New ecumenical adviser for Archbishop
THE Revd Dr Will Adam, Vicar of St Paul’s, Winchmore Hill, in London, and editor of the Ecclesiastical Law Journal, is to be the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Ecumenical Adviser. Dr Adam takes up the post, combined with that of ecumenical officer at the Council for Christian Unity, in the new year. He is a former member of the Council, and has taken part in talks with the Methodist Church.

Education Secretary hails church schools
CHURCH schools are “hugely popular” and more likely to provide an outstanding education than average, the Education Secretary, Justine Greening, has said. Writing to the Conservative MP Edward Leigh, Ms Greening said that the Government had abolished the 50-per-cent cap on faith-based admissions because it wanted more faith schools to be opened. “I see Church and faith schools playing a strong role alongside other types of school, as part of a diverse system that gives parents greater choice and drives up standards,” she wrote.

York parishioners enable student to continue studies
A 19-YEAR-OLD student, Joshua Campbell, has been able to return to Swansea University, despite being refused a student loan, after two members of St Edward the Confessor, Dringhouses, in York, offered him loans. Government Ministers refused to accept his successful appeal against a decision by the Student Loans Company to turn down his loan application, York Press reports. Mr Campbell was adopted as a baby from an Ethiopian orphanage by Jill and Gary Campbell, and is a British citizen, but the family has been living in Ethiopia. Mrs Campbell has said that the law penalises children of parents who are working overseas. Gary Campbell told the Press that he has made a complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, who had decided to investigate. He praised the support from the church as “just amazing”.