Living in Living in Love and Faith is a major conference which will take place next year, in the same month as the publication of the Church's report on sexuality, and will feature speakers including Jayne Ozanne, Tina Beardsley and Adrian Thatcher.
The Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops worldwide will meet in the same month, where sexuality issues are also likely to feature. Set within this background, Modern Church's conference will explore how the Christian Gospel affirms, accepts and welcomes everyone, whatever their identity, gender or sexuality, and without reservation or ambiguity.
Booking is now open, and spaces are limited. See here for details.
We're delighted to hear that Modern Church vice president Martyn Percy is to be reinstated as Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
A statement has been posted on the website of Christ Church announcing his reinstatement following a tribunal hearing in June:
Modern Church has been a membership organisation since it began in 1898. After 120 years we are offering a new way of being a part of the wider Modern Church network and supporting the work of bringing progressive thought to more people.
From this summer churches and individuals can become Affiliates of Modern Church. Affiliates will receive a printed copy our revamped quarterly publication ‘Signs of the Times’ (churches affiliating will receive 5 copies to use as they like). Affiliates will also have access to all our online resources, our e-newsletter, access to local/regional meetings and conferences, and are eligible for a discounted rate for our annual. Churches affiliating can also use the Modern Church logo on their online and printed material.
Professor Adrian Thatcher is to return as managing editor of Modern Church's peer reviewed journal, Modern Believing.
Professor Thatcher is honorary professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter.
In February 2014 local churches responded positively to the collapse of the sea wall at Dawlish in Devon, which saw the rail line severed and people evacuated from their homes because of wave damage.
At the same time villagers living on the Somerset levels also had to abandon their houses for fear of flood defences being overwhelmed.
But both these UK examples of the consequences of extreme weather conditions pale into insignificance compared with the recent destruction prompted by Cyclone Idai in eastern Africa, or the ongoing droughts of northern China or Australia.