https://africaunauthorised.com/pervert-or-protector-of-the-poor/
https://africaunauthorised.com/white-men-cant-jump-but-they-can-govern/
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/16/novak-djokovic-fellow-players-have-given-the-rest-of-us-a-lesson-in-tolerance
war stories
The background is extensive but I hope the information I provide will help to clarify matters. Lu Skerratt-Love has been and still may be a prominent advocate of the 'forest church' movement in Sheffield. 'Forest Churches' have become synonymous with 'Garden Churches.' In September, Lu Skerratt-Love publicized on the Website of St Mark's Church a new initiative - work on a garden church/forest church at the Walkley Bank Allotment Site in Sheffield. I have two allotments at the same site. There are many reasons why I found the proposal to begin a church at the allotment site problematic, in fact misguided, and I set out the reasons in an email sent to St Mark's Church (since the Church had, after all, publicized the new venture) and to Lu Skerratt-Love. The email was sent on 8 September, 2021. The concerns I mentioned in the email involved practical difficulties, difficulties to do with security and difficulties to do with the law. Before I give some extracts from my email, I'll mention the fact that the email in which I outlined my concerns never reached Lu Skerratt-Love. I sent the email to her Church Army email address. Lu Skerratt-Love is employed by the Church Army. I sent a copy of the email to Tim Ling of the Church Army. It seems that either St Mark's Church or the Church Army brought the email to the attention of Lu Skerratt-Love. Tim Ling promptly blocked emails from me, not just emails addressed to Lu Skerratt-Love but emails to all members of his department, a research department.
REGULAR GIVING HELPS US PLAN FOR OUR MISSION AND MINISTRY COMMITMENTS.
https://www.stjb.org.uk/giving
GIVE AT A SERVICE
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All Saints Church Ecclesall
The Revd Canon Mark Brown of All Saints Church, Ecclesall, Sheffield: 'I know of no better way for Churches and Christians to be healthy and happy than by depending on and learning from God's word ... ' Could he confirm that Churches and Christians can learn from this sample of 'God's word' and the others in this section? Will they make them happier, healthier?
More comments in the profile of All Saints in the column to the left.
Safeguarding officer Kate Gerrish
Rev Canon Mark Brown
https://www.allsaintsecclesall.org.uk/notices
He was made a founder member of the College of Evangelists in 1999 and continues this prime calling to be sharing the gospel locally and more widely in the newly constituted Archbishops College of Evangelists.
Luther Pendragon
Stephen Parsons
https://www.apollo-magazine.com/eric-gills-fall-from-grace/
The list of Gill’s crimes and misdemeanours included a long-term incestuous relationship with his sister, Gladys, and a variety of obsessive sexual experiments, many of them recorded meticulously in his diaries. Not even the dog, it seems, was safe from Gill’s curiosity. The most powerful scandal, however, was the revelation that Gill had engaged in sexual behaviour with his pubescent daughters, behaviour which Gill seems to have viewed in the same spirit of fearless experiment, but which by anyone else’s definition would count as sexual abuse.
For Margaret Kennedy, the clerical abuse survivor who led the call for the removal of the Westminster Stations, here was a clear moral bottom line: ‘Survivors couldn’t pray at the Stations of the Cross. They were done by a paedophile.’ Kennedy’s campaign triggered heated exchanges in the letters pages of the British Catholic press. ‘Would someone in a position of authority in the Church…explain why we have the work of a paedophile in our churches?’
Gabriella Swerling at the Telegraph
The Church of England’s child protection boss has quit after 18 months amid claims that she faces too much resistance from clergy.
Melissa Caslake was appointed as the church’s first permanent Director of Safeguarding in April last year. She will take up a role as Director of Children’s Services with a local authority in the New Year.
However, The Telegraph has spoken to sources who claim that after just over a year and a half in the role, Ms Caslake “wouldn’t be leaving unless she felt that task had become impossible”…
…A source said: “Half of the leadership of the Church of England knows that it needs to change to survive, but the other half feels that survival depends on preventing change at all costs.”
“Melissa Caslake is a dedicated and competent safeguarding professional. She was brought in to reform the church’s safeguarding practice. She wouldn’t be leaving unless she felt that task had become impossible. Perhaps she has discovered what many victims know from bitter experience – that the church is simply too complex, too defensive, and too self-absorbed to face up to its own cruelty…”
The correspondence, to which Al-Husseini refers, mentions that in 2015 one of the things that survivors were complaining about to the Archbishop was the use by some dioceses of a particular company to protect their interests, Luther Pendragon, a specialist in crisis management. Without knowing anything further about this firm, one is immediately concerned to discover that at least two dioceses are spending considerable sums of money on this kind of advice. If any institution brings in professional help to protect its interests then it means that this institution has decided that it needs to ‘circle the wagons’ to protect itself against a perceived enemy. Who is this enemy? The enemy is evidently none other than the survivors themselves. These are the same people, whose interests the Archbishop of Canterbury has promised to put right at the centre of the Church’s concerns.
The letter addressed to the Archbishop on the 12 June 2015 claims that ‘scandal management companies like Luther Pendragon Limited .. are known to have acted to obstruct, apply pressure and threaten survivors, whistleblowers and others who have spoken out about Anglican clergy abuse’. Even without reading the letter detailing the techniques used by this firm, we seem to be entering a very dark place. A diocese of the Church of England (two are mentioned, London and Winchester) has felt it right to use the services of what can only be described as professional bullies to protect its reputation. The victims of this bullying are among the most vulnerable group in society – the sexually and spiritually abused. How can this be ethical, let alone Christian? One survivor I know was informed that it was normal practice for the Church or its agents to collect personal information about complainants to assist in the potential legal defence processes which might lessen the potential liability of the Church. A particularly nasty attack that survivors have had to face is the suggestion that, before their abuse, they were in some way already mentally fragile. Thus, any symptoms of post-traumatic stress they may now be suffering, were already present.
Al-Husseini’s article also mentions the fact that the Church of England nationally employs one particularly aggressive law firm to protect its interests. A particular lawyer in this firm has acquired from survivors the nickname the Pitbull on account of her techniques of intimidation and merciless interrogation of survivors. The article overall gives us some insight into a thoroughly unpleasant culture. On the outside there are pleasing soft words, tears of remorse and apology. Inside we find a ruthless machine full of hard-headed professional reputation people aligned to aggressive lawyers desperate to defend, at all costs, the institution.
Mission Shaped Ministry
mission shaped ministry (msm) is a course produced by the national Fresh Expressions team that takes people on a one-year learning journey in a supportive community. The course is aimed at equipping people for a lifetime of good practice and learning in growing the church in a changing world. The course is relevant to those wanting to develop traditional church as well as those developing new forms of church.
mission shaped intro (msi) is a much shorter course of 6 sessions and is ideal for those starting from scratch as well as those who are thinking about joining the mission shaped ministry course.
Urban Theology Unit Sheffield
UTU has a variety of short courses and study days available on a wide range of subjetcs, from Exploring Hebew Scriptures to Public Life and Politics in Multi-Faith Britain. Details of these courses are available from the UTU Sheffield website.
atonement
https://utusheffield.org.uk/kingdombasedevangelism/
Ian Duffield, Director of Research
st john's sermon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjuDmkohphc
Declaration of interest
Declaration of belief
St. John's Owlerton is committed to high standards in the safeguarding and care of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Our safeguarding officer is Rosemary Bletcher and she can be contacted by emailing safeguarding@stjb.org.uk.
Joy French oversight minister
Project 0114
Sheffield Futures is leading the initiative in conjunction with Sheffield City Council, ACT Sheffield, The Unity Gym Project, St Marks Church, Broomhill, Manor Castle Development Trust, My Life Project, Princes Trust, and Change Grow Live (CGL).
https://southyorkshire-pcc.gov.uk/news/launch-of-project-0114/
We understand ourselves to be called to: gather together to worship as the body of Christ in this place which welcomes and celebrates human diversity serve our parish and congregation in ways which show the love and compassion of Christ relate our faith to the world around us and campaign for justice both locally and worldwide Create a safe and welcoming space where people can question and discover the sacred in their own way Living Thinking Loving Faith We see faith as a journey; dynamic rather than static, with questions as a crucial part of faith and welcoming intellectual challenge as part of our own process of theological discovery. As followers of a faith inspired by the life and work of Jesus, we work to positively relate our theology and worship to the world we inhabit.
Living Thinking Loving Faith
https://stmarkssheffield.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Annual-Report-final-2020.pdf
Sonia Sodha
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/monsters-most-dangerous-midlands-criminals-22480134
https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2006/02/19/god-created-adam-and-eve-not-adam-and-steve/
I have said this before but it bears repeating: God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. The Bible, God?s holy word for man to follow, speaks clearly that homosexuality is an abomination and perversion of His creation and plan (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1). As a Christian I can and do love the person bound by homosexuality, but I cannot agree with or condone the behavior.
Marriage by definition is a covenant agreement between a man and a woman to love and serve each other. The natural result is children, the blessing or fruit of the relationship. Our government recognizes that marriage is the foundation of family and order in a civilized society. That is why marriage is controlled through a legal process.
There are those forces today that would like to change the definition of marriage to legitimize their lifestyle. To do so would be a grave error for our society and a slap in God?s face.
Don Wallace, senior pastor
Redlands Christian Center
head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said on Linkedin that the world had the “tools to end this calamity”.
“After two years, we now know this virus well,” he wrote. “We know the proven measures to control transmission: mask use, avoiding crowds, maintaining physical distancing, practicing hand and respiratory hygiene, opening windows for ventilation, testing and contact tracing. We know how to treat the disease it causes and improve the chances of survival for people suffering serious illness. With all these learnings and capacities, the opportunity to turn this pandemic around for good is in our grasp.”
https://www.saintgeorgescentral.wigan.sch.uk/Documents/safeguarding2021/KCSIE_2021_Part_One_September.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv9ftiEvSpA
Humane Hancock
https://gardendigest.com/concr1.htm#L
Michael P Garofalo
https://weloveenglishlitloads.wordpress.com/2016/02/16/analysis-of-some-poems-from-heaneys-field-work-by-paul-hurt/
https://stmarkssheffield.co.uk/past-cases-review/
The Past Cases Review is a comprehensive safeguarding review, currently underway across churches and key institutions within the Diocese of Sheffield. The purpose of the Review, is to help find out whether all known cases of concern about the behaviour of clergy and church officers towards children and vulnerable adults, have been considered, risk assessed and dealt with appropriately.
There may be incidents or concerns that have not been brought to light before, so this is an important chance for the church to learn about those matters. We appreciate that being made aware of this Review, or the highlighting of high-profile cases of church abuse in the media, may be triggering for many different reasons, for people living with a history of abuse in or outside of the church. Support is available if you are affected in this way.
Abusers had 'benefit' of Bible, teaching of JC etc
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/old-testament-of-the-bible/summary-and-analysis/psalms
https://overviewbible.com/who-wrote-psalms-besides-david/
imprecatory psalms
http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1010-99192018000100010
Babylon's destroyer will be blessed because he will be the instrument of divine retribution.
https://www.sheffield.anglican.org/safeguarding
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/deputy-headteacher-admits-child-sexual-abuse-b1980895.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10336381/Deputy-primary-school-headteacher-admits-18-vile-child-sex-offences.html
https://www.saintgeorgescentral.wigan.sch.uk/Documents/Aboutus/Our%20Inspiration.pdf
https://stthomascrookes.org/talks/3-october-
https://www.hprweb.com/2019/01/a-surprising-beatitude
https://www.crockford.org.uk/
John Roberts St Peter's Woolton
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/child-rapist-vicar-protected-church-19498559
An evil vicar who sexually abused a choirboy but was allowed to carry on working for 24 years ruined the lives of three other victims.
Reverend John Roberts was based at St Peter's Church in Woolton - the "Beatles church" where John Lennon met Paul McCartney.
The married dad-of-three was convicted of two counts of indecently assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 1989, but fined just £500 by magistrates.
And instead of being defrocked, he was reinstated by the then Bishop of Liverpool, David Sheppard, within a fortnight and eventually promoted to the position of Canon.
Last week, he was convicted of nine indecent and sexual assaults - one of which would today be classed as rape - after a four-week trial.
The jury heard evidence from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who expressed regret for not handling one complaint differently when he was the Dean of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.
Tragically, one victim - whose complaint to police brought the case to court - died just two days before the trial began in November.
But today the 86-year-old, of Cherry Vale, Woolton, finally faced justice at Liverpool Crown Court.
Roberts ministered at St Peter's, close to the Salvation Army-run care home at Strawberry Fields, from 1980 to 2002, and later worked voluntarily at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, before retiring in 2013.
Ben Jones, prosecuting, told the trial Roberts misused his power and authority to sexually abuse vulnerable boys and young men.
He said his behaviour was "compulsive" and "sadly he has been encouraged in the belief that he would not be caught by the failure of the Church to properly investigate allegations".
Mr Jones said when accusations were made, the Church "closed ranks to protect him" and took the "superficial approach of refusing to believe a complaint because of the status of the person making that complaint".
He said: "The Church of England today frankly accepts it fell into error in the way that it dealt with safeguarding issues in the past."
The victim of the 1989 conviction, Victim A, told jurors Roberts lavished him with gifts and attention, then made him perform sex acts.
In 2017, when taking legal action against the Church, Victim A told the ECHO about his disgust and anger over the Church protecting and promoting Roberts.
Victim B, who died in November, contacted police after reading the article and revealed he was abused by Roberts in the 1980s, when aged 15 to 17.
He had been in Strawberry Fields care home when Roberts, then in his 40s, kissed him, made him perform sex acts and performed sex acts on him, and raped him.
Roberts later arrange for him to stay at his own home in one of his daughter's bedrooms, when he crept in during the night and tried to perform a sex act on him.
Church goer Victim C also contacted police in 2017 and said Roberts had groped him when visiting his family's home in the early 2000s, when he was 15 or 16.
He recalled how Roberts told him he was handsome, put his hand down his trousers and touched his bottom, and warned him not to tell anyone.
https://richardwsymonds.wordpress.com/tag/canon-john-roberts/
The Bell Society
https://richardwsymonds.wordpress.com/tag/stephen-parsons-surviving-church/
https://goodnessandharmony.wordpress.com/
CBE for Stephen Slack recently-retired Chief Legal Advisor to the Church of England. In 2007 Slack advised bishops “not to apologise too fully to sex abuse victims”.
It is an ecclesiastical protection racket and [the attitude is that] anyone who seeks to in any way threaten the reputation of the church as an institution has to be destroyed”~ Revd Graham Sawyer – IICSA Inquiry – July 2018
https://www.blackburn.anglican.org/news/274/letter-from-senior-clergy-reflecting-on-
Yours in Christ,
The Rt Revd Julian Henderson (Bishop of Blackburn)
The Rt Revd Philip North (Bishop of Burnley)
The Rt Revd Dr Jill Duff (Bishop of Lancaster)
The Very Revd Peter Howell-Jones (Dean of Blackburn)
The Ven Michael Everitt (Archdeacon of Lancaster)
The Ven Mark Ireland (Archdeacon of Blackburn)
https://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/opinion-17-july-2019/
https://chairnsp.org/2019/07/15/presenting-to-the-synod/
https://chairnsp.org/2020/11/23/past-cases-review-2/
National Safeguarding Panel
Meg Munn
Providing independent scrutiny and challenge to the Church of England
https://www.churchofengland.org/safeguarding/safeguarding-news-and-releases/meg-munn-continue-role
Bishop Peter Hancock Lead Bishop Bath Wells
https://bathwellschap.wordpress.com/
https://www.blackburn.anglican.org/news/274/letter-from-senior-clergy-reflecting-on-
To all holding the Bishop of Blackburn’s Licence (Clergy and Readers) and Parish Safeguarding Officers
Monday June 17th 2019
Dear Friends,
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
Case Studies into the Diocese of Chichester and the response to allegations against Peter Ball
‘Have mercy on us O God, for we have sinned.’ (Psalm 51,1)
It is very hard not to hear David’s plaintive cry as we read the pages of the report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse on the Diocese of Chichester and the Peter Ball case. What cries out most clearly is the desperate suffering of those who have been victims of sexual abuse by clergy and church leaders and the lifelong impact it has had on them.
The NSP was set up to resource the Church of England's leadership (Archbishops' Council and House of Bishops) with good high-level strategic advice and direction on safeguarding, and provide vital reference and scrutiny from a range of voices, including survivors, on the development of policy and guidance.
Meg, who was the first independent chair, appointed in 2018 for an initial three year period, said: "I am pleased that my appointment as Independent Chair of the National Safeguarding Panel has been extended for a further two years, at a time of significant safeguarding developments within the Church of England. The Panel will continue to scrutinise safeguarding policy and procedures, to bring attention to different aspects of safeguarding and to ensure that the Church benefits from the perspectives of survivors, safeguarding experts and the experience of other churches."
The Church of England’s lead safeguarding bishop, Jonathan Gibbs, said: “I am delighted that Meg will be continuing in role for another two years. Since becoming lead bishop, I have found Meg’s leadership and chairing of the National Safeguarding Panel to be a highly valued source of scrutiny and accountability for the Church. Her experience and skills, working with the Panel members and highlighting vital issues have played an important part in the development of our safeguarding work.”
https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/second-world-war-tales-incredible-6177462
https://www.indexoncensorship.org/contact/
https://www.sheffield.anglican.org/safeguarding
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/deputy-headteacher-admits-child-sexual-abuse-b1980895.html