January
THE Prime Minister announced a third lockdown in response to rapidly rising Covid-19 infection rates, hospital admissions, and deaths. In contrast with the first lockdown, however, public worship in England was exempt. This was met with resistance from clergy in areas where the number of coronavirus infections was highest.
In Scotland, churches had to close for worship until at least the end of the month. Despite the exemption in England, more than half the 12,500 Anglican parishes in England closed their churches to public worship. Some received direct requests to do so from local authorities. Schools were closed at least until March. Bishops warned of harm to children if schools remained closed beyond Easter.
Some cathedrals and church buildings opened as vaccination centres. Towards the end of the month, 100,000 Covid-related deaths had been reported in the UK. Church leaders, meanwhile, called for rich nations to ensure that poorer nations received supplies of vaccines. “It is in our own interests that all round the world the vaccine is given,” the Archbishop of Canterbury said.
Funeral directors spoke of the “heartbreak” of watching hundreds of mourners grieve alone, and of their own physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion under an unprecedented workload.
Campaigners urged the UK to sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which came into effect on 22 January.
AlamyA police officer fires pepper spray at a protester who was among those to storm the Capitol, in January
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, the Most Revd Michael Curry, called for the immediate removal of President Trump from office after the President’s public comments — widely regarded as incitement — before and during a violent attack on the Capitol, in which five people died. After repeatedly alleging that the election had been “stolen”, President Trump told a crowd rallying south of the White House to “walk down to the Capitol,” and said: “You will never take back our country with weakness.”
On 20 January, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. He called for peace, unity, and a restoration of democracy. Kamala Harris became the first woman, and the first black and Asian-American person, to be Vice-President. Mr Trump declined to attend the inauguration.
February
THE Rt Revd Christopher Lowson was permitted to return to work as Bishop of Lincoln after a 20-month safeguarding investigation. Bishop Lowson accepted a formal rebuke for the mishandling of a safeguarding disclosure, and apologised unreservedly for his “error of judgement”.
Clergy “are not being pushed out” of their posts to make up for the continued decline in income, the Archbishop of York said, after a leaked discussion document said that most dioceses were having to “prune” the number of stipendiary clergy and diocesan staff to compensate for a downturn in income.
AlamyProtesters hold placards with portraits of Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration in Yangon, in February, after a military coup
Protests erupted in Myanmar after the country’s army seized power. Christian Solidarity urged the international community to support the protesters’ calls for the restoration of democracy.
A report published by the Archbishops’ Commission on Housing, Church and Community, Coming Home: Tackling the housing crisis together, described as “a national scandal” the fact that eight million people in England lived in overcrowded, unaffordable, or unsuitable homes, and said that this was “neither accidental nor inevitable”.
The Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, asked church leaders to meet in 2025 to mark the 17th centenary of the First Council of Nicaea, to “reflect on mistakes past and present” and to steer a “more determined ecumenical course”.
The Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, who died last year, committed “terrible abuse” against multiple women, the organisation that he founded said.
March
AS MANY children returned to school after nine weeks of lockdown, the Government announced £79 million for children’s mental health — but this was only a fraction of the amount needed to meet the rising demand, the Children’s Society said.
Archbishop Welby condemned the “unacceptable” language used by the Primate of Nigeria, the Most Revd Henry Ndukuba, to describe gay people. Archbishop Ndukuba had spoken of a “deadly ‘virus’ of homosexuality”.
On the tenth anniversary of the conflict in Syria, 35 international aid agencies urged world leaders to end the crisis, or else the country’s people would continue to suffer irreversibly from violence, poverty, and the compounding devastation brought by the pandemic.
The announcement by the Government that it intended to increase the UK’s nuclear-weapons capacity was swiftly condemned by church leaders from seven denominations.
AlamyA crowd during a vigil for Sarah Everard at Clapham Common, in March
The murder of Sarah Everard sparked a public debate on the safety of women and gender equality in the UK. The Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, criticised the Metropolitan Police for its handling of a vigil on Clapham Common.
The first anniversary of the first UK lockdown was marked by a Day of Reflection, during which thousands of candles were lit in memory of those who had died as a result of Covid-19.
A lessons-learnt review of the activities of the Revd Jonathan Fletcher described a culture of fear at Emmanuel Proprietary Chapel, Ridgway, in Wimbledon, Mr Fletcher’s former church. The review, carried out by the independent Christian safeguarding charity Thirtyone:eight, said that the “unhealthy culture” in the church and its networks would not be addressed until leaders stood down.
The Government updated its guidance on places of worship in England in line with the next step of its roadmap to lifting Covid restrictions. The stay-at-home rule was replaced by the rule of six: up to two households of unlimited numbers, or up to six households of six people, could now meet outdoors. This applied to outdoor worship, too.
April
“EASTER calls time on the lie” that death is the end, Archbishop Welby said in a sermon preached in Canterbury Cathedral on Easter Day. “If death is telling the truth, then we may as well live for ourselves. Then the last year is yet another cruel period of history taking from us those we loved, ending lives cruelly and tragically.”
Rioting in Northern Ireland about Brexit arrangements continued over the Easter weekend, despite appeals for calm, among them a joint appeal by the Archbishop of Armagh and three other Anglican diocesan bishops in the province, who warned young people not to get involved in actions that they would “regret for the rest of their lives”.
On 9 April, the death of the Duke of Edinburgh was announced. He was laid to rest eight days later in the royal vault in St George’s Chapel, after a 50-minute funeral service at which 30 members of the royal family formed the congregation.
“Repentance requires more than apology,” a report published by the Archbishops’ Anti-racism Taskforce, From Lament to Action, declared. Its recommendations included the appointment of racial-justice officers in every diocese; that every senior vacancy should have at least one appointable, minority-ethnic candidate on the shortlist; and that, by 2030, UK minority-ethnic and global-majority-heritage people should constitute at least 15 per cent of the membership of all governance structures in the C of E.
A devastating outbreak of Covid-19 in India overwhelmed hospitals and crematoria and led to widespread shortages of oxygen and medicines.
May
EVERY church monument in England which commemorates individuals associated with the oppression of others should be reviewed, new guidance published by the Church Buildings Council and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England, Contested Heritage in Cathedrals and Churches, stated.
AlamyCovid-19 patients are treated in a converted sports complex in New Delhi, in May
The 30-person limit on funeral attendance in places of worship was removed as part of the latest easing of lockdown restrictions in England. And groups of six people from different households could now sit together during worship.
Cathedrals reopened to visitors, although relief was tempered by the financial concerns of many after the prolonged closures.
Archbishop Welby joined other religious and political leaders in condemning the surge of anti-Semitic incidents across the UK, in response to escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land.
The Bishop of Winchester, Dr Tim Dakin, “stepped back” from work for six weeks after he was threatened with a vote of no confidence at the next diocesan synod.
June
A CHURCH investigation concluded that the Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, Canon Paul Overend, had “no case to answer” after a protracted safeguarding investigation by the police and the church authorities. Canon Overend said in a personal statement: “The diocese and the Church of England will now need to take stock of their safeguarding and CDM processes, which have harmed a great number of people and brought my wife and me close to suicide.”
The Prime Minister announced a four-week delay in the planned easing of all lockdown restrictions — but said that weddings, receptions, and wakes of unlimited guests would be permitted from 21 June.
The G7 summit in Cornwall concluded with a promise to deliver a billion vaccines to low- and middle-income countries by the end of the year, either by donating surplus doses, or through extra funding to the UN Covax scheme.
SECThe Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, with the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Revd Mark Strange, marking the signing of the St Andrew Declaration between the two denominations, in June
The Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church approved the St Andrew Declaration, which formally recognises a shared faith and commits the Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland to closer working as ecumenical partners.
Congregational singing and chanting were allowed once again indoors in places of worship in Wales, after updated guidelines were issued by the Welsh Government.
The Bishop of St Davids, Dr Joanna Penberthy, was criticised for as social-media post: “Never trust a Tory.” Figures in the Church in Wales bridled when the Archbishop of Canterbury issued an apology for one of their bishops.
The Methodist Conference voted to permit its ministers to conduct same-sex marriages in its churches and buildings.
July
CONGREGATIONAL singing resumed in churches, from 19 July, when almost all the Covid restrictions in England were lifted.
Charities and church leaders expressed anger and disappointment at a vote in the House of Commons to confirm a £4-billion cut in Britain’s international-aid budget.
The racial abuse on social media of three England players who missed penalties in the final of the European Championships was condemned by church leaders.
AlamyThe street artist Akse paints over racist graffiti on a mural of the England striker Marcus Rashford in Withington, south Manchester, in June. The offending text was earlier covered with hundreds of messages of love and respect
The Archbishop of York told an online meeting of the General Synod that the parish system was at the centre of the Church’s strategic plans, and said that he was “dismayed” that anyone could think that the Vision and Strategy efforts would abandon the parish. He was responding to a recent furore over plans for 10,000 new lay-led worshipping communities.
The Synod also had its first opportunity to debate the shape of a Clergy Conduct Measure, the proposed replacement for the Clergy Discipline Measure, and voted to implement the recommendations of the Responsible Representation review, which establishes a new election process for the Crown Nominations Commission.
A coroner who investigated the death of Fr Alan Griffin, who took his own life over unfounded allegations of child sex abuse, warned the Archbishop of Canterbury that more clergy deaths would follow unless action was taken to improve C of E safeguarding procedures.
The Bishop of Winchester, Dr Tim Dakin, resigned. In a video message to the diocese, he apologised to “those I have hurt or let down”, but said that he would remain proud of what had been achieved in the diocese during his nearly ten years in post.
August
A CAMPAIGN to elect members to the General Synod under a “Save the Parish” banner was launched in London, with a warning that this was “the last chance to save the system that has defined Christianity in this country for 1000 years”.
Christian groups called for urgent action from the Government after the publication of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which warned that, without rapid and deep cuts in emissions, the world was likely to heat up by more than 1.5°C — the goal agreed in the Paris climate accord — in the next ten to 20 years.
ReutersEvacuees from Afghanistan in a German airforce transport plane arrive in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in August
The Taliban announced the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, ending 20 years of foreign “occupation”, which began after the US and UK responded to the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001. Pressure mounted on the UK and other Western governments to resettle thousands of Afghan men, women, and children fleeing the Taliban.
Five people were killed and two were injured in a shooting incident in the Keyham area of Plymouth. Speaking at a civic service at St Andrew’s Minster Church, the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Revd Nick McKinnel, said that the incident had “scarred the life of our city”.
An earthquake in Haiti registered a magnitude of 7.2 and was followed by Tropical Storm Grace. Aid agencies warned that it had hit children particularly hard, and half a million were now at risk.
September
THE Governing Body of the Church in Wales passed a Bill to allow same-sex couples to have their civil partnership or marriage blessed in church. A two-thirds majority in all three Houses was obtained to allow experimental use of the rite for a five-year period.
The Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Revd Jonathan Goodall, resigned to become a Roman Catholic. He had been a Provincial Episcopal Visitor since 2013, supporting congregations in the C of E that were unable to accept the ministry of women as priests or bishops.
A radical shake-up of the Church of England’s central governance was proposed by the Governance Review Group. Its proposals included scaling back the powers of the House of Bishops to set national policy, and placing most of the activities currently overseen by the Church Commissioners and bodies such as the Archbishops’ Council under the auspices of a single charitable body, the Church of England National Services.
The Government’s autumn and winter plan for the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic was welcomed by Church House, Westminster, noting that communal worship and life events will not become subject to vaccination certification, even under “Plan B”.
The Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney, the Rt Revd Anne Dyer, accused of bullying by multiple people, should step back permanently from the diocese, a review concluded. It warned of “systemic dysfunction” in the diocese. Bishop Dyer said that the review had not listened to those in her diocese “who have a different story to tell”.
AlamyA group of people thought to be migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, in September
Twelve Anglican bishops accused the Government of seeking to criminalise “Good Samaritans” who rescued asylum-seekers the English Channel. The bishops said that the plan proposed by the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, for Border Force vessels to force migrant boats back into French waters would penalise those who decided to bring their occupants safely to the UK.
Four clerics — three Anglican and one Roman Catholic — were among climate campaigners who brought traffic to a standstill with a series of sit-ins on M25 slip-roads. The protesters were supporting the Insulate Britain pressure group, which wants a government commitment to improving 29 million badly insulated homes.
October
AN INDEPENDENT mediation process for the diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney was established by the bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
An independent inquiry concluded that a total of 216,000 people in France had been sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests and religious over the past 70 years. Between 2900 and 3200 priests were found to be perpetrators.
As the nations gathered in Glasgow for the start of the COP26 on Sunday, 72 faith-based institutions, including 37 from the UK, announced their disinvestment from fossil fuels. The move was the largest-ever joint disinvestment announcement by religious organisations, and represented more than $4.2 billion in financial assets.
Four bishops voiced opposition to Baroness Meacher’s Assisted Dying Bill when it received its Second Reading in an eight-hour debate in the House of Lords. The Bill passed to the committee stage.
Archbishop Welby said that he was “gravely concerned” about the draft Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, which, if it became law, would impose a maximum of five years in prison for identifying as LGBTQ, and about the alleged support for it by the Anglican bishops in Ghana.
November
AT THE COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, countries agreed to phase down coal use, end fossil-fuel subsidies, and come back next year to strengthen their commitments. But the promised financial support for poor and vulnerable nations remained lacking.
The newly elected General Synod was inaugurated by Prince Edward at Church House, Westminster, after he joined the members for a choral eucharist in Westminster Abbey. The Prince was standing in for the Queen, who had decided, on her doctor’s advice, not to attend. It was her first absence for an inauguration since she inaugurated the first Synod in 1970.
Geoff Crawford/Church TimesPrince Edward addresses the newly inaugurated Synod in Church House, Westminster, on behalf of the Queen, in November
The Archbishops’ Commission on Reimagining Care, launching a period of consultation, proposed six values that should underpin the social-care system: flourishing, lovingkindness, empathy, trust, inclusivity, and justice.
The system for funding ministerial education, as reformed in 2017, had “significant weaknesses” and hampered institutions’ efforts at financial management, a new report of the Resourcing Ministerial Formation review said. It recommended reverting to direct funding by the national Church.
Church leaders across Europe urged an end to the refugee and migrant crisis in Belarus.
The Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland formally signed the joint St Andrew Declaration.
Thirty migrants drowned in the English Channel, prompting church leaders to call for safe passages for those seeking asylum, and for migration to stop being used as a political football.
Places of worship were once again exempt from the latest government rules on compulsory mask-wearing, introduced in England at the end of the month in response to the spread of the new Covid variant, Omicron.
December
MASKS became mandatory once again in places of worship in England, except for individuals who fell into the exempt category, after the Government tightened its response to the threat of the Omicron Covid variant, its so-called “Plan B”. The publication of the new regulations confirmed that communal worship was exempt from the requirement to ask for Covid passes, which would apply to indoor venues with a capacity of more than 500 unseated people. Weddings and funerals were also exempt.
An independent review carried out by Thirtyone:eight, an independent Christian safeguarding charity, said that a narrow focus on public schools, a hierarchical structure, and a lack of diversity among its leaders, drawn from the conservative Evangelical wing of the Church of England, were among the factors that had increased the risk of abuse at holiday camps run by the Titus Trust.
Archbishop Welby initiated a House of Lords debate in which he defended freedom of speech — and J. K. Rowling. A review of events leading up to the resig- nation of the Rt Revd Richard Pain as Bishop of Monmouth criticised an unhealthy culture at senior levels in the Church in Wales.
Storm Arwen left thousands of homes with- out power for more than a week, and damaged Worcester Cathedral. Tornadoes of an unprecedented verocity swept across the Midwest of the US — the latest evidence of a global cli- mate crisis.