Tag: LGBT

Bishop of Salisbury welcomes Government backing for UN LGBT advocate

Bp Salisbury 2On 8th November 2016, Baroness Goldie repeated in the Lords a statement made in the Commons by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office supporting the role of the UN’s independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, welcomed the statement.

The Lord Bishop of Salisbury My Lords, I very much welcome the strength of the Statement. The rights of LGBTI people is often a very hot and contested matter, particularly on grounds of faith. It is significant therefore that the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury and most other primates in the Anglican communion have committed to the decriminalisation of homosexuality and to the support of the rights of all God’s children. I wonder whether the Minister would see faith as a resource that might be useful in addressing some of the issues raised on this matter. Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury welcomes Government backing for UN LGBT advocate”

Church Commissioner Questions – October 2016

On 13th October 2016 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Dame Caroline Spelman MP, answered questions from MPs on school admissions, ecumenical relations, community cohesion, refugees, LGBT pastoral care, Scrooby parish, same sex marriage and cathedral repairs.

Caroline Spelman 1Church Commissioners Continue reading “Church Commissioner Questions – October 2016”

Bishop of Chester condemns “abhorrent” and “evil” Orlando attacks

On 13th June 2016 Government Minister Lord Ahmad repeated in the Lords a reply to an urgent question to the Home Secretary following the Orlando terror attack. The Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster, asked a follow up question:  

ChesterThe Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, on behalf of those who speak from these Benches, I express our utter abhorrence at what has happened. Indeed, I endorse the Home Secretary’s unambiguous use of the word “evil” about those acts.

I wonder if the Minister could take a little further what the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, has just said about the importance of engaging with the leaders of faith communities to address how we can live in a way that fundamentally recognises the universal human rights in our society from which we all benefit. This is an attack on our civilisation. At root it is a hatred of our civilisation, and anyone who can get to the bottom of that with a united front against it, alongside all the security measures that need to be taken, will really make some progress. Continue reading “Bishop of Chester condemns “abhorrent” and “evil” Orlando attacks”

Church Commissioner questions: same sex marriage, Near Neighbours, Iraq, apprenticeships, ethical investment

On 5th May 2016 MPs asked questions in the House of Commons to Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, on behalf of the Church Commissioners. Questions were asked on same sex marriage, Near Neighbours, Iraq, apprenticeships and ethical investment:
Spelman CCQs June 2015 4 Continue reading “Church Commissioner questions: same sex marriage, Near Neighbours, Iraq, apprenticeships, ethical investment”

Written answers: Female and LGBT clergy numbers in the CofE

On 8th June 2015 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, replied to two written parliamentary questions, on women and LGBT clergy.

Asked by Mr Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall) on: 02 June 2015

Clergy: Females

To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, how many members of the clergy in each of the last 10 years have been women.

Caroline SpelmanAnswered by: Mrs Caroline Spelman on: 08 June 2015

The most recent statistics available on the number of women in ordained ministry in the Church of England can be found in the table below. Continue reading “Written answers: Female and LGBT clergy numbers in the CofE”

Bishop of Coventry asks Government about asylum for Ugandan LGBT people

On 23rd July 2014, Lord Lexden asked Her Majesty’s Government what action they propose to take over the abuse of the human rights of LGBT people in Uganda as a result of the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Act there. The Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, asked a supplementary question:

13.10 Bishop of CoventryThe Lord Bishop of Coventry: My Lords, I apologise to the Minister for my enthusiasm. I have not asked a question in this House before so I wanted to get on with it. The Minister will be aware that the most reverend Primates the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York wrote to the President of Uganda in January to reiterate a statement made by all the Primates of the Anglican Communion, in which they said:

“The victimisation or diminishment of human beings whose affections happen to be ordered towards people of the same sex is anathema to us”.

In that spirit, do the Government intend to provide asylum to those who are fleeing the worrying consequences of this law which enshrines such diminishment?

Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks Government about asylum for Ugandan LGBT people”

Church Commissioner Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP answers written questions from Pamela Nash MP

Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP, answered a number of written questions from Pamela Nash MP on the Church of England, Churches and LGBT people. 

Church of England

Pamela Nash: To ask the right hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of recent trends in the proportion of Church of England congregations that are(a) from black and Asian minority ethnic groups, (b) women, (c) disabled people and (d) from low-income groups.

14.01 CCQ BaldrySir Tony Baldry: The most recent assessment of the proportion of Church of England congregations that are women and from Black and Asian minority ethnic groups was in the 2007 Congregational Diversity Audit. This was the first time such a survey had been conducted, and therefore no trends are yet available. It did not record information on people with disabilities and those from low-income groups.

The 2007 Diversity Audit showed that Black and Black British adults were more likely to belong to Church of England local congregations than their White counterparts. This results in a stronger picture of congregational strength in those dioceses where the presence of Black and Black British adults is high, for example, urban areas. Continue reading “Church Commissioner Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP answers written questions from Pamela Nash MP”