Archdeacon to be next Bishop of Warrington
THE next Bishop of Warrington will be the Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven, the Ven. Beverley Mason. A former stockbroker, she was born into a military family and came to faith during a backpacking gap year. She was a humanitarian aid worker before discerning a call to ordination, and to singleness. Ordained in 2001, she has served in parishes in the dioceses of Rochester, Southwark, and Bradford. She is a member of the Leading your Church into Growth Team and of On Fire for Mission, an annual conference for “those who want to unite the richness of anglo-Catholic worship and devotion with the vibrancy of the Charismatic Movement”. She will be consecrated at York Minster on 18 October.
Bishop of Exeter condemns synagogue attack
THE Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Revd Robert Atwell, has expressed his horror after an alleged arson attack on Exeter Synagogue on Saturday night. On Monday, Tristan Morgan, 51, from Exeter, was charged with arson. “Tolerance and mutual respect are hallmarks of a civilised society, and I would implore everybody, regardless of their religion, to condemn any action that seeks to intimidate or harm others,” Bishop Atwell said.
Clergy invited to apply for sabbatical support
BURSARIES to support clergy sabbaticals are being offered by Ecclesiastical for the 30th year. To date, more than a thousand priests have benefited from the annual Ministry Bursary Awards. They are open to all stipendiary clergy in the Church of England, the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church, and the Church of Ireland, who have been ordained for at least ten years and have not taken a sabbatical during the past seven years. In 2018, grants ranged in amount from £400 to £1000. The Archdeacon of Halifax, the Ven. Dr Anne Dawtry, used her grant last year to help to fund a project to visit every cathedral and greater parish church in England. “The opportunity to take a sabbatical can be literally life-changing and life-giving to clergy, most of whom work long hours, sometimes in difficult contexts,” she said. “Sabbaticals give a much-needed opportunity to step back from the rigours of daily ministry and to draw breath, professionally, physically, and spiritually.” www.ecclesiastical.com/mba
Government sets up £8-million fund to tackle domestic violence
AN £8-MILLION fund to support children affected by domestic violence was announced by the Home Office this week. Charities, local authorities, and other organisations are invited to bid for money for projects designed to “intervene early to help children who have been directly or indirectly affected by domestic abuse”. Almudena Lara, the NSPCC’s head of policy, said: ‘We want all children, and their parents, who have suffered domestic abuse to have access to the right services to help keep them safe and recover from these traumatic experiences.” NSPCC statistics suggest that as many as one in five children are exposed to these crimes.
Reader celebrates 60 years of service
A SERVICE to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Michael Coupe, who is 85, as a Reader, will be held at St George’s, Stockport, on 16 September. Mr Cope has served at St George’s and St Gabriel’s. The preacher will be a former Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Revd Graham Dow, now an Honoraary Assistant Bishop in Chester and Manchester.
