Monthly news bulletin from the Communications Office, Church House, London.

Feel free to forward this to others, or to use in diocesan or parish newsletters or magazines.

This news bulletin is issued to members of General Synod, recipients of the e-mailed daily briefing, within the National Church Institutions’ All Staff bulletin and to parish magazines via the http://www.parishpump.co.uk website. It is also available on the Church of England website at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/info/cofegazette/

Please scroll down to read items. Comments, please, to Peter Crumpler, Director of Communications on peter.crumpler@c-of-e.org.uk

This month’s contents:

• Archbishop of Canterbury - 'deep sorrow' over child abuse suffering
• Archbishops of Canterbury and York pay tribute to the Prime Minister as he announces resignation
• Church Commissioners leave Millbank headquarters at the top table of funds
• First invitations to 'reflective and learning-based' Lambeth Conference go out
• Call for Government to end the destitution of failed asylum seekers
• Church to develop guidelines for providing welfare services
• Visual liturgy goes live
• Interview between the Archbishop of Canterbury and Gavin Esler for Newsnight
• 'No one size fits all': Church challenge to re-think the way it engages with young people
• Archbishop of Canterbury gives Wilberforce Lecture: 'Freedom and Slavery'
• Archbishop of York tells of his own captivity in repeated call for release of Alan Johnston
• Quarterly investment update from the Church Commissioners
• Archbishop of Canterbury - multiculturalism debate too narrow
• New Bishop to Prisons announced
• Archbishop of Canterbury gives the inaugural Zaki Badawi Memorial Lecture
• Winner of the 2007 Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing announced
• Tailor made: communications training to suit you
• The monthly Communications Update can now be delivered straight to your inbox

Archbishop of Canterbury - 'deep sorrow' over child abuse suffering

Dr Rowan Williams has spoken of his deep sorrow over the suffering experienced in child abuse cases involving the Church. Dr Williams said that the Church had developed greater awareness and expertise, and had stringent procedures in place, but that vigilance was crucial. “Any case in which the Church has failed to prove itself a safe place for children is deplorable. This is one such case, and we can only express our keen awareness of the damage and deep sorrow for the suffering caused.” To read the full statement see: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070510.htm

The Archbishop also gave an interview to BBC Radio Four's 'Today' programme on this subject on May 25th. The full transcript will be available at: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/

Archbishops of Canterbury and York pay tribute to the Prime Minister as he announces resignation

Responding to the Prime Minister's announcement that he will stand down from 27th June, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, published tributes to Tony Blair. For Dr Williams' statement see: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070510.htm and Dr Sentamu's: http://www.salvonet.com/diocese_of_york/cgi/news/news.cgi?t=template&a=1075

Church Commissioners leave Millbank headquarters at the top table of funds

The Church Commissioners increased their contribution towards non-pensions support for the Church of England by 6.4 per cent in 2006, a year when the retail price index rose by 4.4 per cent. Details of how the Commissioners support the Church’s ministry are set out in their Annual Report & Accounts for 2006, published on 1 May. After 100 years at Millbank, staff have now moved out. They moved in March 2007, three months after the Commissioners achieved another year in the top three per cent of 240 similar investment funds. Details at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr3607.html

First invitations to ‘reflective and learning-based’ Lambeth Conference go out

The first invitations for the 2008 Lambeth Conference, to be held in Canterbury next summer, are being sent out by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. The gathering, which is set to be the largest Lambeth Conference in the history of the Anglican Communion, brings together bishops from the Churches in the 38 Provinces of the Anglican Communion together with ecumenical and other invited guests.

Read the full text of the Archbishop's invitation here: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070522.htm

Call for Government to end the destitution of failed asylum seekers

The Church of England is joining calls for the Government to end the destitution of people refused asylum in Britain. The Still Human Still Here campaign highlights the plight of tens of thousands of refused asylum seekers in the UK. The Archbishops' Council has announced that it is joining this coalition of church, refugee and asylum organisations. Details at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr4607.html

Church to develop guidelines for providing welfare services

The Church of England has commissioned research into the implications of local churches undertaking welfare services, in response to the Government's growing interest in partnerships with churches and other faith-based organisations. Details at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr4707.html

Visual Liturgy goes Live

New computer software helps churches ‘find the right words’ The Church of England has just released the latest generation of its pioneering worship planning software, Visual Liturgy. It is designed to help clergy access with ease the wealth of material in Common Worship, and to save time when arranging services. Details at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr4107.html

Interview between the Archbishop of Canterbury and Gavin Esler for Newsnight

Dr Rowan Williams gave an interview to Gavin Esler on a range of subjects including; morality in the public sphere, political leadership, as well as Archbishop's leadership in relation to the Anglican Communion. Read a full transcript of the interview here: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070425a.htm

'No one size fits all': Church challenged to re-think the way it engages with young people

Three books launched by the Church of England in May give an honest appraisal of how the Church relates to young people through worship and mission today. They offer valuable insights into how churches might begin the process of assessing and developing their ministry with young people. Details of each and how to order copies can be found at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr4207.html

Archbishop of Canterbury gives Wilberforce Lecture: 'Freedom and Slavery'

Archbishop - moral vision should be at the heart of politics In a lecture given in Hull, birthplace of William Wilberforce, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, urged politicians to rediscover the moral energy and vision which inspired Wilberforce; defend the right of the citizen to call the state to account for its actions; and ask whether we still believe in the notion of "a moral state". If we do, he says, we cannot leave the state to decide for itself what is moral: "the modern state needs a robust independent tradition of moral perception with which to engage. Left to itself it cannot generate the self-critical energy that brings about change...for the sake of some positive human ideal." Read the full text of the lecture here: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/sermons_speeches/070424.htm

Archbishop of York tells of his own captivity in repeated call for release of Alan Johnston

The Archbishop of York's address at the London Press Club Awards on 10 May. "Standing among you all, I feel like the youngest, the put upon and the most inexperienced lion in Daniel’s den of lions"! For full text see: http://www.salvonet.com/diocese_of_york/cgi/news/news.cgi?t=template&a=1074

Quarterly investment update from the Church Commissioners

The First Church Estates Commissioner's newsletter for the quarter to March 2007 is available at http://cofe.anglican.org/about/churchcommissioners/news/newsletterq12007.html

Archbishop of Canterbury - multiculturalism debate too narrow

Dr Rowan Williams, gave an address at Toynbee Hall, in which he called for a widening of the debate on multiculturalism beyond narrow considerations of ethnicity or nationality, and to take in arguments about globalisation and commerce. Further detail of the lecture can be read at: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070516.htm

New Bishop to Prisons announced

The Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones is to be the next Bishop to Her Majesty's Prisons, the senior church advocate for Christian values in the criminal justice system in England and Wales. He will succeed the Rt Revd Peter Selby, Bishop of Worcester, on his retirement in September 2007. Details at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/news/pr4507.html

Archbishop of Canterbury gives inaugural Zaki Badawi Memorial Lecture

Dr Rowan Williams, gave the inaugural Zaki Badawi Memorial Lecture at Lambeth Palace. The lecture was entitled 'Islam, Christianity and Pluralism', and focussed on the different attitudes between the two faiths regarding both pluralism as a religious thesis, and pluralism as a social and political reality. The Lecture will be published. Dr Williams also received the Building Bridges award (2005) from the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, in recognition of his distinguished contributions to better understanding between Faiths, and to a wider recognition of the place of faith in present day Western culture.

Winner of the 2007 Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing announced

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has announced that the winner of the 2007 Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing is “What is the point of being a Christian?” by Fr Timothy Radcliffe. Read more detail about the Michael Ramsey Prize and the winning author here: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070518.htm

Archbishop of Canterbury visit to Sri Lanka

Dr Rowan Williams has spent four days in Sri Lanka as part of a visit to South East Asia. Dr Williams’ visit came at a time when tensions have increased in the country following the apparent breakdown in peace negotiations between the Government and the Tamil Tigers. Details of the visit can be see at: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070503.htm

Tailor made: communications training to suit you

The 2007 programme of communications training courses is tailor made to help churches get their message across. Coming up in June is a new course designed to help churches harness the power of blogs and online communities to make their voice heard. Come and learn how MySpace and blogging has been used to promote everything from rock bands to the award winning Churches Advertising Network campaigns. For more information go to http://commstraining.cofe.anglican.org/2007/boc.php

The monthly Communications Update can now be delivered straight to your inbox

The Church of England now offers the Communications Update as an e-news bulletin, delivering a monthly round-up of the Church's work and mission to the nation, direct to your inbox. Details at: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/commsupdate.html/