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News
Church opposes any move to extend Sunday trading hours Cathedrals grow in popularity Archbishop of Canterbury speaks out on climate change More churches have opened Archbishop - Faith communities can't solve problems alone Fund for World Mission legacies reach £779,000 Poll reveals Christians are happiest people in the country Churches can lead the way on climate change Your church in a changing society Methodists pledge £300,000 in response to Africa food crisis Holy smoke! In the event of fire, grab the photos…. Major grant for Walsingham Church Commissioners publish successful 2005 Accounts
Church opposes any move to extend Sunday trading hours
The Church of England has rejected proposals to extend trading hours for large retail outlets on Sundays. In a response to a Department of Trade and Industry consultation, the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Tom Butler, pledges that the Church would "resist any further attempts to erode what still exists in legislation to safeguard the special nature of Sunday".
The document also questions whether major retailers actually want to extend opening hours, pointing to research revealing little enthusiasm amongst retailers for unrestricted opening hours, and a belief that volumes of trade arising from any additional trading hours may not compensate for the increased costs in doing so.
In the submission' s conclusion, the Bishop comments: "The costs to work-life balance, family life and stability, health of employees and the contribution of small retailers to community cohesion outweigh any potential benefits of further deregulation."
Cathedrals grow in popularity
More than 1.5 million people were expected to attend Church of England services over the Easter weekend, and statistics from last year suggest that cathedrals are experiencing an increase in the number of people joining worship over the festival.
"The significant draw of major festivals is a welcome sign of the wider success of the year-round ministry of cathedrals,” said a spokesperson in the Church of England’s Research and Statistics department. “We know that many people feel an innate connection with their local cathedral as a symbol of the spiritual life of their community. Cathedrals are increasingly leading that latent spiritual quest into participation in the worshipping community through innovative events and outreach work."
Archbishop of Canterbury speaks out on climate change
In a recent interview with BBC Radio 4, The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of the dangers of complacency over the issue of climate change. "I think in the first instance the moral responsibility lies with absolutely everybody, not only in terms of examining our own lifestyle and asking what concretely can be done, but also in sending a message to governments that this is recognised as a priority by the public," he said.
More churches have opened
One of the first results of the 2005 English Church Census was published recently. The press release indicated that over 1,000 churches have started in England in the seven years 1998 to 2005. That's an average of three new congregations every week!
There were 37,500 churches in England in May 2005. Over two-fifths, 43%, of these were Anglican and almost a further fifth, 16%, were Methodist. All the other denominations make up the remaining two-fifths, 41%.
However, while 1,100 churches opened, 1,300 churches closed, so that there were 200 fewer churches altogether in 2005 than there were in 1998. The denominations which saw the most churches opening were the Independent churches, Pentecostal and Smaller denominations, all of which benefited from the explosive growth of black majority churches and those of other ethnic origins.
The denomination which closed the most churches was the Methodists, following a policy of rationalisation of their centres of worship.
If so many new congregations are starting, something good must be happening! from Dr Peter Brierley, Christian Research
Archbishop - Faith communities can't solve problems alone
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said that faith communities need to promote confidence and earn trust in order to face the common problems that confront the world
Speaking at a recent dinner in Washington during a Christian-Muslim conference, Dr Williams said that coming together meant addressing differences seriously, but always in the context of their shared challenges.
"We have recognised that we have a common agenda; we can't always say that we have identical convictions and certainly aren't aiming to iron out the differences and the difficulties of our convictions but this is a world in which no one religious community, no one nation, no one interest group can solve problems alone... The ecological crisis that our planet faces is one that is no respecter of religious difference and there is one planet on which we live, global warming is theologically uneducated; rising water levels do not discriminate between Christians, Muslims, Jews or anyone else."
Fund for World Mission legacies reach £779,000
Legacies to the Methodist Fund for World Mission reached £779,000 in the year to 31 August 2005, nearly double that total for the year before. This takes the Fund to its highest total for three years.
Dr. John Newton, Mission Support Worker, said: “People’s generosity is amazing. The money from legacies this year is equivalent to the cost of supporting 50 more mission partners for a year, building 780 homes in Pakistan or providing over 38,000 Love Boxes (of medical supplies) to people in South Africa living with HIV/AIDS.”
Although the Fund for World Mission receives most of its income from regular giving, legacies form an important part. A guide to leaving a legacy to a Methodist fund, No More Tears, is available free from the Mission Education department (020 7468 5502).
Poll reveals Christians are happiest people in the country
A recent national survey on faith and religion indicates that Christians come top of the happiness ratings.
The study, commissioned by the Evangelical Alliance and Premier Radio, found that of those polled, 75 per cent of church goers said they were happy with life compared to 54 per cent of people who never attend a service.
A spokesman for Premier Radio said: “Many Christians are happy because they feel supported and loved by God…. attending church or reading the Bible alone will (not) make everyone happier, but … many people gain support through those activities, which, will, in turn, improve their outlook on life.”
The independent survey was carried out at Easter by Communicate Research and involved polling 2000 members of the public. They gave answers to a range of questions around the existence of God and the relevance of Christianity. 75 per cent of people who read the Bible at least once a month consider themselves happy or very happy, compared to just 56 per cent who never read the Bible.
Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance said, “There's no doubt that happiness is a sought after commodity in our culture. This survey makes it clear that Christian values…promote happier lifestyles… Christianity still has a great deal to offer people seeking happiness."
Churches can lead the way on climate change
The Revd Tom Stuckey, President of the Methodist Conference, has called for churches to commit to combating climate change. In a recent message he stressed the seriousness of the challenges facing the world, and reflected on the responsibility Christians have to be 'spiritual gardeners'....
One action that churches can take is to invest in electricity-generating technology. The Government wants local churches and other prominent buildings to use 'micro-generation' (solar panels, wind turbines etc) so that they give an example that inspires others to follow suit.
The cost of the technology can be recouped in savings on energy bills over about 15 years. The Department of Trade and Industry's Low carbon buildings programme also provides grants for up to 30% of the cost of buying equipment.
Your church in a changing society
Ecclesiastical Insurance (closely linked with Methodist Insurance) is holding a competition with a chance of winning up to £1,500 and being featured in their 2007 calendar.
The competition is:
How is your church adapting to the needs of a changing society?
Churches everywhere face a daily challenge to address the needs of the communities they serve. Shops open on a Sunday, the social pressure of being a young Christian, and the changing shape of families, all affect church life.
Ecclesiastical wants to know how we have adapted our church over recent years in response to changing needs, and how we plan to change it in the future. The competition will recognise success and help churches around the country share ideas for adapting the changing needs of society.
Methodists pledge £300,000 in response to Africa food crisis
The Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) has committed £300,000 to food security programmes across East, West and Southern Africa, in response to the worsening food crisis in all three regions. The money will be spent on emergency relief, including feeding centres and medical care, as well as on longer-term initiatives to strengthen families’ abilities to feed themselves.
The situation is currently most acute in East Africa, with Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia all affected. Although rains have now arrived in parts of Kenya, the problems brought by the drought are far from over. The heavy rainfall and drop in temperature have killed many cattle, already weakened by the long dry period. The bodies of cattle have then been swept into surface water sources, contaminating drinking water.
Holy smoke! In the event of fire, grab the photos….
If their houses were burning down, Britain’s church-goers would much rather snatch pictures of loved ones from the flames than the Family Bible.
In fact, they would grab ‘other sentimental items’, passports and wallets - before seeking out the Scriptures.
These were some of the findings from a survey carried out by Congregational and General Insurance for this year’s National Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE).
More than 4000 clergy and local church members were contacted. One in four of those responding said they would save pictures of loved ones from the flames while one in 10 said they would grab the Family Bible.
Question: If your house was burning down which three of the following would you most likely snatch from the flames? The survey answers were as follows:
* Photographs of loved ones - 25 per cent * Sentimental’ items (old letters etc) - 13 per cent * Passport - 13 per cent * Wallet - 13 per cent * The Family Bible - 10 per cent * Financial certificates - 8 per cent * Credit cards - 6 per cent * Money - 4 per cent
Major grant for Walsingham
The Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham has been awarded a grant of £630,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). News of the award has come as a massive boost to the Shrine, which is currently celebrating the 75th anniversary of its renovation.
An appeal for £2m was launched in August 2005 to fund improvements to the Shrine. The Heritage Lottery Fund grant will pay for a new Welcome Centre which will host a permanent exhibition about pilgrimage, together with a new Visitor Co-ordinator.
Walsingham was recently voted England's favourite spiritual place in a poll of BBC Radio 4 listeners. The Anglican Shrine at Walsingham is one of the most important Christian heritage sites in the UK, set in a medieval village in rural north Norfolk. Over 340,000 people visit every year, from all over the country and overseas, of all faiths and of no faith. Historically, its origins are 11th century, when organised pilgrimage to the Holy House began.
Donations can be sent to the Walsingham Appeal, 6 Common Place, Walsingham, Norfolk, NR22 6BW. 01328-824214
Church Commissioners publish successful 2005 Accounts
The Church Commissioners achieved a return of 19.1 per cent on their investments in 2005, according to their recently published Annual Report & Accounts.
Over the past ten years, the Commissioners' total return on their investments has averaged 11.0 per cent per year, placing them in the top one per cent of funds in the benchmark group for the decade, compared with 8.0 per cent per year for the industry benchmark.
As a result of this above-average performance over the last ten years, the Commissioners' asset value is £4.9 billion. The fund is able to distribute £38 million more each year to the Church than if the investments had performed only at the industry average over the last ten years.
The Commissioners' total expenditure in 2005 was £166.1 million (£163.8 million in 2004). The main items of expenditure include (with 2004 figures in brackets):
* £100.3 million (£100.2 million) for clergy pensions based on service before 1998 * £31.5 million (£27.1 million) for parish ministry, mainly payments to dioceses for clergy stipends * £20.7 million (£18.5 million) for bishops' stipends, office and working costs, and housing
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