Church
Commissioners
The hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the
Church Commissioners, was asked—
(Penistone
and Stocksbridge) (Con)
What steps the Church of England is taking to support family life
during the covid-19 lockdown. [902783]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
With no access to our church buildings, considerable innovation
by the clergy has seen the creation of virtual prayer services,
school assemblies, study groups, fellowship meetings and craft
workshops. That is in addition to online church services,
bereavement counselling, marriage preparation and marriage
support.
[V]
In normal times, churches engage with thousands of parents and
children each week through playgroups, coffee mornings, church
services and youth groups, providing support to families across
all sections of society. In my constituency, groups such as these
have been a lifeline to many families, including my own. During
this crisis, what steps are churches taking to remain in contact
with these families, particularly to support parents as they
continue to raise children in very difficult circumstances?
I am so pleased to hear how the work of the church benefits my
hon. Friend’s family and the families of many of her Penistone
and Stocksbridge constituents. I also recommend that families
check out the Faith at Home video resources of the Church of
England, which nurture a growing faith and this month focus on
hope, courage, love and humility—all qualities that we need at
work and in the community, as well as at home.
Clergy’s Access to Churches
(Broadland) (Con)
What assessment the Commissioners have made of the implications
for the access of clergy to their churches of the most recent
Government advice on covid-19. [902784]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
Clergy can now return to their churches to pray and live-stream
services. For the time being, churches must remain closed for
public worship, as set out in law. The Government set out their
ambition to reopen places of worship from 4 July, subject to
further scientific advice. No place of worship will be able to
reopen before a final decision by the Government, the necessary
changes to the legal position in the published regulations and
the accompanying decision by the diocesan bishop, which will take
into account local circumstances.
[V]
During this national crisis, there has been a vital role for the
established Church to represent the concerns and fears of the
whole nation. Does my hon. Friend agree that the physical
presence of a parish church, open for prayer and attended by its
priests, is an important signal that we are not alone in our
struggle? Health workers, care workers, bin collectors, posties
and now all those who are unable to undertake their work from
home have been asked to accept additional personal risk to carry
out their important work for the health and wellbeing of the
nation. Should our clergy not be allowed to provide the same
level of service to their—[Inaudible.]
Mr Speaker
Whatever you can answer of that.
I very much agree with my hon. Friend about the physical presence
of churches, but while our buildings may be closed, the Church is
very much alive and has been astonishingly present in the midst
of suffering and need, providing comfort, inspiration and a great
deal of practical help. Those who allege that we have done
nothing or vacated the field are not correct.
Buildings, Liturgy and Worship: Adaptation
(Congleton)
(Con)
What representations the Church of England has received on the
adaptation of its buildings, liturgy and worship prior to their
reopening after the covid-19 lockdown. [902785]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The House of Bishops guidance issued on 5 May shows that the
Church of England is committed to reopening buildings in a phased
and measured manner, in accordance with the legal position. We
are working with the Government and representatives of the
heritage planning sector to assess the need for building
adaptations related to public health.
[V]
Polling shows that during the current crisis, one in four adults,
and one in three of 16 to 30-year-olds, have joined a religious
service remotely. Does my hon. Friend welcome that, and what is
the Church doing to ensure that this continues more widely, even
after lockdown?
I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing those figures to
the House’s attention and I welcome them very warmly,
particularly the large viewing figures among younger people. She
is absolutely right that the Church will need to keep up a
significant online presence well after lockdown has finished.
Support for People in Need
(South Holland
and The Deepings) (Con)
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing
the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is
taking with (a) the Government and (b) other faith groups to
support people in need. [902787]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The priority for the Church has been to continue its vital
service to those in material and spiritual need in all
communities despite the restrictions imposed. Bishops and the
Church are in regular contact with Ministers, and to this end the
Church is represented on two Cabinet Office taskforces.
Mr Speaker
With a fantastic collection of Wisden cricket books, we go to
.
[V]
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have many interests, including cricket,
as you do I know.
The smaller charities are struggling because of fundraising
difficulties in the current crisis. Will my hon. Friend look at
how the Church can work with those charities? It is true that our
churches have closed, but the Church has many buildings—church
halls and so on—that might be made available. Fellowship and
faith are so important at this time, as is our charitable work. I
wonder if he can help.
All food bank work in churches continues. For example, Christ
Church in Eastbourne is feeding 200 people breakfast in its car
park; churches in Alston Moor are delivering groceries in a
refrigerated van; and St Luke’s in Buckfastleigh has delivered 18
sets of hearing aids among other items. There are wonderful
examples of what the Church is doing, and no doubt that is
happening in South Holland and the Deepings as well.
Clergy Discipline Process
(Darlington) (Con)
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing
the Church Commissioners, what steps the Commissioners are taking
to review the clergy discipline process. [902791]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
I recognise my hon. Friend’s experience in dealing with these
difficult issues. The operation of the clergy discipline measure
is currently being reviewed, and it is hoped that less serious
complaints could be referred initially to mediation or
alternative dispute resolution, which would allow complaints to
be dealt with more expediently and effectively.
[V]
Research has shown that the clergy discipline process leaves many
members of our clergy vulnerable and, in some deeply saddening
cases, has driven them to take their lives. What steps are the
Church Commissioners taking to review these processes and to
provide the right mental health support to those clergy subject
to discipline, particularly where such discipline arises from a
spurious or malicious allegation? Will my hon. Friend reassure
the House that the Church Commissioners will provide our clergy
with the support they need during the process?
Our hope is that the proposals under consideration, which I have
just outlined, will mitigate the possible detriment to
respondents from complaints that may be unfounded. Freeing
bishops from direct judicial involvement in disciplinary matters
will enable them more easily to offer the pastoral support my
hon. Friend refers to. We are also exploring how to supplement
ecclesiastical legal aid to support those responding to
complaints.
Remote Access to Church Services
(Chipping
Barnet) (Con)
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing
the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is
taking to maintain remote access to church services during the
covid-19 outbreak. [902793]
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
I can tell my right hon. Friend that the Archbishop of
Canterbury’s Easter day sermon was listened to by 5 million
people and that the Alexa Church app has had a 70% increase in
usage in the last month. Perhaps most notably, “The UK Blessing”,
co-ordinated by Gas Street Church, Birmingham, has been
downloaded 2.6 million times, and according to the Prime Minister
is a sensational singing masterpiece to which he has awarded a
point of light.
I warmly welcome the huge efforts going into ensuring that people
have remote access to church services, but there are some
situations when that is not a substitute for meeting in places of
worship with one’s family, so can I urge the Church Commissioners
and my hon. Friend to speed up the introduction of small-scale
funerals within churches, with social distancing observed,
because of the comfort they can bring to people bereaved by this
terrible crisis?
I know what a deeply difficult issue this is. The Church will
work with the Government on these issues to do safely what my
right hon. Friend asks. She will be aware that cleaning in many
of our churches is done by volunteers, some of whom are elderly
and may have difficulty coming in between funerals, but the point
she makes is very valid and has absolutely been noted.
Support for Hospital Chaplains
(Arundel and South Downs)
(Con)
What support the Church of England provides to hospital chaplains
in the course of their ministry to the sick during the covid-19
outbreak. [902794]
I thank my hon. Friend for his interest in and concern for our
hospital chaplains, who have done such amazing work in recent
months. The Church works closely with the College of Healthcare
Chaplains to ensure support for our chaplains. Anglican
chaplains, while being required to hold a bishop’s licence, are
actually employees of the trusts they serve, not the Church of
England.
[V]
I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. Sadly, I was touched by
the virus with the loss of my father, and Father John Diver of St
Lawrence’s parish in Sidcup was a source of great comfort to him
and my family at a difficult time. Would the Church Commissioner
join me in recording our gratitude to hospital chaplains and to
the clergy of all faiths?
I know that the whole House would want to extend our deepest
condolences to my hon. Friend for the very sad loss of his
father. What he says about all chaplains is absolutely right, and
the has himself
been volunteering as a chaplain at St Thomas’s Hospital. I thank
him very much for his kind comments, which will be deeply
appreciated.
Church of England Schools: Support for Children and Parents
(Westmorland and Lonsdale)
(LD)
What steps Church of England schools have taken to support
children and parents during the covid-19 lockdown. [902795]
I would like to thank very warmly and pay tribute to all the
teachers and staff in Church schools who are providing teaching
and care for children at this difficult time. They have moved
rapidly to provide online lessons and resources, and are looking
after children of key workers and overseeing the distribution of
free school meal vouchers. The Church is also delighted to have
partnered with the Oak National Academy to provide assemblies and
weekly collective worship.
[V]
Here in Cumbria and the South Lakes, headteachers of Church
schools—in fact, of all schools—do want to return on 1 June, but
of course they see protecting the safety of their school
community as their first and primary responsibility. Will the
hon. Gentleman make strong representations to the Department for
Education about supporting those schools that decide to stay
closed for the time being for safety reasons, especially given
new Government guidance against schools using flexible approaches
for returning pupils?
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. In addition to being
Second Church Estates Commissioner, I am a governor myself of a
Church school, and I actually attended a governors meeting by
Zoom early this morning looking at exactly these issues. I hear
what the hon. Gentleman says, and I will make sure that his
comments are fed in. I know that the Department for Education is
taking these issues very seriously and will proceed cautiously,
as we would all expect it to do.
