Anglican Mainstream

The next inspection of Wycliffe Hall has been brought forward by three months to autumn 2008;requests for an independent enquiry turned down, and all staffing matters referred to the normal procedures under the oversight of the governing body.

The Women Bishops Legislative Drafting Group will not report to February 2008 Synod but is expected to report in July 2008.

Abortion

The CofE made no submission to the Science and Technology Committee’s consultation on abortion because the Committee explicitly excluded moral and ethical considerations, seeking evidence only in relation to the science of abortion. The Mission and Public Affairs Division took the view that since we had no special scientific knowledge, we could not contribute within the terms of reference set by the Committee. The recommendations in the Committee’s subsequent report are worrying because they stem from an inadequate remit. Considering scientific evidence in isolation from moral issues means that nothing can be said about the direction in which social policy ought to be moving. Mission and Public Affairs regrets this and has said so in a press statement.

Lambeth Conference

           The Commissioners have agreed to contribute to the costs of the Lambeth Conference up to an overall limit of £1.05 million. This will include the cost of attendance by Church of England bishops and their wives and is on the understanding that any savings on attendance fees and/or hospitality (to which part of their contribution relates) will be reflected in a lower contribution. 

           As the host province the Church of England has traditionally provided a wide range of support for the  Lambeth Conference as well as hospitality for those coming from overseas. On this occasion the Anglican Communion Office (ACO) has asked our bishops to arrange pre-conference hospitality in dioceses and is encouraging parishes to raise funds to contribute to the costs of those wishing to attend who are unable to meet the full cost. There are no central funds for this. Additionally, as the Church Commissioners pay for all  our bishops and their spouses to attend, the ACO has asked our dioceses, through their bishops, to  contribute the equivalent number of bursaries (£3,700 per bursary) as the diocese has bishops and bishops’ spouses. The only national budget (£405,000 in 2008) is for the annual subscription that the Archbishops’ Council pays on behalf of the Church of England for the ongoing costs of the ACO.

Read here

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.