Churches and Cathedrals: Sustainability
(Broadland) (Con)
1. What assessment the Church of England has made of the steps
needed to put the maintenance of churches and cathedrals on a
sustainable basis.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The Church estimates that over the next five years at least £1.14
billion of maintenance and repairs are needed for churches and
cathedrals. The Church is very grateful that 550 churches and
cathedrals have already benefited from the culture recovery fund,
but there remains an urgent need for predictable and sustainable
sources of funding, which enable us to keep skilled builders and
craft people in work.
Last week, the listed places of worship grant scheme was extended
until 2025, which I welcome. It is absolutely crucial for
churches such as All Saints in Beighton, in my constituency, and
the repair work on its thatched roof. Almost half the grade I
listed buildings in this country are church buildings. Does my
hon. Friend agree with me that that scheme should be now made
permanent?
I am delighted that the thatched roof of All Saints, Beighton,
has been fixed and that the listed places of worship grant
scheme, which covers the VAT cost, was helpful in achieving that.
The Government have extended that scheme for the next three
years, but in order for churches and cathedrals to continue
contributing some £50 billion a year to national wellbeing, my
hon. Friend is right that we will need to put these repairs on a
sustainable footing. That is why I will be copying this exchange
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Tackling Racial Inequalities
(Battersea) (Lab)
2. What steps the Church of England is taking to help tackle
racial inequalities.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have established the
racial justice commission, chaired by my good friend , in order to help the Church
of England become more like the nation it serves. The commission
is making good progress and will report in 2023. It updates the
archbishops every six months on progress.
Last April, the Church’s anti-racism taskforce published its
final report that included a series of recommendations, including
around participation and representation. However, I am concerned
by a report by the Archbishops’ Council on racial justice,
published this week, that rejects the recommendation to fund
racial justice officers in each diocese and says the
recommendations about shortlisting candidates from a black or
ethnic minority background are unlikely to be met. That is
worrying and unacceptable, as without proper commitment and
investment to increase representation, there will be more decades
of inaction. Does the Commissioner agree with me that there is
role to play to ensure that there are adequate resources to
assist the Church in achieving greater representation?
I agree with the hon. Lady that the Church has not done well
enough in this area in the past, but I am sure that she will be
pleased to learn that, on Tuesday this week, two UK minority
ethnic bishops were consecrated at St Paul’s Cathedral. There are
plans for more UK minority ethnic clergy to take part in House of
Bishops meetings. I am sure that, like me, she will also be
encouraged by the work of the Peter Stream in several dioceses,
which has had great results in broadening both the ethnic and
social diversity of those seeking ordination.
Freedom of Religion or Belief
(Congleton) (Con)
3. What steps the Church of England is taking to promote
freedom of religion or belief.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
It gives me very great pleasure, on behalf of the whole of the
Church of England, to thank my hon. Friend for her hard work as
the Prime Minister’s special envoy for freedom of religion or
belief, and also to congratulate our mutual friend, David
Burrows, on his appointment as her deputy. The Church looks
forward to working with her over the coming months to deliver a
successful international ministerial meeting in London in July,
which will make a real difference to those who suffer because of
their faith or belief.
I thank my hon. Friend for those words and welcome the
international opportunities to champion freedom of religion or
belief at the ministerial conference in London in July, which I
am very proud that the UK is hosting, and at the Lambeth
conference. Will my hon. Friend join me in commending the motion
of the diocese of Lichfield at the forthcoming General Synod that
the Church of England not only prays for the persecuted Church,
but that its dioceses offer support to link dioceses in parts of
the world where the Church is facing persecution, and that the
next Lambeth conference addresses the issues of the persecution
of Christians?
I am only sorry that, unusually, our hon. Friend the Member for
Lichfield () is not in his place to
hear my hon. Friend’s praise for his diocese. She is absolutely
right that the Church of England’s diocesan links around the
globe or Anglican Communion enable that practical help to flow to
those who are suffering because of their faith while also
developing a greater awareness of this horrendous persecution. I
also hope that she will engage directly with the bishops from
areas of persecution at the Lambeth conference later this year.
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
Many of my constituents have written to me to express their
concern about the persecution of Christians across the world. In
particular, Newcastle boasts a large number of Nigerian diaspora
Christians who are concerned following the launch of the Open
Doors’ World Watch List. What can local churches do to support
the promotion of freedom of religion across the world with the
Church of England?
I am particularly grateful to the hon. Lady for mentioning
Nigeria, because the situation there, in many cases, is extremely
challenging for Christians. One practical thing that she could do
is to get the Open Doors’ World Watch List—the map—and send it to
all the churches in her constituency, so that they can put it in
their porch to make sure that everyone is aware of the situation.
That will help them hold her to account, and we all need to hold
the Government and those other countries to account to make sure
that freedom of religion and belief holds.
Parenting and Marriage
(New Forest West) (Con)
4. What steps the Church of England is taking to support
parenting and marriage.
(Reigate) (Con)
11. To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire,
representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of
England is taking to support family relationships, parenting and
marriage.
The Second Church Estates Commissioner ()
The Church is deeply committed to marriage and will always be
there to support every family and household. It is for that
reason that both archbishops have launched a commission on
families and households to look at what more the Church can do to
provide the very best marriage preparation and enrichment and to
strengthen family relationships.
What are the very best examples of preparation and enrichment and
classes for parents, and what is the Church doing to spread it
about?
My right hon. Friend asks a typically astute question, and, like
any national institution, the Church has examples of outstanding
practice, which are not as widely shared as they should be.
Although there is excellent work in every diocese, I have been
particularly impressed by the pre-marriage course, which is also
for couples who are not engaged and want to explore marriage, and
the marriage course run by the Reverend Nicky Lee and his wife,
Sila. These have been run in 127 countries for more than 1.5
million couples and get tremendous feedback.
I hope that my hon. Friend can give me a one-word answer to my
question. Will he confirm what I understand was said by the
, which is that the
Church of England has no objection in principle to suitably
qualified humanist celebrants conducting marriages for those
couples who so wish to make their vows to each other in that way?
I think I can make my hon. Friend at least partially happy
by telling him that the Church of England has no principled
objection to humanist marriage. However, I know he will be aware
that any move from a premises-based system of marriage
registration to a celebrant-based one in England and Wales would
not be a minor reform and would affect everyone involved in
registering marriages. I recognise that Humanists UK have made
alternative suggestions recently; while I can understand his
frustration about progress, he will know that it is for the
Government, not the Church, to make the ultimate judgment on
whether and how the current system should be changed.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
As a former parliamentary churchwarden at St Margaret’s and a lay
canon at Wakefield, I remind the hon. Gentleman that there is a
vibrant and lively Christians in Parliament group where some of
the specific issues he has mentioned this morning could be better
discussed. Could he get more involved in that and help us to get
more hon. Members involved?
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. I am a former chair of
Christians in Parliament, which is ably run by our colleague, my
hon. Friend the Member for South West Devon ( ), and I participate in its
meetings. I am glad the hon. Gentleman has given it wider
publicity in these questions.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his response. I am a great
believer in marriage, as you are, Mr Speaker. I have 34 years of
married life—my wife has stuck me for 34 years, so well done to
her. I know the hon. Gentleman is equally committed to helping
people stay married and stay in happy relationships. What is the
Church doing to ensure that, where there are breakdowns and
grievances, it can step in to help to resolve those issues and
make the marriage last?
I thank the hon. Gentleman; sadly, some marriages cannot be
saved, but he is right that many marriages, with the appropriate
help and support, can be saved. All marriages go through
difficult times, and he is right to say that that is an important
role for the Church of England.
Christians: Middle East
(Eastbourne) (Con)
6. What recent assessment the Church of England has made of the
level of threats to Christians in the Middle East.
I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who I know takes issues of
religious persecution very seriously indeed. We know from Open
Doors and others of the extreme persecution suffered by
Christians in, for example, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria,
Qatar and Egypt.
I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. As the newly elected chair
of the all-party parliamentary group on Christianity in the Holy
Land, I am grateful for the attention of Members of this House,
the media and faith leaders across the world on the challenges
that Christians face in the Holy Land and in the middle east more
widely, as he expressed. I welcome the public assurances from
President Herzog and Interior Minister Shaked that Israel will
support the Christians of the Holy Land, but may I ask what
efforts the Church of England is making to work with Her
Majesty’s Government to ensure that Jerusalem—a home to the three
Abrahamic faith communities and, indeed, the religious capital of
the world—is a place where Christian individuals and institutions
can continue to flourish and thrive?
I know that, like me, my hon. Friend is deeply conscious that
this is Holocaust Memorial Day. I can tell her that there are
many strong relationships enabling the church to support
Christians and churches in Jerusalem, the land where Jesus
walked. Last year, the diocese of Southwark signed a covenant
agreement with the diocese of Jerusalem, opening new
opportunities for pilgrimage, prayer and mutual support. The
goes to Jerusalem often
and is in regular contact with our consul general and with
Ministers in London about what can be done to ensure the peace of
Jerusalem so that all faiths can flourish in the Holy Land.
Gay and Lesbian Relationships
(Kingston upon Hull North)
(Lab)
7. For what reason the Church of England has not made provision
to enable a church blessing of gay and lesbian relationships.
The Church of England’s doctrine defines marriage as between one
man and one woman, and changing doctrine is a serious matter that
involves humbly seeking to discern the mind of God. The Church of
England is engaging intensively with questions of identity,
sexuality, relationships and marriage in ways that have not been
done before. That process of learning, listening and discernment
among clergy and congregations is enabling a deep engagement with
difference and diversity as part of the Church’s discernment of a
way forward.
I was interested to hear what the hon. Member said about
supporting families and households, because in Wales and
Scotland, there are blessings for lesbian and gay marriages,
which shows the Churches’ acceptance and understanding of all
households and families. It would be good for the Church of
England to introduce a Measure on this issue sooner rather than
later, as we know that it often moves at a glacial pace, as it
did on ordaining women and having women bishops. This would be a
welcome change for the Church to make.
I thank the right hon. Lady for the question. What she suggests
may be welcome, but the Church needs to discern what it believes
the true teachings of the gospels to be. In order to determine
where God is leading us, we are engaged in one of the most
extensive exercises in consultation, learning and prayer carried
out by the Church in recent decades. Both the destination and how
we get there are important.
