Impact of Budget 2012 on churches and faith groups; Comment on alcohol pricing and EU corruption; Three reports on the Anglican Covenant; Gafcon conference in London; Cathedrals financial difficulties; Falklands hero who was ordained; Little Gidding Pilgrimage
Statement on Budget 2012: VAT to be charged at 20 percent on alterations to listed churches
C of E Media – Unexpectedly the Chancellor announced in the Budget that from 1 October 2012 approved alterations to listed buildings – which, unlike repairs and maintenance are currently zero-rated – will be charged at the standard rate of 20 percent. This will cost the Church of England up to £20 million per annum.
http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2012/03/statement-on-budget-2012-vat-to-be-charged-at-20-percent-on-alterations-to-listed-churches.aspx
Secular bias hits funding for faith groups
Christian Institute – A secular bias in the public sector means faith groups don’t have equal access to public funding for community projects, academics say.
An “anti-Christian prejudice” means public officials are suspicious of giving grants to faith-based providers of services.
The academics examined the findings of years of research into the charitable sector.
They concluded that the public is missing out on services provided by religious groups because of the bias.
Dr Adam Dinham, who teaches at the University of London, said: “People and authorities which commission services from faith-based providers are often concerned they will have strings attached. If they can find other services to use, they will do.”
He added: “It goes back to a general concern about ‘what’s in it for them’.
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/secular-bias-hits-funding-for-faith-groups/
Cautious welcome for Government action on alcohol pricing
C of E Media – A coalition of national Churches and charities, including the CofE, has welcomed reports that the Government plans to enforce a minimum unit price on alcohol sales. But the groups warn that a long delay on implementation could cost lives.
http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2012/03/cautious-welcome-for-government-action-on-alcohol-pricing.aspx
EU called to act on corruption
Christian Today – Christian campaigners have delivered 10,000 calls to action on corruption to the European Union. Representatives of Micah Challenge, Mission-Net, Tearfund and Exposed presented the postcards to EU decision-makers in Brussels on Wednesday.
The postcards had messages written on them from supporters across 22 member states urging the EU to pass strong laws that would force oil, gas and mining companies on the European Stock Exchanges to publish what they pay goverments for access to the natural resources.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/eu.called.to.act.on.corruption/29517.htm
The Anglican church can start afresh
The Guardian – Diarmaid MacCulloch writes – The recent vote against the Anglican covenant is hugely significant. But are the bishops ready to listen? After the 16th century Reformation, Scotland, Ireland and England all had churches with bishops. All three churches wanted to monopolise every form of religious expression throughout the realm. All failed. In the end, episcopal churches were …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/25/anglican-covenant-bishops-division?newsfeed=true
Anglican Communion Covenant and the C of E: Ramifications
Fulcrum – This evangelical site states: It is now clear that less than half the dioceses of the Church of England will agree, in both their house of clergy and house of laity, to “approve the draft Act of Synod adopting the Anglican Communion Covenant”. This article attempts to map out some of the ramifications of this development. There is a useful executive summary at the beginning of this article.
http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/page.cfm?ID=712
New start for the English Anglican – Roman Catholic Committee
ACNS – The English group which works for unity between Anglicans and Roman Catholics has begun a new stage of its life. Meeting at Canterbury Cathedral from 23 to 24 March in a context of prayer and worship, the members of the newly configured English Anglican – Roman Catholic Committee set in train a programme of work for the next five years.
http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2012/3/26/New-start-for-the-English-Anglican–Roman-Catholic-Committee-English-ARC
Gafcon related conference in London
More than 200 delegates from 30 Provinces of the Anglican Communion will gather in London in April to build on the work of the GAFCON conference in Jerusalem and in the words of the organisers to ‘help turn the present crisis moment into a visionary future’.
The leaders are clergy and laity, men and women from 29 countries.
“We are committed to building networks and partnerships of orthodox Anglicans, strong in their witness to Jesus Christ and the transforming power of His Spirit, to face the challenge of mission around the world” said the Most Rev’d Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council.
The gathering is the first leadership conference since the landmark GAFCON meeting in Jerusalem in 2008.
The General Secretary of the FCA, Archbishop Peter Jensen says “Many more leaders will be included in leadership gatherings and another larger GAFCON meeting, but we are praying that this will lay a good platform for the future of the movement.”
“The aim of the conference is to unite us behind the goals of FCA and equip us to fulfitl them. It is vital that we understand the nature of the gospel and the nature of the church and so the theme is the uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ, the One who is the heart of the gospel and the Head of His church” said Dr Jensen.
Members of the FCA have affirmed the Jerusalem Declaration and also the goals of the movement.
The five days of the conference include daily worship and testimony, Bible studies and plenary sessions to explore and apply the Lordship of Christ over the world, over the church and over the individual.
http://www.gafcon.org/news/anglican_leaders_gather_to_work_towards_visionary_future/
Fears Southwell Minster ‘may struggle for money’
BBC News – The commissioners, who handle Church of England finances, said no decisions had been made over funding beyond 2013. The cathedral’s current funding deal, which runs from 2011 to 2013, represented a small fall on the previous three years.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-17462362
Concern over funding for upkeep of England’s cathedrals
BBC News – But a Church of England spokeswoman said the three-year funding cycle, or triennium, provided security for cathedrals. She said: “There are [financial] commitments until the end of 2013. Plans for 2014-16 will be determined over the next 12 months, …
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17432028
Falklands War hero explains why he entered the church after being awarded th Military Cross
Telegraph – More remarkable still was the path his life later took, for the war hero became first an Anglican clergyman, then left the Church, converted to Catholicism and went into teaching. Sitting in his cosy study at The Oratory School near Reading,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/falklandislands/9164691/Falklands-War-hero-explains-why-he-entered-the-church-after-being-awarded-the-Military-Cross.html
Little Gidding Pilgrimage
Thinking Anglicans – Saturday 19 May.
For nearly 400 years pilgrims have been drawn to Little Gidding in the north of the diocese of Ely, ever since the saintly Nicholas Ferrar and his family lived there in the early seventeenth century. You are…
http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/005430.html