Canon Mann to be Archdeacon of Bolton and Salford
THE next Archdeacon of Bolton and Salford is to be the Revd Dr Rachel Mann, the Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, announced this week. Canon Mann, who is 53, has served in the diocese for 18 years since her ordination as deacon in 2005. She was ordained priest in 2006, and served her title at St Matthew’s, Stretford, until 2008, when she became Priest-in-Charge of St Nicholas’s, Burnage, for ten years. During this time, she was appointed an Honorary Canon of Manchester Cathedral. After serving another curacy, she returned to St Nicholas’s as Rector, until 2021, when she was appointed Area Dean of Bury and Rossendale, one of the seven new super-deaneries in the diocese. Canon Mann is a prolific writer of poetry, liturgy, theology, and fiction, and is a regular contributor to the Church Times.
Fossil-fuel companies banned from campus
FOSSIL-FUEL companies will no longer be able to recruit on the campus of Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), in Lincoln, citing a “commitment to ethical recruitment and environmental sustainability”. BGU was founded in 1862 as an Anglican teacher-training college, and is the first of the 15 church-founded Cathedrals Group of Universities to ban fossil-fuel companies from its site. Three other UK universities have already made the step, co-ordinated by the student climate charity People and Planet, the University of Bedfordshire, the University of the Arts, London, and Wrexham Glyndwr University. The director of external engagement at BGU, Allison Webb, said: “By offering fossil-free pathways, we ensure that our graduates have access to opportunities that will contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.”
New funding to improve security of places of worship
A TOTAL of £28 million extra funding is to be made available for the protection of churches, mosques, and other places of worship, the Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat, announced on Wednesday. “We will defend against any form of hatred targeting our communities, and are committed to protecting all faiths.” Up to £24.5 million will be available for the protection of mosques and Muslim faith schools, with £3.5 million for other religious sites, excluding synagogues. A separate grant is available for Jewish places of worship. Details and an application form can be found on the government website. The closing date for applications is 15 August.
gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship
Deputy Head becomes Head of Responsible Investment
THE Church Commissioners for England have announced the appointment of Olga Hancock as the new Head of Responsible Investment. She joined the Commissioners in 2019, and has been Deputy Head since 2021. She was recently elected to lead the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance’s policy workstream.
Correction: In a story last week, we incorrectly reported that both the President and the Vice-President of the Methodist Conference had been suspended, pending separate investigations into their conduct. Only the Vice-President, Anthony Boateng, has been suspended. The President, the Revd Graham Thompson, remains in post while being investigated, but, in a statement from the Methodist Church on Wednesday, it was announced that Mr Thompson had decided not to attend the Conference, which was due to begin on Thursday.