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On March 30, former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby did an interview with the BBC in which he said he failed to follow up allegations of abuse by John Smyth within the Church of England because the scale of the problem was “absolutely overwhelming.” He added the scale of the problem was “a reason – not an excuse” for his failure to act. Welby was forced to resign over the matter. What follows is the statement by the Rt. Rev. Joanne Grenfell, the Church of England’s lead bishop on safeguarding matters. [Church of England] Today’s interview with the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, will be a reminder to Smyth survivors of their awful abuse and its lifelong effects. I know they continue to be offered support, and we are deeply sorry for the abuse they suffered. First and foremost this must always be about victims and survivors, their needs and what they are asking us to hear and learn. I stand by my comments, made with the national safeguarding director Alexander Kubeyinje, on the publication of the Makin Review into the church’s handling of allegations against Smyth. We are appalled that any clergy person could believe that covering up abuse was justified in the name of the gospel – a comment highlighted in the Review. The gospel is about proclaiming good news to the poor and healing the brokenhearted. If anyone comes forward to the church today with a concern, they will be heard and responded to carefully and compassionately by safeguarding professionals according to our clearly set out guidance. General Synod voted in February to further strengthen its guidance on responding to allegations, which will make the reporting process clearer for all who come forward. In the past 10 years, the church has developed and strengthened its safeguarding policies and practices, making significant improvements in training, national safeguarding standards and external audits, and continues to do so. General Synod also voted in February to set up an external scrutiny body and to look further at models on operational independence. Every member of the church is responsible for a culture in which victims are heard, responded to well and put first: there is never a place for covering up abuse. We must learn from this and build future foundations to ensure that the church is as safe as it can be for all who come to worship or to engage with our many services and community projects.

The Pension Boards, an affiliated ministry of the United Church of Christ recently announced its appointment of David A. Klassen as its next President and Chief Executive Officer. He takes over from Walter Reyes, who served as interim President after…

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KING OF PRUSSIA, PA (ABNS 4/1/25)—American Baptist Churches USA announces Engage 2025: an opportunity for pastors, church leaders, seminarians, chaplains, and specialized ministers new to American Baptist Churches USA to come together at the 2025 Biennial Mission Summit, July 3-6, 2025 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The purpose of the event is […]

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[Church of Ireland] A Church of Ireland rector in the Diocese of Clogher is undertaking a pilgrimage of a different kind by walking from his church in Fermanagh to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. The Rev. Stephen McWhirter, rector of Rossorry Parish Church, will be walking from the landmark church on the outskirts of Enniskillen in Northern Ireland to St. Patrick’s, a distance of around 100 miles, during two weeks in Lent. This isn’t just any walk  — he will be barefoot. He left after the morning service in Rossorry on March 30 and will finish in Dublin on Palm Sunday, April 13, with distances varying from just a few miles to 11 miles. McWhirter said, “I had initially thought, walking by myself, I’d just head off. However, I need a lot of paperwork and registration with both the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Gardai [the state police of the Irish Republic] to happen. Also support vehicles travelling ahead for me to warn oncoming traffic. “I needed to attend to a fairly rigorous risk assessment as I’ll be walking barefoot. As you know I’ve experienced this from last Lent, however a walk to Dublin does seem a step up. “Following the biblical principles of taking nothing with me, I’m doing exactly that so will be heavily reliant on the generosity of strangers to feed and water me. I’m contacting colleagues both in Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic churches who are allowing me to sleep in churches on the way to Dublin.” Also along the route, McWhirter will be calling at a number of national schools, speaking to pupils about the history and role of pilgrimages. The route is filled with places of historic interest. The original church of Rossorry is named after St. Fanchea, who helped to build a monastery on the banks of Lough Erne. McWhirter also will be crossing through places such as Trim, where a monastery was traditionally thought to be founded by St. Patrick. Maynooth, also on his walking route, is a well–known university town served by two churches named St. Mary’s – St. Mary’s Church of Ireland, which is incorporated into the walls of St. Patrick’s College, Ireland’s national seminary for the training of priests, and St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. St. Michan’s Church, Dublin, dating from 1686, was the site of the first Christian chapel dating from 1095 and operated as a Catholic church until the Reformation. It has served Church of Ireland parishioners in Dublin for more than 300 years. McWhirter’s final walk day will begin at St. James’ Gate, the traditional beginning of the medieval pilgrimage route. His destination will be St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which for over 800 years has been a site of religious significance. He also will be raising funds along the way for a community hub at Rossorry and extension to the car park, as well as the Aisling Centre in Enniskillen. While McWhirter  will be accompanied on parts of the journey by a support team, he will be relying on his sturdy staff for support as he walks. It has personal significance for him as it belonged to his father, Roy, who used it at Bangor Heritage Centre, where he played the role of St. Patrick for visitors.

On March 31, pale pink and baby blue striped flags fluttered in the wind in front of homes, business and churches, recognizing and celebrating trans people of all ages. Since 2010, the last day of March has been set aside…

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Throughout U.S. history, faith communities have been at the forefront of welcoming refugees. Across religious traditions, people of faith have worked together to respond to humanitarian crises, guided by shared values of compassion, justice and hospitality. Here are seven powerful examples of interfaith collaboration in welcoming refugees to the United States. Welcoming Refugees After World War II (1940s-1950s) In the ... Read More

Updated: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 Situation:  On Friday, March 28, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, followed minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock. In total, more than 3,800 people were killed (with estimates rising to 10,000) and more than 3,400 have been injured. Widespread damage has left 143,630 buildings beyond repair, including 1,600 houses, 670 monasteries and ... Read More

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As the sun rises over Cape Town, the second and third cohorts of the Global Reformed Advocacy Platforms for Engagement (GRAPE) gather for the annual in-person training workshop. Held from March 30 to April 5, this intensive workshop equips participants with tools to drive social change and amplify justice-driven advocacy within the World Communion of […]

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