Ely Cathedral’s Precentor dies unexpectedly, aged 59

CANON Jim Garrard, Precentor of Ely Cathedral since 2008, died unexpectedly on Monday, aged 59, the Chapter confirmed in a statement, which said that he would “be sorely missed by all the staff, the choirs and the wider Cathedral community”. He was remembered at evensong that night. His doctorate from Oxford was for a thesis on William Howley, the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time of the 1832 Great Reform Act; this led to the publication of a biography (Books, 13 November 2015).

Pensions Board raises bar for defence investment

THE Church of England Pensions Board has updated its rules on defence-related companies, limiting itself to investment in companies that make less than five per cent of their revenue from defence. Previously, the threshold had been ten per cent. A complete ban on investment in companies “with involvement in indiscriminate weaponry, including nuclear weapons”, remains in place, a statement published on Tuesday says. A recent survey of members of the pension scheme, which holds about £3.4 billion in assets, found that more than 80 per cent agreed that the Board should “actively support peacebuilding and human rights”. The new policy diverges from the approach taken by the Church Commissioners, who last week announced the removal of a flat ten-per-cent-revenue threshold to allow investment in UK-based companies that made the majority of their money from the sale of conventional weapons, but exclude entirely investment in companies based under “oppressive regimes” (News, 5 December). Letters

Chichester diocese sells fossil-fuel holdings

THE diocese of Chichester has become the last of the Church of England’s 42 dioceses to disinvest from BP and Shell, Operation Noah reports. Neither the dioceses nor the national investing bodies now hold any investments in fossil-fuel firms. The diocesan synod received a report last month from the Assets Committee, which concluded that the plans of both BP and Shell were no longer aligned to the Paris Agreement. “The Committee therefore decided to divest from both companies. The Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) confirms that the diocese’s overall investment policy remains unchanged and continues to follow the National Church’s ethical investment guidelines,” a statement given to Operation Noah by the diocese said.

Committee deems Governance Measure inexpedient

THE National Church Governance Measure was deemed inexpedient by the Ecclesiastical Committee last week. The decision, taken at a private meeting of the Committee, follows a public meeting at which concerns were raised by Danny Kruger, the Reform MP for East Wiltshire (News, 21 November). Areas of concern include the delegated powers set out in the Measure, the place of safeguarding in the new structures, and the accountability of the new Church of England National Services to the Church Commissioners with regard to spending.

Funds available for patronal evensongs

THE Choral Evensong Trust has opened applications for its 2026 Patronal Festival Grants until Candlemas, Monday 2 February. The grants — funded by the Trust’s patrons, including the King — help parish churches to celebrate their patronal festival with choral evensong as a central feature, followed by a reception. This year, the Trust funded 80 patronal festivals in Britain (In the parish, 18 July).

Carols congregation rejoices in Welsh tongue

BANGOR CATHEDRAL held a carol service in Welsh for beginners and fluent speakers on 1 December. The service, led by Canon Tracy Jones, one of the cathedral’s canons who has learnt the language, included Welsh poems and traditional Welsh-language carols. A brass ensemble from the bilingual secondary school Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen played before the service. The diocesan Welsh Language Enabler, Elin Owen, said that it was “an opportunity for learners and fluent speakers to come together and enjoy the festive spirit, while experiencing the traditions, language and music of a Welsh Christmas”.

Peer mediation the way forward, say Quakers

PEER mediation, in which trained student mediators help their classmates to resolve conflicts in a calm and non-judgemental way, should be made mainstream, Quakers in Britain has said in a report produced by the Civil Mediation Council. The report, Resolving Conflict in Schools: Peer mediation as a foundation for happier, healthier futures, is based on data from 29 schools and eight training providers. For 82 per cent of pupils, it says, peer mediation “made things better”; and 96 per cent of staff reported positive effects from mediation schemes. Quakers in Britain’s national coordinator for peer mediation, Ben Harper, said: “In an increasingly polarised world, it is vital for children to learn methods that encourage empathy.”