Following a recent announcement that places of worship could reopen for individual private prayer from June 15, the Government has now revised the date in guidance just published to June 13.

The Church Commissioners for England today reiterated support for the climate-related shareholder resolution, filed against the board of ExxonMobil, and calls on Exxon not to block the resolution going to a vote in 2020. 

Changes to the legal aid system have left some of the most vulnerable groups in society without access to the justice system, the General Synod heard today.

The House of Bishops COVID-19 recovery group has shared draft guidelines for when funerals, weddings, baptisms and individual private prayer can recommence in church buildings.

With churches now beginning the process of reopening initially for individual private prayer and funerals, church weddings however are still not permitted at present - under the Government’s restrictions to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

The Bishop of Huddersfield, Jonathan Gibbs was announced as the Church of England’s new lead safeguarding bishop in February 2020, taking over from Bishop Peter Hancock, the Bishop of Bath and Wells. In March 2022 it was announced that Bishop Jonathan was to be the next Bishop of Rochester but as planned would continue as the lead safeguarding bishop until the end of March 2023.

The Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, has welcomed an announcement from the Gambling Commission that consumers will no longer be able to use credit cards to gamble from April 2020.

Work is underway in all 42 dioceses on the Church of England's Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) with a key focus on listening to survivors who want to come forward. The Church was criticised for not including their voices in the original PCR 2007/8 as shown in an independent scrutiny report, published in 2018.

Read the statement for more information.

A new system of targeted sanctions could be used against the perpetrators of “gross human rights abuses” on the Uighur people in China, a bishop has told the House of Lords.