Nominations Committee in the Spotlight After Dean's Memo
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THE FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2011 No: 6077 www.churchnewspaper.com PRICE £1.25 1,50j US$1.80 CHURCH OF ENGLAND THE ORIGINAL CHURCH NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHED IN 1828 NEWSPAPER Inside Britain’s leading evangelical newspaper this week... SINISTER SALADS Catherine Fox on the threats from dangerous fruit and veg READERS IN CRISIS p22 What future for the Church’s lay workers? p12, 13 Nominations Committee in the spotlight after Dean’s memo A MEMORANDUM written by candidate purely on the grounds the late Colin Slee, Dean of South- of sexual orientation, bishops are wark, has revived debate about meant to be a focus for unity in a the workings of the Crown Nomi- diocese and therefore it is rele- nations Commission and the vant to consider their marital his- appointment of gay bishops in the tory and even to require that Church of England. someone should not be in a civil Slee, who died of pancreatic partnership. cancer last November, wrote the According to the church memorandum for an inquiry set lawyers the following factors can up to investigate a leak of the be taken into account in assessing names of the Very Jeffrey John suitability for an episcopal and the Rev Nicholas Holtam as appointment: nominations to succeed the Rt Rev Tom Butler as Bishop of •whether the candidate has Southwark. Slee made these nom- always complied with the inations himself as ‘mandatory Church’s teachings on same-sex nominations’ that had to be con- sexual activity; sidered by the CNC. •whether he was in a civil part- He alleges that during the CNC nership meeting, the Archbishop of Can- •whether he was in a continuing terbury shouted and was bad-tem- civil partnership with a person pered. The Archbishop of York is with whom he had an earlier alleged to have denounced the The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Very Rev Colin Slee and the Archbishop of York same-sex sexual relationship Diocese of Southwark (in which •whether he had expressed he once served as a parish priest) repentance for any previous in a way that Slee felt showed process and favoured the more 2010. He argues that the Arch- Holtam’s nomination from anoth- same-sex sexual activity ‘breathtaking disloyalty’ and to open approach favoured by dioce- bishop was not authorised by the er source but it is not unknown •whether (and to what extent) have put pressure on the dele- ses in other parts of the Anglican CNC to seek this advice and spec- for journalists to make an inspired the appointment of a candidate gates. Communion. As he mentions in ulates that the news he had guess and then persuade a source would cause division and disunity At one stage, Slee claims, Senta- the memorandum, he was twice approached Church lawyers on to offer unwitting confirmation. within the diocese in question, the mu and three other delegates considered as a candidate for sees this question must have leaked Commenting on the memoran- Church of England and the wider simultaneously went to the lavato- in New Zealand. out to the press who drew their dum, a Church of England Anglican Communion.. ry. After this the voting pattern In writing the memorandum own conclusion about the names spokesman said: “Colin Slee’s changed. Slee was concerned to make clear of the candidates. tragic and premature death is a A meeting of bishops in York According to Slee two, possibly that he was not responsible for Another view is that it would loss to many who have known last week is reported to have bro- three, members of the CNC were leaking the two names to the have been irresponsible for the him over many years and our ken up without agreement on in tears during the voting. The press. He claims that as soon as Archbishop not to seek legal thoughts and prayers are with his whether gay clergy should ever Archbishop of Canterbury he knew the press were on to the advice on such a crucial matter. family. The work of the Crown be appointed as bishops. ignored them and carried on with story he alerted Church media Slee offers no evidence in support Nominations Commission is con- the meeting. When asked at the officers but they failed to take of his surmise that information fidential and it would be inappro- end of the proceedings to say if action. He does not say what steps was somehow leaked to the media priate to comment on aspects of it the CNC meeting had been fairly press officers could have taken at from the Church legal office. or events surrounding it. Clearly conducted Slee responded: “The this stage. Slee quotes one journalist ring- there were a range of perceptions ISSN 0964-816X rules have been kept but, as I Slee himself lays the blame for ing him and saying: “The House about the Southwark CNS have said before, the entire sys- the leak at the feet of the Arch- of Bishops has blocked Nick process.” 22 tem stinks.” bishop of Canterbury who sought Holtam’s appointment. You know The legal advice on the implica- Before he died, Slee was plan- legal advice about whether it I didn’t get it from you. Any com- tions for the 2010 Equality Act for ning to write a book about the would be possible to bar the ment?” the choosing of bishops has now selection of bishops. He dis- appointment of either John or The journalist in question may been published. This argues that agreed with the secrecy of the Holtam under the Equality Act of indeed have found out about while it would be wrong to reject a 9 770964 816085 LETTERS 10 • COMMENT 11 • JAMES CATFORD 11 • PAUL RICHARDSON 15 • ANDREW CAREY 15 • CROSSWORD 18 • CATHERINE FOX 22 2 www.churchnewspaper.com Friday June 3, 2011 News Inside... Britain’ s leading evangelical newspaper ‘Let’s get blogging’ says bishop By Michael Brown this: God spoke a this is such a handicap that I am going to language we could have to give serious attention to my linguistic A NEWLY-INSTALLED bishop who is widely understand by deficiencies.” acclaimed for his media expertise has coming among us He goes on: “One of the first tasks for any- declared that it is no good proclaiming the as one of us... and one moving to a new area or into a new place “Good News” only in “church speak”. invites us to speak is to learn the language that is spoken and Anglicans need to speak in a way that is and live that same understood. understood “or we are wasting our time and good news in ways “So one of my first tasks as Bishop of Brad- deceiving ourselves” contends former Bish- that are appropri- ford is to listen and learn. The city has op of Croydon Nick Baines, who was last ate to our genera- changed since I came here in the 1970s as a month enthroned as the 10th Bishop of Brad- tion in our cultures student of German and French at the univer- ford. and in our commu- sity. Bishop Baines is an experienced broad- nities.” “And although I have become more famil- News . 1-9 caster who is frequently heard on BBC Radio He declares: “It is pointless claiming we iar with the northern part of the diocese in Your Church . 2 2’s Chris Evans show. He has written six have good news -- of a new way of seeing and my subsequent adult life, I cannot pretend to books and blogs and is a regular tweeter. living, of thinking and of experiencing God ‘know’ it. So I commit myself to listening and UK News . 1-5 He says: “Blogging enables me to engage — if it is only good news to those who under- learning.” World News . 6-9 with the world outside the church and it stand ‘church speak’.” Bishop Baines adds: “This has a wider gives people access to a bishop who might In his diocesan notes’ think piece headed application in which we are caught up. It is Comment otherwise seem to belong to a remote and “What did you say?” Liverpudlian Bishop easy in the life of the church to speak a lan- Letters . .10 mysterious world.” His blog is said to attract Baines, who has spent the last 11 years south guage that is clear to us, but incomprehensi- Leader . 11 some 10,000 readers each week. of London, discloses that he has already ble to those who don’t understand what we James Catford . .11 In the June issue of his diocesan notes, the been told he will “have to learn a new lan- are saying. We need to speak languages that 54-year-old church leader says: “Communica- guage” now he is in Yorkshire. are understood -- or we are wasting our time The Record tion is what the church is about. It works like He light-heartedly suggests: “Apparently... and deceiving ourselves.” Readers’ s ministry . 12-13 Anglican Life . 14 Paul Richardson . .15 Andrew Carey . .15 Christian group joins SeeSaw online video site Anglican Life . .16 What the Blogs say . .16 By Matt Cresswell clicking on SeeSaw.com. Ethno- ferred content provider, SeeSaw especially among young people Sunday Service . .17 Graphic Films has a desire to enables us to attract a broader — to come together around Alan Edwards . .17 EVER WANTED to watch or inspire its viewers into action and audience to films exploring some important issues, engage in Spiritual Director . .17 show a documentary about Elisa- many of its films, such as the of the most critical issues of our meaningful dialog with others, Brian Cooper .