Religion Media Centre Podcast

The Church of England has been boiling over in recent months, with divisions on same-sex blessings and frustration at the debacle over safeguarding, with talk of parishes withholding money and calls for an alternative set of bishops. But the February 2024 General Synod struck a different tone. There were some issues on which the whole synod agreed, such as more churches on housing estates. And the clergy felt appreciated, with open discussion on their pay and pensions and moves to deal with rebellious church councils.

But on same-sex blessings, the synod is stuck, unable to find two thirds in favour of any current proposal, so the lead bishop appealed for peace and reconciliation and agreed to provide clear proposals on how the church can stay together. The church’s bureaucratic failures on safeguarding were displayed in two highly critical reports, and the synod decided to move forward with a plan, despite a disagreement over the way this would be done.

In this Religion Media Centre briefing, Rosie Dawson spoke to some of the leading voices from the synod to find out if a page had been turned and a split averted. Her guests included: Prof Helen King; Ven Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes; Rev Dr Andrew Goddard; Rev John Bavington, Great Horton, Bradford; Susie Leafe, Anglican Futures; Debbie Buggs, Church Pastoral Aid Society; and Paul Waddell, representing Southwark diocese.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

The charity Inform (Information Network Focus on Religious Movements) has just celebrated its 35th anniversary and in this briefing, we look back at its work with founder, Professor Eileen Barker; honorary director, Dr Suzanne Newcombe; and senior research officer, Dr Sarah Harvey.

Inform's role has always been to research and communicate information about minority religions, sects and new religious movements. Over 35 years, the landscape has changed from clearly visible groups like the Moonies and the Children of God, to invisible networks on social media, where ideas bounce and re-emerge across them all, and increasingly new groups within mainstream traditions. The continuing growth of new religious movements across the board looks certain to secure Inform's future, with Dr Newcombe observing that "people's beliefs and practices are not going away, they're just changing contexts. And even if it appears that people aren't identifying with institutional religion, they're still doing similar things". 

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

A report by Prof Alexis Jay into safeguarding in the Church of England recommends two new charities should be set up to deliver and scrutinise safeguarding operations, and they should be entirely separate from the church. It says the current safeguarding system is “flawed and cannot be sufficiently improved whilst it remains within church oversight” and needs to fundamentally change to restore the confidence of victims, survivors and clergy.

In this Religion Media Centre briefing, our panel discuss the report’s tough criticism of the current safeguarding system on seven key issues including inconsistent systems across all 42 dioceses, failure to collect data and lack of independent scrutiny. They consider how this major change can be implemented when confidence and trust are at an all-time low. And they voice complaints that this is another structural change which will be forced through like those which failed before, and that the same people involved in the collapse of the last system have been assembled to oversee the setting up of the new charities, with an absence of survivors at the heart.

Ruth Peacock hosts, with guests: Julie Conalty, the Bishop of Birkenhead; Rev Dr Ian Paul, member of the Archbishops’ Council; Andrew Graystone, advocate for survivors of church abuse; Jane Chevous, co-founder of Survivors Voices; and Justin Humphries, CEO of Thirtyone Eight, a Christian organisation dealing with safeguarding.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

X: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

The impending closure of the Inter Faith Network after 37 years has shocked and dismayed faith leaders across the UK. The government says it is withdrawing funding because a new IFN trustee is associated with the Muslim Council of Britain, an organisation which the government will not speak to due to a dispute in 2009.

The Inter Faith Network was set up to raise awareness and understanding of different faith communities and promote good interfaith relations. It has supported local initiatives and brought together national faith organisations to provide opportunities for safe dialogue, especially needed during the flashpoints of the Rushdie book burning, 9/11 and terrorist attacks in the UK.

In this Religion Media Centre briefing, speakers said its role was more important than ever at the moment against the background of war in the Middle East. So the decision to withdraw funding was outrageous and devastating, leading to predictions that dialogue will wither. Rosie Dawson hosted this discussion with many speakers including Dr Harriet Crabtree, executive director Inter Faith Network; Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra; Dr Ed Kessler, founder director of the Woolf Institute; the Bishop of Bradford Toby Howarth; and Bishop Patrick McKinney, lead Catholic bishop for inter-religious dialogue; plus many local interfaith activists.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

Church leaders have hit back at allegations that they are naively backing fraudulent asylum claims by accepting the validity of fake conversions. In a Religion Media Centre briefing, The Bishop of Chelmsford, Guli Francis-Dehqani said wisdom and discernment needed to be applied to the conversion process and it should not be seen as a ticket to get someone magically through the asylum process. There was no “cast-iron set of criteria to be 100 per cent sure of what’s going on in people’s hearts and minds”.

The Tory MP Tim Loughton, who asked in the Commons whether the Archbishop of Canterbury was effectively “scamming the taxpayer” over fake asylum claims, told the briefing that the Church of England's guidance should encourage clergy to test the validity of conversions. And he believed the smaller Christian groups and churches needed to create their own guidelines for work with asylum seekers, in association with the Home Office.

Ruth Peacock hosted this discussion, which also included: Emily Shepherd, CEO of the Welcome Churches Network; Pastor Graham Nicholls, director of the Affinity network of evangelical churches; Krish Kandiah, founder and CEO of The Sanctuary Foundation, Gulwali Passarlay, former asylum seeker; and the Rev Jonathan Keyworth, formerly Heywood Baptist church, Manchester, which has a large Iranian congregation.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

The National Churches Trust has published a manifesto calling for urgent action to save the UK’s church buildings. ‘Every Church Counts’ sets out a six-point plan to support volunteers, make more use of church buildings for the community, achieve annual government funding of £50 million for maintenance and repairs, work with tourism organisations to make more of their heritage, keep them open for the community outside worship times, and collect the information and data on church buildings and their role.

In this Religion Media Centre briefing, the panel discusses the current situation where churches are forced to close. They explore the options for keeping them maintained, functioning and open as assets in their communities. Chaired by Rosie Dawson, our panel is:

• Sir Philip Rutnam, chair of the National Churches Trust
• Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust
• Bishop Vivienne Faull, one of two lead bishops for church and cathedral buildings
• Emily Gee, Director for Cathedral and Church Buildings for the Church of England
• Rev Scott Rennie, the Vice-Chair of the General Trustees Church of Scotland 
• Alex Glanville, Head of Property Services Church in Wales
• Sophie Andreae, Vice-chair of the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

The Media Bill going through parliament will change the landscape for public service broadcasters — the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, STV and S4C. They are being given powers for more flexible programming and the requirement to include specific genres of programmes on religion, science and arts will be removed. Questions have been raised as to whether this endangers the provision of religious broadcasting, where there has already been a dramatic decline over the past ten years.

In this briefing, our panel discuss the bill and the campaign to ensure hours of religious programming continue to be catalogued and reviewed. Ruth Peacock hosted, with panellists: Bishop Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, and lead bishop on the media in the House of Lords; Roger Bolton, journalist and broadcaster; Professor Kim Knott, author of 'Media Portrayals of Religion and the Secular Sacred'; Gareth Barr, Director of Policy and Regulation, ITV; Mark Friend, author of BBC Religion and Ethics Review 2017; David Strachan, trustee of Sandford St Martin Trust.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

Reporters on religion joined our panel to look ahead at the stories likely to make the headlines in 2024, within the UK and around the world. They unpacked headlines such as the way religion will be interwoven in the US and UK election campaigns, the response to war in Israel / Gaza and its impact among religious groups here, a split in the Church of England over same-sex blessings, Pope Francis and the Rome synod, alongside long-running stories on climate change, poverty and freedom of religion.

Our panel included our own reporters Tim Wyatt, Catherine Pepinster, Amardeep Bassey and Julia Bicknell, with guests Madeleine Davies, senior writer, Church Times; Bob Smietana, national reporter for the US Religion News Service; Peter Robertson, senior journalist at Christian Aid; and Paul Bickley, Director of Political Engagement at Theos.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

The Church of England has agreed to introduce standalone services for blessing same-sex couples, for a trial period, following a marathon 10-hour debate at the general synod. But the church is deeply divided, with just four votes in it as the final proposal passed. 

In this Religion Media Centre briefing, the panel spoke of their concern at the tight votes, the lack of consensus, the possibility of schism and the prospect of “years and years more” of discussion over alternative structures for people who disagree. LGBT people welcomed the outcome as a gentle, positive move forward, but they found the debate with familiar arguments against same-sex relationships were “ intensely painful”. There was a reluctance to talk of schism, but bewilderment as to how the opposing sides could still be in the same church. And there was an acknowledgment that this was a watershed moment, a shift following decades of argument.

Rosie Dawson hosted with panelists: Bishop Jill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster; Canon Andrew Goddard; Professor Helen King; Rev Dr Charlie Bell; Susie Leafe; Rev Dr Patrick Richmond; Ven Mark Ireland; Canon Dr Mandy Ford.

The Sunday programme on BBC Radio 4 has been going for more than 50 years, reporting and explaining stories about religion across the globe. To mark the 50-year milestone, SPCK has brought out a book simply called "Sunday", written by presenter Ed Stourton, and producer and editor Amanda Hancox. They identify 19 topics which the programme has reported and returned to over the decades, from internal Church of England rows to global political shifts.

In this Religion Media Centre briefing, past reporters, presenters and producers remember the stand-out moments and the camaraderie that kept the programme lively and sharp. Ruth Peacock hosted, with guests Amanda Hancox, Mike Wooldridge, Emily Buchanan, Trevor Barnes, Alison Hilliard, Christopher Landau and Tim Maby.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

Community reporting in England is under threat, as Meta (formerly Facebook) withdraws a multi-million-pound scheme providing community reporters, and the BBC cuts local radio broadcasting hours to become regional instead. Editors representing local publishing groups said the cut was like a hammer blow and they are trying to secure alternative funding, speaking to MPs for support.

In a Religion Media Centre briefing, they agreed that the future lies in collaboration between all engaged in local community journalism, including independent neighbourhood titles, community broadcasters and the BBC which is planning to hire local digital reporters for more online content. There was also a plea to emphasise that every reporter is a community reporter and all should have the skills and knowledge to enable them to reflect under-reported communities.

Leo Devine hosted this briefing with guests:

• Amardeep Bassey, community reporter based in the West Midlands
• Mary Dowson, Director and one of the founders of Bradford Community Broadcasting
• Toby Granville, Editorial Director at Newsquest Media Group and board director of the National Council for the Training of Journalists
• Robert Barman, Managing Editor, KM Media Group, Iliffe Media
• Helen Dalby, Audience and Content Director, Reach PLC
• Dr Liam McCarthy, Honorary Fellow, Department of History, Politics & International Relations, University of Leicester, and former Managing Editor of BBC Radios Leicester Sheffield and Nottingham, and Head of BBC Local Radio Training
• Dr Rachel Matthews, Coventry University, former newspaper reporter and lecturer on regional newspapers and communities
• Dr David Baines, Newcastle University, lecturer on journalism, localities and communities

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

In this Religion Media Centre Big Interview, Rosie Dawson speaks to Robert Jones about his latest book - "The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a  Shared American Future". 

Origin stories are really important – they determine how America sees itself, and they are one of the reasons why we’re fighting so much over our history, right now,” says Robert P Jones, founder and president of Public Policy Research Institute in Washington DC.

In his latest book - "The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a  Shared American Future" - Robert Jones argues that the stories America tells itself about its beginnings need to reach back beyond the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to the year 1493 when a Papal bull enshrining the “doctrine of discovery” gave European settlers divine justification for the enslavement and genocide of Native American peoples. Jones believes that it is only by coming to terms with this history that America can build a shared future.  

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

Headteachers, especially in urban areas with multiple nationalities, are enthusiastic about providing Religious Education, as children are surrounded in daily life by different religious dress, symbols and customs. And the future of all children, from rural or urban settings, is global, with many religions, many cultures, many languages and a competitive global market.

Religious Education has a unique place in the school curriculum, spanning different subject areas, but it is hard to provide, with fewer trained specialist teachers and a crowded curriculum. This year’s exam results showed GCSE is stable with RE remaining as the 7th most popular subject, A-level results showed a slight dip in entries, fewer students chose to study Theology or Religious Studies at university, and fewer have chosen to train to teach RE, forming a “dangerous cycle”.

In this Religion Media Centre briefing, teachers, academics and RE advisers discussed the state of RE and how to secure its future. This includes rebranding RE as Religion and Worldviews, or in Wales, Religion Values and Ethics, providing education on how people understand, interpret and respond to the world from religious and non-religious perspectives. It also includes a plea for a national plan to support high standards in RE provision and bursaries to encourage new teachers.

Hosted by Ruth Peacock, our panelists are: Deborah Weston, Chair of the RE Policy Unit for NATRE, the REC and RE Today; Dr Tim Hutchings, University of Nottingham TRS-UK; Heather Marshall, Senior Lecturer and Religious Education PGCE Course Leader at Edge Hill University; Claire Clinton, Director RE hubs project; Jennifer Harding-Richards, Wales RE hub lead; Manjit Kaur, chair of Coventry and Warwickshire SACRE; and Ed Pawson, Deputy Chair of the Religious Education Council.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

Children's book author Onjali Rauf told the Religion Media Festival 2023 that children should not be overly protected from the problems of the world today. When she speaks in schools, she finds that children ask tough and great questions, which she describes as the “Tintin moment”, after the boy reporter in Hergé's stories, who kept asking questions to solve baffling mysteries. That is why, when delivering any talk, she carries with her a toy dog like Snowy, Tintin's loyal companion.

Tintin’s legacy, she believes, “centres on the courage to ask your question, to move forward and try to find the answers”, a quest for the truth linked to journalism. She explained that the children ask her questions arising from the bold themes she confronts in her books, from her best-seller "The Boy at the Back of the Class", the story of a refugee who finds a kind friend when he arrives at a UK school, to domestic abuse, being in foster care, suddenly losing a parent and being homeless.

Addressing the festival, she spoke of her public role as a woman of visible faith and campaigner for the rights of women and refugees. Following Onjali's address, presenter Hannah Scott-Joynt teased out the story with her own set of questions.

The festival was held at the JW3 Centre in North London, with a programme organised by the Religion Media Centre.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar, president of Theology and Religious Studies UK, told the Religion Media Festival 2023 of her passion to ensure that the study of religion is given a degree of seriousness in schools and is part of the national curriculum. But it was time to rebrand religious education to reflect world views and lived experiences, so “world views” was a good way forward. She said it was about moving away from the textbook and focusing on lived experience - ethical issues, morality, religion, politics, history.

Dr Takhar, who is also director of the Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies at Wolverhampton University, said the media representation of Sikhs in Britain was important and she condemned the recent report, Does Government Do God, by the government faith adviser, Colin Bloom, as wrong and damaging to the reputation of the Sikh community. However, she did agree with the recommendation to improve religious literacy across the board.

The festival was held at the JW3 Centre in North London, with a programme organised by the Religion Media Centre.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

The American evangelist Franklin Graham, who believes Donald Trump defends the Christian faith, now confirms that Trump definitely lost the 2020 election. In an interview with Roger Bolton for the Religion Media Centre, he said there was no question the election was lost, though he acknowledged that millions of people do not believe that.

Aged 71, Franklin Graham attracts thousands at his rallies around the world, following in the footsteps of his father, Billy Graham. He is returning to Britain for a rally at the Excel Centre in London on Saturday 26 August entitled “God Loves You”.

In his interview, Mr Graham made clear his unchanging views on the infallibility of the Bible, the need for conversion, the certainty of hellfire for unbelievers and a prohibition on gay sex. This caused controversy in Britain, where all eight of his rallies in 2020 were cancelled after protests that his views were divisive.

But he took legal action and won, re-instating many of the events. Mr Graham believes that God has called him to preach, but he does not regard himself as special to other evangelists, although his events attract many thousands of people: “I’ve tried to use these opportunities in life that God has opened up and use them for his glory,” he said.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

Sir David Lidington, once the de facto deputy prime minister under Theresa May, and long-standing member of the Church of England, has spoken of his shock at discovering a total breakdown of trust within the church: "I was used to acrimony in politics, but I hadn’t expected to find it in the church”.

In this RMC "Big Interview", Sir David told Roger Bolton of the deep suspicion he found at all levels while writing "The National Church Governance Report", which proposes an overhaul of CofE structures. He said the mistrust “bedevilled” efforts to bring people together when confronting divisive issues such as same-sex marriage or the safeguarding process.

The new governance proposals could take two years to be enacted, and Sir David said he hoped restructuring would contribute to a rebuilding of trust. But a change of culture was also needed to move the CofE into a “more trustful direction where people do have greater confidence in each other”.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

The rich pageantry, sacred music and innovative liturgy will make the coronation service of King Charles III a profound statement of how the modern era meets a thousand-year-old tradition. Royal authors, the Rev Prof Ian Bradley and journalist Catherine Pepinster, were joined by Canon Prof Alison Milbank to analyse the order of service.

Their overriding impression is to note the centrality of the idea of service from beginning to end, and its very Protestant nature.

They discuss the historical involvement of non-Anglican clergy in prayers of blessing, including the contribution of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the first time a Roman Catholic has been involved in a coronation since the Reformation.

They talk about the significance of the presence of faith leaders, carrying regalia or offering greetings to the King, which is a significant break with tradition, reflecting the King’s long-standing interest in all faiths.

They shed insight on the oaths where the King swears he is a faithful Protestant and pledges to maintain the Protestant Reformed religion, both of which remain intact. Their explanation is that the Church, the Government and the Palace ran out of time to introduce the necessary Act of Parliament to change the oath to something more inclusive.

The now infamous request for the public to pledge allegiance to the King provokes polar opposite views, from immense scepticism to gratitude that the public is included in some way.

They suggest that the ritual, music and words may make this coronation even longer than the late Queen’s, certainly not less than two hours.

As for the long-lasting impact of the service on the public, they said this would depend in some part on how broadcasters shape their commentary. If they keep their counsel at the moment when the King is anointed in secrecy behind a canopy, then this would be a very profound sacred moment.

This podcast should be used in tandem with Catherine Pepinster’s explainer: "Order of Service – the coronation of King Charles III"

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

The Evangelical Alliance has cautioned evangelicals within the Church of England that it is too early to leave in protest at same-sex blessings, because the pastoral guidance, including words for the prayers of blessing, has not been issued yet. CEO Gavin Calver, speaking to Roger Bolton for the Religion Media Centre Big Interview, said that a number of Anglican churches will probably join his organisation because they are seeking unity with other evangelicals while staying put in a challenging situation.

Large evangelical Anglican churches have announced they are withholding money from central church organisations and threatening to break away in protest. Evangelicals base their objection to same-sex relationships on interpretations of seven verses in the Bible, which they believe is “the inspired word of God”. Mr Calver confirmed that he believed every word of the Bible was true, though he conceded there was a development on ideas within the text, with teachings in the New Testament superseding some of the old.

While church attendance in England is in general decline, he said the Evangelical Alliance had seen the biggest growth in individual membership in 25 years, over the past twelve months. His ambition is to grow individual membership from 19,000 to 50,000. He also addressed the importance of speaking out on behalf of “the least and the lost”, his rejection of the idea that all faiths lead to heaven, and the danger of all-powerful leaders without accountability.

Mr Calver is the latest in a family dynasty to lead the Evangelical Alliance, having followed his father Clive and his grandfather Gilbert. He acknowledged that the job could be really hard and he coped by “running with Jesus” for an hour every morning when he said God spoke to him. He also spends two hours a week escaping from it all watching AFC Wimbledon: “One Jesus, one football team, one wife. If I can stay loyal to all three, I’ve done my bit.”

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709

Justin Welby was virtually unknown outside Anglican circles when he became Archbishop of Canterbury in March 2013. Ten tumultuous years later, the mild-mannered Old Etonian has become a globally recognised figure, having helped the Church of England navigate troubled times, ranging from bitter theological disputes over women bishops and gay relationships to the Covid pandemic and the death of Queen Elizabeth.

His leadership style, achievements, and legacy were reflected upon during this Religion Media Centre briefing to mark 10 years since he took up the post.

The panel discussed the key flashpoints he has faced - deep divisions over sexuality, the consultation Living in Love and Faith leading to a vote to allow blessings for gay couples, the resulting row with evangelicals and traditionalists threatening to leave, damning reports on safeguarding issues over multiple cases of sex abuse, new initiatives to combat racism in the church, falling church membership, loss of income leading to church closures, evangelistic missions regarded as a threat to the parish system, more bureaucracy, and bishops.

Yet he has successes - he got through a measure allowing women to be bishops, he led a successful Lambeth conference of global Anglicans healing fractures for a while over sexuality, and he has spoken out on issues of morality, poverty, refugees, gambling, climate change, and peacemaking.

The panel discussed the personal toll of dealing with multiple crises, but he is regarded as a “gentle leader” whose self-deprecating humility meant he was not afraid to ask for help. He is 67, three years away from the mandatory retirement age for all CofE bishops and he has said he has no plans to stand down.

Our panel: Bishop Paul Bayes, the former Bishop of Liverpool; Rev Prof Alison Milbank, University of Nottingham, on the steering committee of Save the Parish; Prof Helen King, member of General Synod and the Living in Love and Faith project; Canon Dr. Anderson Jeremiah, University of Lancaster and former member of the Archbishop's Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns.

Links

Website: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RelMedCentre/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/religion-media-centre/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZf6RVTqJki6oTQTB6qmw

Contact Information

info@religionmediacentre.org.uk
(+44) 0203 970 0709