Church Times


Bishops win Lords victory on benefit for ‘voteless’ children BISHOPS led the House of Lords to vote in favour of an amendment excluding child benefit from the proposed cap on benefits in the Welfare Reform Bill. ... Read more	Bishops were wrong to defy Government, Carey writes LORD CAREY, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has attacked the bishops who pushed through the amendment to the Government’s welfare reforms. Read more	Disunity ‘is a real turn-off’ CHRISTIANS of all denominations must do all they can to bring an end to the negative effects of disunity, says the Bishop of Chester Read more

Urgent action needed to avoid famine in W. Africa THE Government and aid agencies warned this week of a looming humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa. Read more	Islamist group is targeting Christians, says Welby “ETHNIC and religious cleansing” of Christians in Nigeria is being carried out by the Islamist group Boko Haram, the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Justin... Read more	‘Leper’ joke to be axed from film THE Leprosy Mission this week welcomed the decision to remove a scene from a film that “made fun” of people with leprosy. Read more

Australian PM berated by bishop AN ASSISTANT Bishop in the diocese of has issued a statement criticising the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, for breaking a promise on gambling... Read more	Photograph: A year on Image from Egypt Read more	Irish Church may divide, Dean warns THE retiring Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the Very Revd Dr Robert MacCarthy has warned of a looming divide in Irish Anglicanism between north... Read more

Image: Refuge Image from the Philippines Read more	Overseas news in brief Chilly; Palestinian home demolished for fifth time; Chinese pastor released unexpectedly; New law in Fiji restricts Methodist worship; Bishop Gandiya... Read more	Photograph: Blaze Damge to an 18th-century church in Bucharest Read more

US churches freed to sack THE US Supreme Court has acknowledged for the first time this month that religious institutions should be exempt from anti-discrimination laws when hiring... Read more	Wounds ‘too fresh’ for ACNA move THE Archbishops of Canterbury and York have suggested that the Church of England and the Anglican Communion should be in “open-ended engagement” with... Read more	Ring of prayer for camp at St Paul’s THE protesters representing the Occupy camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral have until 4 p.m. today to appeal against a High Court ruling that they must... Read more

Funding to Council cut THE Archbishops’ Council announced last month that it had cut its request for funding from dioceses next year by £0.5 million. Read more	Bible-study wins driver three points on licence A WOMAN was fined by police in Scotland earlier this month for reading the Bible while driving along a busy dual carriageway. Read more	New deals to help churches balance books HELP is at hand for churches that are struggling to balance the books during difficult financial times. Read more

Photograph: For sale Victorian oak pews Read more	ASBO for blogger, aged 65 A PENSIONER was banned this week from contacting a Methodist minister for ten years, after making false allegations about him on a blog Read more	Image: Inspired An exhibition of artworks by students from 11 Roman Catholic schools Read more

Area around cathedral to get revamp THE area surrounding Blackburn Cathedral is to undergo a £30-million redevelopment that will include the building of a new Clergy Court Read more	Home news in brief Speak up for strangers, Dr Williams says; Welsh leaders speak out on organ donation; Scots asked to help London homeless Read more	Photo: Vision The Pastor of Theology at St Aldate's Oxford, the Revd Simon Ponsonby, speaks at the Retreat to Advance conference for Christians 18 to 30 Read more

Setback for fund-raisers at Haworth Parish Church Another £50,000 is needed to fund urgently needed repairs to the church where Charlotte and Emily Brontë are buried. Read more	South Sudan: thousands flee violence from ethnic conflict CHRISTIAN Aid said last week that it was assisting people who have been displaced by recent outbreaks of violence in the South Sudanese state of Jonglei... Read more	Drill-sergeant message for ‘cowardly’ Church in the UK CLERICS have rebutted claims by an American pastor that the Church in the UK has a lack of “courageous young Christian preachers” Read more

Photographs: Royal canvas Magnificent paintings at Southwell Minster Read more	Newquay church opens doors to rough-sleepers A PARISH PRIEST branded “the most hated man” in Newquay has won local support for a homeless shelter at his church, Read more

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