The House of Bishops met on Tuesday 20th April remotely via Zoom.

The meeting began with the Archbishop of Canterbury noting the appointment of the Rt Revd Dr Emma Ineson as the new Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Revd Dr Ineson will take up her new role from 1st June 2021.

The House then turned its attention to the report outlining Next Steps of the Implementation and Dialogue Group. The Bishop of Rochester addressed the House and following a breakout discussion, the House approved the report to go to General Synod in July 2021 as a Take Note debate, subject to the agreement of the General Synod Business Committee.

The House then turned its attention to numerous governance matters including a forward look to the forthcoming April Synod. The House also discussed arrangements for Episcopal meetings in 2021 to 2022 and agreed to a change in the standing orders to allow UKME observers to attend and speak at meetings. This change is in line with the draft recommendations contained in the interim report from the Anti-Racism Task Force.

The Bishop of Manchester then addressed the House with a brief update from the steering group concerning the Emerging Church of England work. This was followed by a presentation by the National Advisor for Giving and Income Generation who presented a short survey on Anglican giving. The House endorsed the actions recommended in the paper which dioceses can take to encourage and improve giving at a diocesan and parish level.

A general update was then given on the recent Housing Commission and Archbishops’ Commission on Families and Households by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This was followed by a more detailed discussion of the Anti Racism Task Force ahead of the publication of its report later this week.  

The House then reflected on the death of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Archbishop of Canterbury concluded the meeting with a blessing.