clergy – Page 3 – The Church of England in Parliament

Church Commissioners Written Answers: Independent Safeguarding Board and Truro Diocesan vacancies

On 3rd July 2023, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from an MP:

Independent Safeguarding Board

Mr Ben Bradshaw MP (Lab, Exeter): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners:

what steps the Church took to resolve the dispute with members of the Independent Safeguarding Board before the decision was made to give them notice.
whether the Commissioners made an assessment of the potential implications of any obligation to provide an independent mediator to resolve the Independent Safeguarding Board dispute.
what process the Church is using to appoint new members of the Independent Safeguarding Board.
whether the work started in phase one of the Independent Safeguarding Board will be completed following the disbanding of the Board.

Church Commissioner Questions: choirs, clergy, rural parishes, families

On 15th June 2023 MPs put questions to Andrew Selous MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, in the House of Commons:

Church Choirs: Engagement with Local Schools

Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con): What steps the Church of England is taking to encourage church choirs to engage with local schools. (905370)

The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Andrew Selous): The Church of England has enthusiastically supported the Government’s Sing Up programme, encouraging local music hubs to partner with churches, and enabling the use of skills and knowledge that schools would otherwise have to buy in. I am sure that my right hon. Friend, as a strong supporter of singing in church, will very much approve.

House of Commons Passes Church Commissioners Diocesan Stipendiary Funds Measure

On 13th June 2023, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, put an amendment to the Delegated Legislation Committee on new regulations allowing the transfer of diocesan stipend funds outside of dioceses, either to another diocese, to the Archbishop’s Council, or to another Church charity. The Committee agreed the measure:

Andrew Selous MP (Con, South West Bedfordshire): I beg to move,

That the Committee has considered the Diocesan Stipends Funds (Amendment) Measure (HC 1413).

It is a pleasure, as always, to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Huq. I hope that you will permit a very brief piece of historical context setting on the Measure before us today. In medieval times, clergy were paid mainly from income from land owned by the Church, known as glebe land, from the Latin gleba, meaning soil. The amount of land varied from parish to parish and from 1571 onwards, the amount of land a parish owned was recorded in a glebe terrier. With the industrial revolution and the growth of cities, wealthy industrialists were often willing to give significant amounts of money to support the local church, often helping to build and endow the church in question, such as, for example, St Mattias church in Stocksbridge, which opened in 1890 thanks to the generosity of Samuel Fox, the founder of the local Stocksbridge works.

Church Commissioners Written Answers: Clergy Ordination & Retirement, Clergy Vacancies, Leicestershire, Church Security, and Energy Cost Grants

On 8th June 2023, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Clergy: Ordination and Retirement

Damien Moore MP (Con, Southport): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Commissioners are taking steps to reduce average lengths of time between (a) the retirement and enthronement of bishops in dioceses and (b) the retirement and consecration of priests in parishes.

Church Commissioner Questions: Holy Land, Nigeria, Local Authority Grants, Parish Ministry, Trees, Coronation

On 28th April 2023 MPs asked questions of Andrew Selous MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner.

Holy Land: Desecration of Religious Sites

Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)

1. What discussions the Church of England has had with international counterparts on the desecration of religious sites in the Holy Land. (904699)

Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)

4. What discussions the Church of England has had with international counterparts on the desecration of religious sites in the Holy Land. (904702)

The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Andrew Selous): In the first three months of this year, seven cases of serious vandalism and antisocial behaviour against churches have been recorded in Israel. That is a sharp increase on the previous year. The Church of England continues to work with the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem, the heads of other Churches, other faith leaders and the Jordanian Government, as custodian of the holy sites, to maintain the peace.

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Clergy

Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answer to a question from an MP on 21st December 2022:

Jim Shannon MP (DUP): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, by what proportion the number of ordinands in the Church of England has changed since 2016.

Church Commissioners Written Answers: Investment, Clergy Vacancies, Provincial Episcopal Visitors, and Use of Church Monies

Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs on 21st November 2022:

Jim Shannon MP (DUP): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to promote environmental, social and governance leadership in its investments.

Andrew Selous MP (Con): The Church Commissioners Responsible Investment Team regularly engages with the companies in which they invest on environmental and social issues, and good governance. The Church Commissioners’ Stewardship report 2021 contains examples of work on impact investment, respect for the planet and respect for people: https://www.frc.org.uk/getattachment/8e8fdb87-6c32-4bf3-b549-e8209db00976/The-Church-Commissioners-for-England_Stewardship-report-2020.pdf(opens in a new tab) The Commissioners are signatory members of the Financial Reporting Council, which has approved the report.

Church Commissioners Written Answers: Ukraine, parish ministry, support for those in need

Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs on 10th November 2022:

Jim Shannon MP (DUP): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church of England will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing the use of parish halls free of charge for (a) English classes for Ukrainian refugees and (b) community hubs for rurally based Ukrainians to meet.

Bishop of Chichester asks about support for domestic abuse victims

The Bishop of Chichester asked a question during a debate on support services for victims of domestic abuse on 8th June 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, we know that domestic abuse can be experienced across the gender divide and in every part of society, and that includes clergy households. Can the Minister say what steps Her Majesty’s Government are taking to address the needs of those who suffer domestic abuse and who, like clergy, live in accommodation tied to their post, thus making their future material well-being more perilous if and when they leave the family home?

Church Commissioner Questions: parishes, freedom of religion, housing, Channel crossings, marriage, new clergy, arts and culture

On 28th April 2022 MPs asked Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, about parish ministry, freedom of religion & belief, affordable and sustainable housing, illegal migrant crossings in the Channel, families parenting and marriage, candidates entering Holy Orders, and supporting arts and culture. A transcript is below.

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