Dyce painting sells for £100k above estimate
A CHURCH-OWNED painting, The Good Shepherd, by William Dyce FRSE, RSA, RA (1806-64), a Scottish painter associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, has sold at auction for more than £250,000 — £100,000 above its top estimate. In January, the churchwardens of the Grade II listed St Peter’s, Little Budworth, persuaded the Consistory Court of the diocese of Chester to grant a faculty permitting the sale of the painting, which had been owned by the church for more than a century (News, 23 January).
CEO of Church Commissioners steps down
THE chief executive of the Church Commissioners for England, John Worth, is stepping down, it was announced on Tuesday. A note on the Church of England website did not give any context, but said that the chief operating officer, Rosie Slater-Carr, would take over as interim chief executive.
Open letter urges Sir Paul Marshall to be transparent
MORE than 100 church leaders, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams, have signed an open letter calling on Sir Paul Marshall – a hedge-fund manager and owner of GB News — to be transparent about fossil-fuel-related conflicts of interest involving the channel’s presenters and guests. The letter, organised by Operation Noah, quotes research suggesting that GB News regularly broadcast climate misinformation in the run-up to the 2024 General Election. Among the other signatories are the Bishop of Oxford, Dr Steven Croft; the General Secretary of Churches Together in England, the Rt Revd Mike Royal; and the Archdeacon of Salford and Bolton, the Ven. Dr Rachel Mann. As of 2023, Mr Marshall’s hedge fund had a reported £1.8 billion invested in fossil fuels, the letter says.
Cathedral school praised for values
DERBY CATHEDRAL SCHOOL “compassionately and robustly serves the community” through its Christian values, a report from SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) has found. It reports that the secondary school and sixth form — part of Derby Diocesan Academy Trust — is “driven by its values”. Staff and students have a “clear sense of community and belonging”. The school’s provision for disadvantaged pupils and donations to the local foodbank are also praised.
Restraining order for parishioner who harassed priest
TRURO CROWN COURT last week imposed a restraining order on Kay Carpenter, a parishioner of St John the Baptist, Pendeen, in Cornwall, after she entered the home of the Priest-in-Charge, the Revd Karsten Wedgewood, in June 2024, when she had been told not to contact him or go to his house. The order bans her from any contact with him, going to his home, or going to any of the three churches in the Pendeen area, for the next seven years. Ms Carpenter was acquitted of obstructing and assaulting a clergyman/minister in discharge of duties in a place of worship/burial, as the prosecution had offered no evidence.
BSL version of children’s pilgrimage song released
BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE (BSL) and Makaton video versions of the song “The Pilgrim Way”, by Nick and Becky Drake, of Songs for School, were released to mark British Sign Language Week last week, organised by the British Deaf Association. Nick and Becky Drake said: “We want as many children as possible to be able to join in with ‘The Pilgrim Way’. Creating BSL and Makaton versions of the song is an important step in helping more schools and churches include everyone as they explore the idea of life as a pilgrimage, with Jesus walking beside them.” The song is one of the resources in the Faith in the North project. faithinthenorth.org