Anglican Catholic conference planned for 2018

ANGLICAN CATHOLICS from across the spectrum are to come together for a three-day conference in September next year to discuss how to do evangelism in the Catholic tradition. The conference, God’s Church in the World: The Gift of Catholic Mission, has been jointly organised by both the traditionalist grouping Forward in Faith and the more recently formed Anglican Catholic Future network “as a commitment to the mutual flourishing of the different integrities of the Catholic tradition within the Church of England”. Speakers will include the Rt Revd Lord Williams, the Bishop of Burnley, the Rt Revd Philip North, and the Archdeacon of London, the Ven. Luke Miller, and will, the organisers say, demonstrate that “mission and evangelism are priorities for the future growth and well-being of the Church”.

All tickets sold for Festival of Preaching

ALL tickets for the first Festival of Preaching, organised by Hymns Ancient & Modern, which also owns the Church Times, have been sold, the charity has announced. More than 450 people have booked, and the event will include an additional venue because of the high demand. Among the speakers at the Festival in September are the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, Canon Mark Oakley, and the Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Canon Sam Wells.

Bill seeks to relax bat protection in churches

THE Bat Habitats Regulation Bill, which would remove the current protections on bat habitats if they are within places of worship, making it easier for churches to deal with bat roostings, has been reintroduced to the House of Lords. The Bill from Lord Cormack, a Conservative peer, had its first reading on Monday. He introduced the Bill last year but it failed to gain a second reading before Parliament was prorogued for the General Election (News, 17 June 2016).

Archbishop of York’s charity gives £1 million

THE Archbishop of York’s online giving charity, Acts 435, has awarded £1-million of grants to individuals and families living in poverty around the UK, its executive director, Jenny Herrera, announced this week. The grants were made up of individual donations of £5, £10, and £50. Ms Herrera said: “We do not get trust funds or corporate sponsorship. This is person-to-person giving where every donation matters.” One family in Suffolk who had been placed in temporary housing with their baby twins were given a £75 grant for a mini fridge, and a £55 grant for a microwave oven from the charity as they had no means to store or heat baby food. In Cornwall, one man suffering from lung cancer was given £100 for daily travel from Redruth to Truro to receive radiotherapy treatment.

acts435.org.uk/how

SNS PhotoWilted: the recent heatwave was just too much for the Benediction candles in St James’s, Merton, in Southwark diocese. The Paschal candle was also affected