Seeker

The Archbishop of Canterbury has recently invited the 37 Archbishops of the world-wide Anglican Communion to gather in January. The purpose of this gathering is "to reflect and pray together concerning the future of the Anglican Communion." Justin Welby's statement about this invitation is here.  The big questions are Who will actually come? (A similarly meeting in 2011 had significant absentees) Will it be of any value and if so what and how? Some media reactions to Archbishop Justin's initiative have called it a "summons". It is not a summons. It is an invitation. The Archbishop of Canterbury does not have the authority of a pope. In relation to the other Archbishops he is 'primus inter pares' (first among equals) - in other words a symbolic leader. The Anglican Church is not a global institution with corporate governance. Each province operates independently and is loosely linked as a Communion. The Anglican Communion was descri...

When did Christianity first come to Britain? Certainly not with the missionary monk St Augustine of Canterbury. In the Church of England it is his day today - more of Augustine, 1st Archbishop of Canterbury in a moment. Pictured in this stained glass with blond hair and pale complexion, Augustine looks more like an Anglo-Saxon than the Italian born immigrant that he was.  There are medieval traditions (and legends) of Christians in Roman Briton in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. There is good evidence that by the 3rd and 4th centuries there were churches and bishops in the British Isles. Augustine of Canterbury (not to be confused with Augustine of Hippo ) was certainly not the first Christian missionary in this small corner of northern Europe. On the old Roman Road from Dover to London was an ancient Celtic town on the River Stour which the Romans developed into the walled city of Canterbury as a centre for Roman regional government. At the time when Pope Gregory sent a g...

'Baptism' or 'christening' will be much in the news tomorrow because of a certain event involving the British royal household.   I was encouraged by this well made video. Justin Welby can't say in just over 5 minutes all that could be said about Christian baptism, but it's a welcoming introduction. I would recommend any new parent wondering about baptism/christening for their child or themselves to take a look at it as a starter. (You can read more about Christian baptism as practised in the Church of England here .) A yearning to mark significant life events with rituals involving family and friends is a universal human need. For those with some belief in God there is often a desire for "bringing God into the middle of it all", whether that is for a birth, marriage or death. God is already there of course but we often need help in articulating and knowing that. And we need help to turn towards God who is always drawing us to himself. Th...

Justin Welby was named this morning as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, which was no surprise after the media leaks of the last few days. It does seem he was surprised to be asked. And no doubt rather daunted. Many others more eloquent and informed than I am have published their reactions. Here's my brief 2-pennyworth. I was encouraged by his opening statement at the press conference at Lambeth Palace this morning. He began with one of my favourite prayers "Come Holy Spirit to the hearts of your people  and kindle in them the fire of your love." Speaking of the future of the church he expressed optimism and said: "We will certainly get things wrong, but the grace of God is far greater than our biggest failures." You can see the video or read the full text on the Archbishop of Canterbury website here.  Image Credit: weather vane, Lambeth Palace by sczscz: Creative Commons License

When the name of the next Archbishop of Canterbury is officially announced, possibly tomorrow, the news will feel like old news. Since bookmakers closed betting on this at the start of the week, gossipers have been harder at work than ever.  Rumours about who has been chosen have been widely published in the press, radio and TV today and yesterday and many clergy have tweeted and blogged about the leaked name. Even the BBC today announced the (presumed) identity of the next Archbishop of Canterbury designate. The headline on the BBC website looks like an announcement but the reporter is careful to say 'it is thought...' - thus confirming that that even the once trusted BBC is reporting a leak, or gossip or speculation. Shame on you BBC. The Church of England website has joined in the gossip by publishing several links to speculative articles and comment in today's Daily Media Briefing . I suppose it's all about everyone racing to be the first with the news and in...

Who will be nominated as the proposed next Archbishop of Canterbury? I have no idea.  I don't envy the members of the Crown Nominations Committee meeting, now in the 2nd day of their final discussion on this matter. I wonder how they are getting on. Are they stumped? Does @trustTomi on Twitter have secret information? Is that why she composed her fun limerick?  Probably not, but I like it, so here it is: There was once a church: C of E. That sought it's next AB of C. To carry the baton, and put the big hat on. The bookies are stumped, so are we. If the members of CNC are stumped and remembering the candidate doesn't have to be a bishop yet, perhaps they might consider an unlikely candidate. How about Rowan Atkinson ? This would ensure:  Continuity of tradition - a Rowan succeeded by a Rowan. He's popular and understood even by people who don't understand English - look at his performance playing with the orchestra in the Olympics 2012 opening ceremony. ...