19 May 2013

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About The Bishop of London

Richard Chartres became the 132nd Bishop of London in November 1995. As well as being the diocesan bishop he is Chairman of the Church Buildings Division of the Church of England, and the CofE Shrinking the Footprint campaign. He deputises for the Archbishop of Canterbury as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Church Commissioners. He is also responsible on behalf of the Archbishop for relations with the Orthodox Churches.

Maundy Thursday Eucharist, 10.30am, 28th March with Renewal of Ordination Vows and the Blessing of Oils

13 March 2013 By

I found myself on Monday, Commonwealth Day, standing in the falling snow at the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill. It was a simple ceremony which remembered the five million men and women from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Africa and the Caribbean who served in the forces of the Crown in the two World Wars.

It was unnecessary to say too much to those gathered there in the cold, but I recalled how 70 years ago in 1943 the uncle after whom I am named was killed on active service with 1st battalion 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles. He was 22 and died with a number of his Gurkha comrades in one of the battles of the Italian campaign.

It is a deep human truth that many people over the millennia have sacrificed their existence, not for some abstract idea however noble, but for their comrades or for their families. The words of Jesus echo through the centuries of courage and sacrificial living and dying: “greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know:
But oh, my Friend,
My Friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend.

So once again we enter into the yearly rehearsal of our Lord’s passion and respond in offering our lives in his service.

It is always moving to see so many clergy and Readers in the Cathedral on Maundy Thursday supported by such an impressive body of lay Christians. It is a day when we can rejoice in the diversity that God has given us and as clergy, renew our ordination vows, pray for the people we serve and bless the oils used in our ministry.

My brother bishops and I hope you will join us. All are welcome: clergy and people together rejoicing in the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus who laid down his life for his friends.

Practical Arrangements for Clergy and Licensed Ministers

Time: all robing in the Chapel of St Faith in the Crypt by 10.15 am at the latest. Enter by northwest crypt door – congregation only through West doors.

Robing: cassock, surplice, and if it is your tradition, white stole for clergy, scarf for Readers and Lay Ministers.

Oil Distribution: collect vials from the Crypt after the Eucharist – please wash and return empty containers from last year and leave them in the receptacles in the Crypt.

Deputies: a parish or chaplaincy representative may collect oils on behalf of the priest. Oils are available from the Virgers throughout the year should you require further supplies.

Coffee will be served in the Nelson Chamber after divesting.

Filed Under: Ad clerum

Lent Appeal 2013 letter

9 January 2013 By

In April of last year I had the great pleasure of hosting members of the 2010 Brazilian street child team as they came to London to kick us off on the road to the 2014 Rio de Janeiro Street Child World Cup.

Sixteen teams of street children from five continents will come together in Rio. They will not only represent their countries (such as Egypt, South Africa, Brazil, Philippines, Ukraine, India and hopefully Mozambique) but millions of street children around the world. Together these children will use this global platform to challenge negative perceptions and to highlight the treatment of street children around the world.

I am so glad that we are able to make the Amos Trust and the Street Child World Cup the focus of our Diocesan Lent Appeal for 2013. There are resources, including films, for use in the parish and school available from Amos Trust and the Street Child World Cup websites.

Filed Under: Ad clerum, Lent Appeal

Christmas letter 2012

21 December 2012 By

On Friday of last week Sister Theresa Capel died peacefully and at a great age. She was one of the last members of the Church Army to have known its founder, Prebendary Wilson Carlile, a priest of the Diocese of London who had stepped outside the walls of the church where he was a curate to fan the rumour of God on the streets, and who had then returned to breathe new life into a City church as Rector of St Mary-at-Hill.

Theresa Capel embodied the spirit of the Church Army at its best. She had been a Chaplain at Strangeways Gaol and served at the Training College where Terry Waite told me she was regarded with awe and even a little fear. She was strenuous and unsentimental, and I knew her where she worked for most of her life, in a hostel for homeless women. She had no blood relatives but she had an enormous family of women, together with whom she made a home. It is a philosophy which gave way to a more developmental concept of hostel care, but there will always be a need for some people of a secure and loving shelter from the buffets of the world and this Theresa Capel built.

She was very clear-sighted about the perils which lie around us. I remember meeting her in a supermarket where, after a few words, she darted over to the checkout with a cry of “Oh no you don’t!” and extracted a bottle of gin from the basket of an alcoholic resident.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Ad clerum, Christmas, Featured articles

Capital Vision 2020: update

12 December 2012 By

In April this year we began a journey together to renew our vision for serving Jesus Christ in this great World City over the coming years. This will become our Capital Vision 2020. We have sought to listen to what the Spirit is saying to us in the life of London, to reflect on where we focus effort and resources at the moment, and to ask in what ways we need to rethink and act differently for the future.

Over 1,500 people across the Diocese have been involved in discussions on these three questions. Using resources from www.capitalvision2020.com, being challenged by the ‘vox pops’ on what London is saying to the church, and reflecting on London trends, these discussions have taken place over cream teas, Chinese takeaways, drinks parties, in Deanery Synods, Chapters and Area Councils, with chaplains, 2012 Ambassadors, childrens’ and youth workers, in PCC away days, staff meetings and in churches. Others responded via the online survey, tweeted during the Clergy Study Summit, sent a letter, an email, or simply telephoned.

Hats off to everyone who has contributed in so many different ways to this consultation. I am particularly grateful to the Area Deans who have invigorated participation in each deanery. A number of you have commented that simply being involved in this consultation and answering the questions has been both encouraging and challenging. The overall quality and spirit of the responses, the discussions I have had personally, have all been hugely inspiring.

I have sensed that above and beyond our diversity there has been a new spirit of purposefulness and urgency in working together for the sake of Jesus Christ in London.

What next?

All the contributions are being collated and a number of broad themes are emerging. They are:

  • Confident in speaking and living the gospel of Jesus Christ
  • Compassionate in serving our communities with the love of God the Father
  • Creative in reaching new people and places with the Good News in the power of the Spirit.

Through further discussion and listening, we will seek to discern a small number of priorities. These will be the areas where we as a Diocese must be sharper, more purposeful and more imaginative. My hope and prayer is that they will be ‘owned’ by the whole Diocese.

Over the coming months, in addition, we will look to identify a number of projects that will help us to move forward together on our priorities between now and 2020.

Of course our projects will represent only a fraction of our day to day mission and ministry. We will flag up the core activities and continuities to which we remain committed and which constitute the context in which the projects will be undertaken.

This distillation process will continue until Capital Vision 2020 is presented to the Diocesan Synod in March, and launched at a great assembly in St Paul’s Cathedral on 6th June 2013.

There is still much to do and I hope you will join me in praying that the outcome of this consultation will not merely be words on pages, but lives and communities transformed by the love of Jesus Christ who is to be everywhere worshipped and adored.

Filed Under: Ad clerum

Opening of St Mellitus St Jude’s hub | St Jude Courtfield Gardens

27 November 2012 By

The Bishop of London presents the Revd Dr Graham Tomlin with an Icon of St PaulWhen Synodical squalls have been relegated to a footnote in some dusty tome or dimming e-book, what we do this evening will be remembered as the beginning of a significant movement in the life of the Christian community in this world city and beyond.

Just as small flocks of scare crow scholars in the mediaeval warm period combined to give birth to Oxford and Cambridge, so strictly informal, sneaker shod students in this modern wet period have come together to fill this place with new life.

This church was built in a period of Christian confidence in the London of the 1870′s. It was financed by a generous lay benefactor the glove manufacturer John Derby Allcroft who went on to commission St Matthew’s Bayswater which has also recently been filled with new vision.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Sermons and addresses

New Prebendaries

7 November 2012 By

I am very pleased to announce that The Revd John Hawkins, The Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, The Revd Michael Moorhead and The Revd Jonathan Osborne have accepted my invitation to become prebendaries of St Paul’s Cathedral.

John Hawkins served his title in Birmingham before coming to Poplar in 1992. He became Vicar of St John’s Hendon in 1999 and added responsibility for St Matthias, Colindale in 2007. As well as strenuously developing parish life he served as an energetic Area Dean of Barnet until 2009 and stimulated much creative activity as Chair of the London Olympics Focus Group. John will succeed Adrian Benjamin as Prebendary of Ealdstreet.

Rose Hudson-Wilkin spent seven years in the Diocese of Lichfield before becoming Vicar of Holy Trinity with St Philip Dalston and All Saints Haggerston in 1998. She was appointed a Chaplain to the Queen in 2008 and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons in 2010 where she makes a very significant contribution to our national life. Rose comes originally from Montego Bay, Jamaica and has been a champion for minority ethnic concerns both in Lichfield and London. Rose will succeed Steve Cox as Prebendary of Holywell alias Finsbury.

Michael Moorhead served his title at St Augustine Kilburn in 1983 and in 1987 moved to Willesden, becoming Vicar of Harlesden in 1989. He has been a great trainer, developing pastoral and preaching gifts amongst the laity as well as caring for many cohorts of curates as Director of Post Ordination Training. He has had a significant role in developing John Keble School and with boundless energy has been chaplain to Willesden Hospital and the local Air Training Corps as well as exercising his ministry as a family therapist and counsellor of fellow clergy. Michael will succeed John Root as Prebendary of Wilsden.

Jonathan served his title in St Albans before moving into hospital chaplaincy in Ealing in 2000. He was a very active member of the healthcare chaplaincy network in the Diocese. Since 2010 he has significantly developed the role of Chaplain to the Metropolitan Police, acting as a critical and supportive friend at the highest levels while being available throughout the force and promoting local chaplaincies. Jonathan Osborne will succeed Andy Windross as Prebendary of Ealdland.

John, Rose, Michael and Jonathan are representative of so many priests and lay men and women who work tirelessly in this Diocese serving our Lord Jesus Christ, the people of God and all who live and work in this great City. “I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.”

I hope many of you will join us at Evensong on Sunday 3 March at 3.15pm to welcome these new prebendaries as they are installed in the Cathedral.

Filed Under: Ad clerum, People

New Bishop of Fulham

31 October 2012 By

Downing Street has announced this morning that Jonathan Baker, currently Bishop of Ebbsfleet, has been appointed to succeed John Broadhurst in the Bishopric of Fulham. He will be moving to St Dunstan in the West Church in Fleet Street which will be the base for his ministry.

Bishop Jonathan grew up in Pinner in Middlesex, and as a boy attended the parish church of St Edmund the King, Northwood Hills, in the Willesden Episcopal Area of the Diocese of London. He was ordained deacon in 1993 and priest in 1994 in the Diocese of Oxford, and served in parish ministry in that diocese from 1993 – 2002, including seven years as parish priest of the Holy Trinity, Reading and St Mark’s, Reading. In 2003 he was appointed Principal of Pusey House in Oxford. Pusey House offers a pastoral ministry to students in the University of Oxford together with research and formational resources rooted in the revival of catholic teaching and practice within the Church of England known as the ‘tractarian’ or Oxford Movement.

I believe Bishop Jonathan will be a great asset to the London Team. He has already indicated his willingness to play the fullest possible part in the life of the whole Diocese as well as caring for the Fulham Parishes in London, Southwark and Rochester.

I am extremely grateful to the Bishop of Edmonton for carrying the heat and burden of the day, not only in the Edmonton Area where he had been serving for some time without archidiaconal support, but in the Fulham constituency in our region.

The formal date for a transfer of responsibilities will be Ash Wednesday, 13th February next year, and I hope very soon to be able to let you know about the programme of welcome and induction.

Filed Under: Ad clerum, Featured articles, People

Statement following House of Bishops discussion

12 September 2012 By

It was a very good meeting indeed. There was a very high degree of convergence and agreement.

Official statement from the Church of England:

The House of Bishops has today by an overwhelming majority settled the text of the legislation to enable women to become bishops in the Church of England.

The House of Bishops made clear its desire for the draft legislation to be passed into law when it goes forward for final approval to the Church of England’s General Synod in November.

Speaking on behalf of the House at the conclusion of their meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams said:

“Before turning to the matters we have been discussing, I want to say, on behalf of the Bishops, that our thoughts and prayers are very much with the people of Liverpool and all affected by the Hillsborough tragedy on this day when the report is released. The Bishop of Liverpool has done a great service in steering this work to a conclusion and helping us as a nation to confront this deeply traumatic memory.”

Dr Williams continued:

“Since women were first made priests in the Church of England in 1994, their ministry has hugely enriched both church and society. It has become increasingly clear to most of us that barring women from becoming bishops is an anomaly that should be removed, for the good of the Church’s mission and service.

“In July this year, the General Synod asked the House of Bishops to reconsider an alteration it had made to the proposed legislation on this subject. The Bishops have taken very seriously the anxieties expressed about the possible implications of their amendment and there has been widespread consultation since then. We are very grateful for all the points and suggestions offered by synod members and others.

“In light of this consultation, the Bishops have discussed the measure again and are now bringing forward a new text that expresses both our conviction of the need to see this legislation passed and our desire to honour the conscience and contribution of those in the Church of England whose reservations remain.

“It is particularly significant and welcome that the new text emerged not from the House of Bishops itself but rather from a serving woman priest.

“I hope all members of Synod will now reflect carefully on what the Bishops have decided and will continue to give thought and prayer to how they will vote in November.”

“I am convinced that the time has come for the Church of England to be blessed by the ministry of women as bishops and it is my deep hope that the legislation will pass in November.”

At its meeting in July the General Synod asked the House of Bishops to reconsider a provision in the legislation – Clause 5(1)(c) of the draft measure.

The new amendment submitted by the Rev. Janet Appleby during the consultation process received overwhelming support from the House of Bishops in both their discussions and in the final vote.

In discussion the Bishops welcomed the simplicity of the new text, its emphasis on respect and the process of dialogue with parishes that it will promote.

The final text proposed by the House of Bishops is:

Substitute for the words in clause 5(1)(c):” the selection of male bishops and male priests in a manner which respects the grounds on which parochial church councils issue Letters of Request under section 3″

The House also agreed to establish a group to develop the illustrative draft Code of Practice published in January to give effect to the new provision.

Filed Under: Women Bishops

Message to Olympic Volunteers

13 August 2012 By

It has been good for us all to have a holiday from cynicism. I was glad last night to be a guest with the Bishop of Stepney at the party in the arena to celebrate the success of London 2012.

There were heartfelt tributes from the organisers to the tens of thousands of volunteers. They have contributed immeasurably to creating the cheerful and welcoming atmosphere in London these last few days. We prayed at the all-night vigil in St Martin-in-the-Fields for a genuine Olympic truce and both in the athletes’ village and on the streets we have had a taste of what things could be like if we lived all the time as we have prayed.

My thoughts last night as we sang – “always look on the bright side” – were with our own 2012 or rather the 2,700 young people who were commissioned in that unforgettable service in St Paul’s as ambassadors for Christ to serve in this Olympic season and beyond. I know that many of the things we have done together as a Church to support the cultural and sporting programme for these Games and for the Paralympics to come at the end of the month would not have been possible without your enthusiasm and hard work – thank you.

St Paul refers to the ancient games in his letter to Corinth. He notes that many people run the race but that only one can win the prize. Without seeking to undermine the Prime Minister’s emphasis on the virtues of competition I think that you all deserve a medal.

Filed Under: Olympics, the2012

Rio+20 reflections from the Halki Summit on Global Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability | Istanbul June 18-20

20 June 2012 By

In his essay Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren written in 1930, John Maynard Keynes predicted a four to eightfold increase in the standard of living which would put “the economic problem within sight of solution”. In consequence we should be able to satisfy our needs without having to work more than three hours a day. The possibility was that we would learn to use our extra leisure to live “wisely and agreeably and well”.

Keynes first prediction was astonishingly accurate. Per capita economic growth averages 400% across rich countries since he made the forecast. All of us here are witnesses to the un-fulfilment of the second part of the prophecy.

The reason for this is discussed in a significant book to be published later this month. The authors, Robert Skidelsky, the economic historian, and his son Edward, an academic philosopher, argue that the problem of the non fulfilment of Keynes second prophecy is material insatiability. The incessant quest for more and more – higher incomes, faster growth – is robbing us of the good life rather than helping us attain it.

The success of the first prophecy contributed to the power and plausibility of the old narrative which saw happiness as a by product of a project of growth without limit with no end in view beyond the process itself. The vastly increased wealth in the world has lifted millions out of demeaning poverty and should not be despised. There is still very much to do in liberating the poor of the world from toil and scarcity and a large part of the complexity of the theme we are discussing of “global responsibility and environmental sustainability” flows from the need to balance over consumption in one part of the world and chronic poverty in other parts.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Shrinking the Footprint

Women in the Abrahamic religions as peace-makers: opening remarks at Fatima Conference | House of Lords

14 June 2012 By

It is a very great privilege to have been invited to contribute to this conference on this crucial theme. My experience through the St Ethelburga Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in the City of London involving representatives of all those who in their different ways look back to Abraham as their ancestor in faith suggests that we can be natural allies in the search for a peace which goes beyond the absence of conflict and points to that wholeness which is God’s will for the world he loves.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Sermons and addresses

Olympic Truce | St Martin in the Fields

9 June 2012 By

The Bishop of London joined Archbishop Vincent Nichols at the close of a ’100 Days of Peace’ prayer vigil in St Martin in the Fields church. See our news item for more information.

“One person with peace in their hearts is able to convert the countryside for miles around”

St Seraphim of Sarov

The ancient Olympic Games were like Wembley Stadium and Westminster Abbey rolled into one.

The sacred truce (or ekecheiria – the holding of hands) was believed to be policed by the god Zeus himself and protected travellers to the sacred territory of Elis for seven day period before and after the games.

The terms were somewhat limited and the ancient Greeks were notably pugnacious.

In the Biblical perspective the Judaeo-Christian understanding of peace embraced not merely the absence of violence but the presence of one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Galatians V: 22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace.”

The Holy Spirit converts an absence of violence into a love of wellbeing and a taste for life which is not incompatible with risk taking and competitive sport – the agon; the contest to which St Paul refers. As well as delivering us from the spiritual flatlands the peace which comes with the Holy Spirit should not be confused with carpet slippers at the end of the day. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings all created things to their proper ends and perfects the world. So the Holy Spirit fills us with an urgent desire for peace and human flourishing.

This has always been a feature of the Church’s life.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Olympics, Sermons and addresses

350th anniversary of the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer | St Paul’s Cathedral

2 May 2012 By

Archbishop Cranmer commandeered Old St Paul’s on Whitsunday 1549 to demonstrate the new English liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer. The Lord Mayor and the worthies of the City of London were present but the Bishop of London boycotted the occasion which was further marred by the failure of the Select Preacher to turn up.

Today the presence of their Royal Highnesses, the Lord Mayor locum tenens, the Archbishop of Canterbury [this time in harmony with the Bishop of London] and a host of witnesses from all over the world, together testify to the historic and enduring significance of the Prayer Book tradition as we celebrate the 350th anniversary of the 1662 edition.

The Prayer Book in English was the centrepiece of an audacious cultural revolution. Stephen Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, was one of those critical of the scheme to introduce an English liturgy. He dismissed the argument that it was desirable for the language to be “understanded of the people” and the mode of conducting the services such as to render them audible. The bishop protested that “it was never meant that the people should indeed hear the matins or hear the mass but be present there and pray themselves in silence.” The barriers of language and audibility were actually conducive to genuine devotion. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sermons and addresses

Please help us to strengthen the ministry of our hospital chaplains

1 May 2012 By

At the end of last year I convened a meeting of our hospital chaplains throughout the London region. I was joined by the Bishop of Southwark and the Bishop of Barking as we discussed some of the implications of the changes happening as a result of the Health and Social Care Bill 2011. We are already seeing the amalgamations of many acute Trusts in London, leading to loss of jobs and great uncertainty among staff.

In the Diocese of London NHS Trusts employ about 30 Church of England clergy to work as full-time chaplains and many more part-time, providing spiritual and pastoral care to patients, relatives and staff. From the foundation of the NHS, the provision of religious and spiritual care was seen as an integral part of the overall care that could be expected by any patient within NHS.

At our meeting we heard reports from both lay and ordained Christians involved in this ministry. It was an extraordinarily positive experience, hearing stories of faithful service to Christ within our largest public institution. Our healthcare chaplains are offering important pastoral care not just to Christians but to people from all faith backgrounds and none.  It was particularly heartening that in the midst of so much change chaplains remain buoyant and optimistic about their task of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Ad clerum

Easter Day Matins sermon | St Paul’s Cathedral

9 April 2012 By

“If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see everything has become new.”

Only a short time ago there were many people who believed that we had no need of a new creation. Things were quite good enough as they were. Twenty years ago when I became a bishop the West was literally on top of the world. The Berlin Wall had fallen and the Soviet Union was disintegrating.

We seemed to be in sight of establishing heaven on earth – without God of course – but with the assistance of liberal democracy and market economics. One distinguished American historian in 1992 published a book in this spirit, entitled The End of History.

Now the world looks very different. The tectonic plates are shifting. Economic and military power is being redistributed and as the title of a book by the editor of the Economist puts it – God is Back.

Unfortunately God is back in many guises and some of them are healthful and some of them are lethal. Some visions of God contain the hope of universal peace and human flourishing while others are projections of hate and the lust for power. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Sermons and addresses