement and will await more details of what it will mean for our schools.
“Our concerns about the Government’s Ebacc plans have always focused on the downgrading of Religious Education as a core subject.
In modern society understanding and learning about faith has never been more important for both civic discourse and cultural enrichment, and we eagerly await the findings of the All Party Parliament Group on RE to be published next month.
Church schools have always followed the national curriculum, providing an inclusive education with a distinctive Christian ethos, with a commitment to the disadvantaged. We hope that Mr Gove’s plans will be for the good of all pupils, not just the academically gifted.”
BBC Sunday Programme (listen at 23.30 mins)
Feature on Ebacc and RE following Michael Gove’s announcement this week
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qhd0c
New Archbishop of Canterbury facing showdown with senior bishops
By Edward Malnick, Telegraph – The new Archbishop of Canterbury is facing a showdown with senior church leaders over the Church of England’s decision to allow the appointment of gay bishops.
In the first major test of his leadership of the worldwide Anglican Communion the Most Rev Justin Welby will be warned that the Church’s move risks alienating millions of traditionalist Anglicans in Africa and Asia.
Leaders of churches around the world are flying to Britain for Archbishop Welby’s formal installation at Canterbury cathedral next month, when some of them will meet the Archbishop for the first time.
Many want the new spiritual head of the 80-million strong Communion to call for an end to “divisive” moves away from traditional church teaching on sexuality, such as the ordination of gay clergy as bishops.
Nine of the Communion’s 38 most senior leaders, or primates, have said bishops in the Church of England were “wrong” to approve new rules allowing gay men to become bishops at a time when the Anglican Church faces “major challenges of disunity”.
Leaders of the Global South – a grouping of the Anglican churches in Africa, Asia and South America – have also condemned “revisionist” moves by the Episcopal Church in the US, which has ordained openly gay bishops and blesses same-sex relationships.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9859632/New-Archbishop-of-Canterbury-facing-showdown-with-senior-bishops.html
MEDIA REVIEW
News report “New role may force councils to quit investing in tobacco” with ref to Church Commissioners and tobacco investment
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/banking/article3684266.ece
Daily Telegraph p20
Cristina Odone column: “Now straight couples will want to be civil partners”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/cristina-odone/9861818/Now-straight-couples-will-want-to-be-civil-partners.html
Comment “Banks need to get their boardrooms in order” with ref to Archbishop of Canterbury
News report “Tory rebels may scupper gay marriage”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/9859914/Tory-rebels-may-scupper-gay-marriage-in-the-Lords.html
Reports that the new Archbishop has scaled back the “monster” list of engagements for the first few months in office.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/faith/article3683227.ece
Commentary by Peter Stanford: “Shame on the leaders of the Catholic Church”
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/shame-on-the-leaders-of-the-catholic-church-for-their-sweeping-campaign-against-gay-marriage-8487841.html