Methodist church investigates president and vice-president
The Times reports that the president and vice-president of the Methodist Church in Britain are facing separate investigations into their behaviour and their handling of allegations. The vice-president, Anthony Boateng, has been suspended during inquiries following reported complaints about his behaviour, though he says he has not been told the reasons for the decision and denies any wrongdoing. The Times says that the president, the Rev Graham Thompson, is facing a separate investigation, understood to relate to the management and handling of allegations made within the church. It quotes a church spokeswoman: “The Methodist Church takes all concerns it receives seriously and can confirm that there are separate investigations about the president and vice-president. We are now following our internal processes and it would be inappropriate to comment while these are taking place.” Last month an internal report included an allegation of a “misogynistic and toxic attitude” towards women in the church.
Safeguarding investigation says Hexham and Newcastle Bishop Robert Byrne put people at risk
An investigation conducted by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency has concluded that Robert Byrne, Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 2019 to 2022, tried to find work for a paedophile priest in an overseas charity. He was also found to have appointed a cathedral dean with a history of grooming behaviour. The dean took his own life in 2021 after police looked into an historic allegation of child abuse. The safeguarding investigation also criticised Bishop Byrne’s inappropriate friendship with a priest, known as Father A, who was a frequent visitor to his house despite warnings about his conviction for child sex offences. The bishop resigned in December 2022 saying that the role had become “too great a burden”.
Patron quits Humanists in row over transgender rights
Joan Smith, a patron of Humanists UK, has resigned after a disagreement over proposals to change the way people’s gender is identified. The story begins with last month’s Equality and Human Rights Commission, which observed that “a change to the Equality Act 2010, so that the protected characteristic of ‘sex’ means biological sex, could bring clarity in a number of areas, but potential ambiguity in others”. Humanists UK objected to this, saying in a statement that the proposal would mean that a few thousand people who have legally changed their sex would lose their right to protection on grounds of their legal sex, for example in employment and public services. In an article for Unherd, Joan Smith said she disagreed with Humanists UK statement. She had campaigned for women’s rights all her life. Her decision to resign has been backed by Rosie Duffield MP and Sharron Davies.
Archbishop headlines on church attendance, global leadership and migrant response
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s address and interview at the Religion Media Festival has led to a variety of headlines: The Guardian – Anglican leader does not have to be white guy from England says Justin Welby; The Church Times – Church of England decline is ‘a personal failure’ — Archbishop of Canterbury bares his soul; The Telegraph – The Archbishop of Canterbury doubled down on his criticism of the Government’s plan to tackle small boats;
Conservative wing defeated in Southern Baptist president election
The Southern Baptist Convention has re-elected the Rev Bart Barber, a pastor from Texas, as its president, continuing his office into a second year. The Religion News Service reports that it was the first time in a decade that a sitting president had been challenged, but Barber won with 68 per cent of the vote. His opponent, Mike Stone, is from a more conservative wing of the church decrying its liberal shift and response to abuse allegations, saying that local churches should deal with these cases. The RNS says this was the third defeat in a row for the conservative wing.
Catholic boarding school in Scotland saved after £1.2m fundraising drive
Kilgraston School in Perthshire, Scotland’s only Catholic boarding school, has been saved from closure after parents and supporters raised £1.2m in 48 hours. Only a week earlier, it said it had to close due to financial difficulties after Covid reduced demand from international boarders facing travel restrictions. But after the rescue money was found, the education provider Achieve Group agreed to match funding. The school is based in a large former private house and was founded in 1930 by the Society of the Sacred Hear. It has 217 pupils, 54 acres of parkland and annual fees of £39,000.
Cambridge University scholarship programme for Muslim graduates
Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, and the Aziz Foundation have announced a new scholarship programme to support postgraduate education for students from British Muslim communities. Financial assistance will be offered to address the underrepresentation of British Muslims in postgraduate programmes in law, policy, journalism and media, arts & culture, sustainability, technology and sports.
Climate activists fined for gluing themselves to ancient statue in Rome
A Vatican court convicted two environmental activists of aggravated damage and ordered them to pay more than €28,000 (£24,000) in restitution after they glued their hands to a statue in the Vatican Museums to draw attention to climate change. The pair are members of the Last Generation environmental activist group and their protest involved the base of the Laocoon statue, believed to date from the 1st century BC. They hung up a banner reading “Last Generation: No gas and no carbon”. The prosecuting lawyer they had caused “inestimable” damage to a piece of world artistic and cultural heritage.
New station design to allow religious group to use the tube
Kensington and Chelsea’s planning committee will consider a plan to build an outside archway to South Kensington tube station so that it is compliant with the Kohanim Jewish community’s religious observances. Jewish News reports that the community, numbering 1,500 people, cannot use the tube station because it is connected to the Science Museum which contains human remains. Kohanim Jews, descendants of Temple priests, have a rule that they cannot come into contact with a deceased person, except for immediate family. The proposed design provides an archway breaking up the one roof there at present. Imperial College London and the Exhibition Road Cultural Group representing the many museums in the area have objected on grounds of design and impact on visitors and are seeking more information.
Retired vicar takes a sky dive on his 90th birthday
A retired vicar is planning a sponsored parachute sky dive on his 90th birthday to raise money for the College of St Barnabas almhouse and the adjoining care home in Lingfield, Surrey, where he is resident. Premier Christian News reports that Father Robert Raikes will jump from 10,000ft in tandem, near Maidstone in Kent on 15 July. The almshouse is in the Anglican tradition and is home to ordained and laypeople from many Christian denominations.
