Top News Releases | The Church of England

O come, all ye faithful: Church is a big draw at Christmas

19 December 2005

More than four out of ten adults will attend church this Christmas – up by a third in the past four years. Christmas worshippers are on the increase with more than 43 per cent of Britain’s adult population expected to attend church over the festival, according to a survey by opinion pollster ORB. The figure has been steadily rising since the turn of the millennium from the 33 per cent found by ORB in 2001, to 39 per cent in 2003 and now 43 per cent in 2005.

Conservation expert adds weight to environmental issues work

19 December 2005

The Church of England has given an extra push to its environmental issues work with the appointment of David Shreeve, executive director of The Conservation Foundation, as environmental adviser in the Mission and Public Affairs Division. The conservation expert will work alongside Claire Foster, policy adviser to the Archbishops' Council on science, medicine, technology and environmental issues, for two days a week.

Pearl Luxon appointed to new joint Anglican-Methodist post to advise both Churches on child protection issues

16 December 2005

The Revd Pearl Luxon has been appointed to the joint post of Safeguarding Adviser for the Methodist Church and the Church of England. She will take up the post in September 2006 on the retirement of Mrs Janet Hind as National Child Protection Adviser for the Church of England.

Elections to Synodical bodies

15 December 2005

David Michael Williams, Presiding Officer for the following elections in the General Synod, has certified that the persons named below have been duly elected.

Church of England welcomes results of government’s consultation on anti-terror legislation

15 December 2005

Reports that the Home Office has dropped plans to close places of worship linked to ‘extremism’ following a consultation exercise have been welcomed by the Church of England. The proposals, which would have given police powers to seek a court order for the temporary closure of a place of worship if extremist behaviour or terrorist activity was believed to be taking place, were previously criticised by the Rt Revd Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark.

The Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas Message to the Anglican Communion

15 December 2005

Bishop of St Albans' prayers following oil depot explosion

12 December 2005

Following the explosion at the Buncefield Oil Depot at Hemel Hemsptead, the Bishop of St Albans said, "My prayers and thoughts are with the injured and with the emergency services who are continuing to fight the fire and support the many hundreds of people whose lives have been affected by this explosion."

Bishops’ office and working costs published (4)

09 December 2005

The 2004 office and working costs of bishops in the Church of England are published today. Figures for individual bishops were first published, for the year 2000, in December 2001. Bishops’ office and working costs were previously published as a total figure.

Sermon preached by the Archbishop of York at his Inauguration

30 November 2005

Order of Service for the Inauguration of the Archbishop of York

30 November 2005

The ministry and work of Dr John Sentamu as the 97th Archbishop of York will be Inaugurated at a service in York Minster beginning at 11.30am on Wednesday 30th November 2005.