Tag: Church of England

Church Commissioners Questions: Persecuted Christians, Supporting Freedom of Religion and Belief Abroad, Small Churches in Rural Constituencies, Community Relations, Archbishop of Canterbury

In the House of Commons, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:

Persecuted Christians

Brian Mathew MP (LD, Melksham and Devizes) asked: 1. What steps the Church of England is taking to help support persecuted Christians in other countries.

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church of England supports efforts to defend international religious freedoms for Christians or whichever religious group faces persecution. The Church has created parliamentary caucuses involving religious leaders in east and west Africa, and in south-east Asia to support legislation to protect religious freedoms.

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Bishop of Sheffield asks about evidence given to Home Affairs Select Committee on immigration and the church

The Bishop of Sheffield raised a question regarding evidence presented by the Bishop of Chelmsford at the Home Affairs Select Committee in 2024, during a discussion on religious conversion as a basis for asylum claims on 13th October 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I declare an interest as patron of the ASSIST charity in Sheffield, which seeks to support refugees and asylum seekers. Is the Minister aware that the evidence provided by the former Anglican cleric just referenced was refuted by the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford in extensive oral evidence on the subject at a Home Affairs Select Committee meeting in the other place last year?

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Church Services (Internet), Clergy

On 4th September 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP:

Church Services: Internet

Andrew Rosindell MP (Con, Romford): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what funds the Commissioners allocate to parish churches for the enabling of online church services.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Religious Buildings, Retired Clergy, Church Closures, Clergy Vacancies, Slavery, Religious Practice

On 1st September 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Religious Buildings

Andrew Rosindell MP (Con, Romford): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the National Church Institutions have issued guidance on the use of sacred places of worship for secular purposes.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Church of England – Slavery, Churches – Flags

On 4th July 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Church of England: Slavery

Neil O’Brien MP (Con, Harborough, Oadby and Wigston): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, for what reason the Church Commissioners have spent £5 million on Project Spire prior to approval from the Charity Commission.

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Bishop of Southwark speaks in debate on role of crafts industry

The Bishop of Southwark spoke in debate on the rile of craft industries in the UK on 12th June 2025, highlighting the role of the Church of England in supporting craft skills:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Freyberg, for securing this debate and for his expertise.

Like the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chichester, who will speak later, I believe that cathedrals and churches are some of our nation’s most significant and tangible assets, shaping our history and identity, as well as being the beating hearts of our communities. I regret, therefore, that the Government’s decision to curb support for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme affects our ability to maintain and renew this precious inheritance. I hope this has been recognised in the spending review.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Human Trafficking & Slavery, Additional Curates Society – Finance, Church of England – Land

On 11th June 2025, Marsha De Cordova MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Human Trafficking and Slavery

Jim Shannon MP (DUP, Strangford): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the steps the Church is taking to help tackle (a) modern slavery and (b) human trafficking.

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Church Commissioners Questions: Same-sex couples – Church Blessing Services, Occupied Palestinian Territories – Christians, Interfaith Cohesion, Safeguarding, Leaseholds, Church Assets – Historical Link to Slavery

On 22nd May 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs in the House of Commons:

Same-sex couples: Church Blessing Services

Steve Race MP (Lab, Exeter) asked: What steps the Church is taking to roll out stand-alone services to bless same-sex couples.

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): A proposal to enable churches to opt in to the use of prayers of love and faith in stand-alone services is out for consultation and will come back to the House of Bishops in October.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Archbishops Council, Overseas Trade – Israel & Occupied Territories

On 20th May 2025, Marsha De Cordova MP, on behalf of the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Archbishops Council

Danny Kruger MP (Con, East Wiltshire): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if she will (a) publish the amounts certified under subsection 2(6) of the National Institutions Measure 1998 for each year since that provision came into force and (b) place copies of the annual statutory certificates issued to the Church Commissioners under subsection 2(6) in the House of Commons Library.

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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Slavery

On 7th May 2025, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha de Cordova MP, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP:

Katie Lam MP (Con, Weald of Kent): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to p.10 of the report entitled Church Commissioners’ Research into Historic Links to Transatlantic Chattel Slavery, published on 1 January 2023, for what reason that report was not peer reviewed to an academic standard.

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