Basingstoke Methodist Circuit

Church of England News

1. Results of House of Bishops’ election for CNC
   The Bishop of Gloucester and the Bishop of Carlisle have been voted onto the Crown Nominations Commission, CNC, the body that will nominate the next Archbishop of Canterbury. This result of the vote by the House of Bishops completes the make-up of the 16 member voting body of the CNC.
2. “Send your Holy Spirit to light up our lives” – Torch Relay prayers released
   Two new prayers, released today at www.olympics.churchofengland.org, are to ‘accompany’ the Torch Relay on its tour of England. They will be used by many of the CofE’s 16,000 churches publicly as the Torch makes its 70-day tour of the nation, travelling within an hour of 95 per cent of people in the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey.
3. Government agrees £30 million extra to resolve VAT concerns
   The Church of England has welcomed today's agreement with the Government over the future funding of alterations and repairs to its 12,500 listed buildings, which will provide £30 million a year extra money. This is on top of the £12 million already in the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS).
4. Inspection report on Ridley Hall published
   The Church of England has published an inspection report on Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
5. Church Commissioners announce annual results for 2011
   The Church Commissioners have today published their full Annual Report and Accounts for 2011, announcing a 2.9 per cent total return on their investments during 2011 and confirming the fund’s strong long-term performance.
6. Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, elected to the Crown Nominations Commission
   The Most Revd Dr Barry Morgan, Primate of The Church in Wales, has been elected to serve on the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury, the body that will nominate the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
7. Welcome for Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill
   The CofE's ethical investment advisory group and rural affairs team have welcomed the Groceries Code Adjudicator Bill included in the Queen’s Speech, saying ‘supermarkets operating ethically and appropriately with their farmer and other suppliers will have nothing to fear from this welcome piece of legislation’.
8. Church Commissioners appoint Chief Operating Officer
   The Church Commissioners have appointed Jozek Fiedosiuk as Chief Operating Officer for their investment activities.
9. Canterbury Diocese elects six representatives to serve on the Crown Nominations Commission
   Following a vote by members of Canterbury Diocese's Vacancy-in-See Committee, six representatives have been elected to serve on the Crown Nominations Commission, the body responsible for the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
10. Diamond Jubilee New Testament a ‘bestseller’ as more than 400,000 ordered by UK Churches as gift for the nation
    Since going on sale in the first week of April, more than 400,000 copies of the Diamond Jubilee New Testament have been ordered by churches of all denominations around the UK and other countries too – more than double the expected amount. Due to the success of the project, the deadline for ordering has been extended to 14th May at 12 noon, for delivery by 30th May.