CEEC commissions first set of overseers

Posted on July 13, 2024 
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars

On Thursday night, the Church of England Evangelical Council commissioned its first set of overseers, in a service at All Souls Langham Place in London:

“The introduction of the Ephesian Fund and Alternative Spiritual Oversight (ASO), followed the General Synod decision in November 2023 to approve the bishops’ proposals to change the position and practice of the Church of England with regards to sexual ethics and marriage, by blessing same sex couples as part of normal services.

At a subsequent Synod meeting earlier this week, standalone services of blessing for same sex couples received General Synod support and a timetable to work towards clergy same sex marriages was endorsed. As a result of these decisions, many clergy and PCCs have lost confidence in those bishops supporting change.

At the service, the first 20 overseers were commissioned (with more to be commissioned in due course).

The overseers comprise a group of Honorary Assistant Bishops, alongside other clergy from across the evangelical constituency (spanning charismatics and conservatives, egalitarians and complementarians). They will provide informal oversight to clergy and PCCs who feel a loss of confidence in the spiritual leadership of their bishop(s).

This informal and temporary oversight, facilitated by CEEC, does not in any way undermine or replace the legal and safeguarding responsibilities of clergy and PCCs to their bishops and/or diocese. …”

– Read the full report, with names of those commissioned, from CEEC.

To note:

“The CEEC stressed that the liturgy is neither a service of ordination nor consecration. …

Together, they were commissioned by the congregation, on behalf of CEEC, to provide spiritual care and counsel to those who are now bereft of the oversight that should properly be offered by their bishop.”