We are glad to see the ongoing commitment of the Diocese of London to the mutual flourishing of men and women in ministry, and especially their commitment to the House of Bishops' Declaration and the Five Guiding Principles, which allows for those who cannot in good conscience accept the priestly ministry of women to continue to flourish in ministry at all levels of the Church of England.

It should be noted that their Statement of Needs recently published for the appointment of the next Bishop of London, takes a substantially similar position on this issue to their last Statement of Needs, which led to the appointment of Sarah Mullally.

We pray that the next Bishop of London will seek to uphold the Five Guiding Principles and enable the whole diocese to flourish in Christ.

Lee Gatiss 

Director of Church Society

Ros Clarke

Associate Director of Church Society

Kieran Bush

Chair, ReNew Planning Team

Tom Middleton

Director of Forward in Faith

28th April 2026

Forward in Faith congratulates the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London, on the announcement of her appointment as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. In line with the Church of England’s Five Guiding Principles, we both recognise Bishop Sarah as the true and lawful holder of that office, once it is conferred on her, and also continue to support the mutual flourishing of different Anglican traditions.

The House of Bishops Declaration of 2014, and the Five Guiding Principles contained within it, were written with the possibility of a female Archbishop – of Canterbury or York – in mind, such that no amendment of the Declaration would be required in such a circumstance: provision for an assured sacramental ministry for traditional catholics would continue as before. As a result, and in the period since 2015, the consecration of Society bishops has been undertaken exclusively by other Society bishops, with – on each occasion – one Society bishop acting as the Principal Consecrator and two other Society bishops acting as Co-Consecrators. This will, we trust, continue to be the case.

Forward in Faith restates its commitment to witnessing within the Church of England to all of the Church’s sacraments as a gift from God and as an inheritance held in common with the great churches of the East and of the West. We pray that, as the Church of England prepares to receive a new Archbishop of Canterbury, that unbroken witness and tradition will continue to be upheld, not least as it touches on the sacraments of Holy Matrimony and the Reconciliation of a Penitent (Confession).

As traditional catholics, we feel called by God to witness to the historic Faith in this country’s national church and, while this can bring with it challenges, we pray that, through the intercessions of Our Lady of Walsingham, Christianity may once more be at the centre of our national life. We pray too that Bishop Sarah will be an instrument of God’s grace, in her new office, in recalling our nation to its foundational Christian character, noting with gratitude her significant contribution in resisting the Assisted Dying Bill now under consideration in the House of Lords. 

Forward in Faith welcomes the report issued today by the Independent Reviewer, Canon Maggie Swinson, on the ministry capacity of the Bishops of Beverley and of Ebbsfleet, following referrals from the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Philip North, and from the Chair of the Dioceses Commission, Dame Caroline Spelman. Forward in Faith is grateful to the Independent Reviewer for the time and careful consideration which she gave to the compilation of her report. The review took place within the context of the House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests, issued in 2014.

The report includes the following statements which represent a positive approach to providing the additional resources – both in terms of more bishops per se and also of more chaplaincy and administrative support for existing bishops – required by traditional catholics, represented in this context by the Bishops of Beverley, Fulham, Oswestry, and Richborough*, and by complementarian evangelicals, represented by the Bishop of Ebbsfleet:

· Specifically, regarding the ministry capacity of the Bishop of Beverley: “I am concerned that the provision [of episcopal care for northern province parishes who have passed a resolution] under the Declaration is potentially inadequate” and “Further, part-time, provision should be secured for the Northern Province in order to relieve the workload of the Bishop of Beverley”;

· Specifically, regarding the ministry capacity of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet: “The sustainability of the ministry … is, in its current form, unsustainable in the medium and long term” and “Some deputisable support should be put in place for the Bishop of Ebbsfleet”; and

· Generally, regarding the bishops operating under the Declaration and noting, among other issues, the great distances covered by those bishops in the conduct of their duties: “The workloads of the bishops should be subject to regular review”.

Forward in Faith is strongly of the view that it is vitally important for the Church of England’s future good health, including its standing within the universal church, that the full breadth of its Christian witness continues to flourish, and consequently that the additional resources required to conduct episcopal ministry under the Declaration are provided in full.

The report from the Independent Reviewer can be read here: northern_province_ebbsfleet_final.pdf

* The Bishops of Beverley, Oswestry, and Richborough provide pastoral and sacramental oversight to traditional catholic parishes as Provincial Episcopal Visitors (PEVs) and the Bishop of Fulham does likewise under the London Plan

Few can imagine the pain and trauma which must be experienced by an expectant mother who terminates her pregnancy by means of abortion. Nevertheless, our concern and compassion for women who have or who might experience this trauma cannot allow us to set aside our very grave concern about the recent amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, passed in the House of Commons, which effectively decriminalises abortion even at full term.

Far from protecting pregnant women, this change to the law would, if enacted, make women in the later stages of pregnancy more vulnerable to ending their pregnancies prematurely and dangerously, once legal safeguards have been removed. Our concern here is not only for these unborn children, but for women experiencing coercion, abuse, or whose mental health is compromised because of the circumstances in which they find themselves.

Coupled with the draft proposals on assisted dying which will shortly return to the House of Commons for further consideration, we register our profound disquiet at the manner in which respect for the God-given dignity of every human life is being eroded because of the decisions of a majority of our elected representatives. We pray that legislators will continue to uphold the presumption of the sanctity of life and the protection of the vulnerable: values shared not only by all mainstream Christian traditions, but also by all historic world faiths.

As catholic Christians beginning our celebrations of the Feast of Corpus Christi today, we give thanks for our calling to be the Body of Christ in the world and to witness to the dignity of every human life, made in the image and likeness of Almighty God whose divine Son shared our humanity from his conception in the womb of blessed Mary and who gives Himself to us now in the form of Bread and Wine. 

The Right Reverend Jonathan Baker

Chairman of The Society’s Council of Bishops

The Right Reverend Paul Thomas

Chairman of Forward in Faith

The Director of Forward in Faith, Tom Middleson reflects on this year's festival:

The Forward in Faith National Festival 2025 was held at the church of St Alban, Holborn on Saturday 10th May. The day was a joyful celebration of the catholic faith we live out in the Church of England. The presence of young ordinands from St Stephen’s House, and of representatives from Fidelium – a network of Anglo-Catholic young adults in London, reminded us all that we are contending not just for our current place in the national church but also for our future place.

Proceedings began with a Solemn Mass celebrated by the Right Reverend Paul Thomas, the Bishop of Oswestry and Chairman of Forward in Faith, with seven Society bishops and approximately 150 in total in attendance. Splendid music, including pieces by Mozart, Weber and Smart, was provided by the organist and the choir.

The Right Reverend Jonathan Baker, the Bishop of Fulham and Chairman of The Society’s Council of Bishops, fresh back from his pilgrimage to Nicaea to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council held there and in the wake of the election of Pope Leo XIV, preached a scholarly and inspiring sermon which is available to read HERE.

After Mass, generous refreshments provided an opportunity for old friends to meet and for new acquaintances to be made. A stall staffed by volunteers from RooT - https://www.sswsh.com/RooT/ - acted as a reminder of the important witness provided by those Anglican religious in our tradition.

The afternoon session began with a video call with the Right Reverend Esther Prior, the Bishop of Aston. In that call, the Chairman and Director of Forward in Faith spoke to Bishop Esther about the very different place she inhabits in the Church of England as a leading evangelical and about her strong support for our 2014 settlement. The video is available to view HERE.

The meeting concluded with addresses from the officers of Forward in Faith – the Chairman, the Director, and the Treasurer. The Chairman spoke about the need for good governance in Anglo-Catholic charities, in the light of serious concerns raised about some of those charities in recent months.

The Director and Treasurer in their addresses emphasised the importance of attracting both new members and legacies in providing a healthy financial base on which the Charity can flourish. They also reinforced the Chairman’s message of giving priority to good governance. In the context of the latter, Forward in Faith’s Accounts for 2024 were posted on the Charity Commission website within three months of the year end – a very quick turnaround indeed and an aid to transparency. A refreshed Forward in Faith website is currently in preparation and will also help in providing clarity on the Charity’s activities.

The day concluded with Benediction, with pieces by Rossini, Mozart, Victoria, and Bach. It was a fitting act of devotion for a day of celebration of our faith. Our thanks go to all who helped in any way. We look forward to even more of our supporters attending in May 2026!

For those unable to be present in person, there follows some text on five key messages delivered at the Festival:

1. Our rootedness in what the Church has received and handed on. In his sermon at the Mass, Bishop Jonathan Baker said the following: “As we gather as Forward in Faith, in this Nicaea anniversary year, and in the springtime of the ministry of a freshly chosen successor of St Peter, we do so mindful that we come to renew our commitment to catholic life and catholic faith in our own church… We must go on repeating – because it some quarters it seems it is still not heard – that our convictions about the character of the ordained ministry of the Church flow from our rootedness in what the Church has received and handed on – Scriptures, creeds, ministry, each referenced in that great contemporary Church of England text, the Declaration of Assent.”

2. The value of something visible which points to the invisible. In her video call with the Chairman and Director of Forward in Faith, Bishop Esther Prior said the following: “You bring visibility. When people are searching, if they see something visible that points them to the invisible, that can be really helpful. As catholics, that can be the space you occupy with greater confidence.”

3. I am passionately for the Five Guiding Principles. In her video call with the Chairman and Director of Forward in Faith, Bishop Esther Prior said the following: “The word of encouragement is that I am passionately for the Five Guiding Principles and that is why I am here. I think the 2014 settlement worked really hard at acknowledging our differences and creating space for catholic expression of ministry which I hope will flourish within the structures of the Church of England… I could not be more committed to the 2014 settlement.”

4. Let our conviction be the only offence. In her video call with the Chairman and Director of Forward in Faith, Bishop Esther Prior said the following: “The challenge is to let our conviction be the only offence… Be known for your love... I should never ever have an encounter with a Society priest that leaves me feeling like you were unkind or unloving.”

5. The need for Anglo-Catholic charities to adopt the Nolan Principles. In his Chairman’s address, Bishop Paul Thomas called on all Anglo-Catholic charities to adopt the Nolan Principles and to conduct their business in accordance with them. This is exactly what Forward in Faith has done in the period since Bishop Paul became its Chairman in late 2023. The purpose of doing so is to aid good governance in a charity, which is especially important in the light of the serious concerns raised in recent months about the governance of some Anglo-Catholic charities. There are seven Nolan Principles of Public Life, and they are:

a) Selflessness

b) Integrity

c) Objectivity

d) Accountability

e) Openness

f) Honesty

g) Leadership.