Diocese of Gloucester

Message from Bishop Rachel, 3 March 2026 – Diocese of Gloucester We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

"... it was a joy to see so many children with parents and grandparents exploring different activities focused on the love of God in Jesus Christ"

Bishop Rachel writes 👉 gloucester.anglican.org/2026/message...

Bookings now open: Living Christ’s mercy, justice and hope – Diocese of Gloucester We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

Join us on 10th March in London, for: Living Christ’s Mercy, Justice and Hope.

An in-person event for organisations, churches and individuals wanting to deepen their involvement or develop a Christian response to people in prison and those leaving prison.

ℹ️👉 gloucester.anglican.org/event/save-t...

Eco Church: Buildings and Energy – Diocese of Gloucester We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

Just listening to this clip about @glosdioc.bsky.social new offices with air source heat pump; it’s great to see actions to end fossil fuels gloucester.anglican.org/2026/eco-chu...

Message from Bishop Robert, 10 February 2026 – Diocese of Gloucester We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

"... it is therefore not surprising that, with the publication of further details of links between those called to public service and the late Jeffrey Epstein, there is an increasing sense of anger and indeed betrayal"

~ Bishop Robert writes
Read in full 👉 gloucester.anglican.org/2026/message...

✏️New research in @prtuk.bsky.social's Bromley Briefings reveals 72% of prisons are overcrowded, up from 63% in 2023-24, amidst worsening safety outcomes from prisoners and staff.

Find out more: shorturl.at/JcGCt

Message from Bishop Rachel, 3 February 2026 – Diocese of Gloucester We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

"... let me be quick to reiterate that there is no place for antisemitic attitudes and behaviour in our local communities. The danger of the language of being ‘pro’ a particular people immediately implies that you are ‘anti’ another"

~ Bishop Rachel writes 👉 gloucester.anglican.org/2026/message...

‘If only you knew what made for peace’ ~ The Very Rev’d Canon Richard Sewell – Diocese of Gloucester We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

'If only you knew what made for peace' — join us in Tewkesbury on 15 Feb to hear The Very Revd Canon Richard Sewell, Dean of St George’s College, Jerusalem, share his eyewitness reflections on peace, conflict, and hope from the #HolyLand

👉 gloucester.anglican.org/event/if-onl...

Agreed about spying, but we do need basic regulation. The Advertising industry, the Financial industry... have had regulation for decades ~ the internet is only just beginning to (eg. EC's DSA, Online Safety Act). It's not about making things illegal, just helping society live well together.
~ Sam

Marking Holocaust Memorial Day with bishops Guli and Rachel at St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem, having spent time over the last few days with Israeli Jews.
Remembering those “Among the holy and pure who shine brightly in the firmament”.

A PRAYER FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF ELECTION OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY Almighty God, you call your Church in every age to proclaim the Gospel of Christ: look with mercy upon your servant Sarah, and grant that, as deacon, she may care for those in need, as priest, sustain us with the ministry of word and sacrament, and as bishop, guard the faith and build up the body of Christ in holiness. Give her wisdom and kindness that as archbishop, she may promote unity, seek truth, and lead us in the way of righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Join us in prayer today, on the Confirmation of Election of the Archbishop of Canterbury. 🙏

Bishop Sarah Mullally, wearing a clerical shirt and collar, pictured below text that reads 'What is the Confirmation of Election?'

Today, at St Paul's Cathedral, Bishop Sarah officially becomes the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Find out what will happen as senior bishops meet to confirm her election.

Message from Bishop Robert, 27 January We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

"Britain is neither wholly evil nor wholly pure, but a fallen community capable of renewal. It is a place marked by both disgrace and grace, held together by law, peace, and the possibility of God’s healing work"

~ Bishop Robert writes 👉
gloucester.anglican.org/2026/message...

Message from Bishop Robert, 27 January We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

"Yet today we find ourselves in a post‑progressive moment. We can no longer assume that life is always moving forward ..."

~ Bishop Robert writes 👉 gloucester.anglican.org/2026/message...

"The IPP licence disrupts relationships, breeds anxiety, despair, hopelessness and alienation." ~ Bishop Rachel speaks out in the House of Lords, on the controversial #IPP sentences

Good to see this recent update [via @ungripp.bsky.social] 👇

An important step in the right direction: #sentencingact beginning to address the controversial 'Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection' which have done a disservice to so many.

Mark Conway, CEO at Fair Justice talks about #IPP here: gloucester.anglican.org/2024/the-inj...

Interior view of a multi-level prison block with blue cell doors and white metal railings surrounding the walkways.

When the prison system gets bigger, the problems within it get bigger, becoming harder to solve. And it makes no sense to build new jails when there are too few staff to run the ones we already have.

https://howardleague.org/why-are-prisons-overcrowded/

Worshipper upcycles discarded church candles to help the environment He began to collect leftover wax from candles at St Peter’s, Prestbury, to save money

“It only takes one person one day a year to make enough votive candles to last for a year; so, if we could get a few thousand churches upcycling candles on one day a year, it could make millions of pounds for charity."

Latest data shows image-based abuse and cyberflashing are behind increase in sexual offences | End Violence Against Women New data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released today (4th November 2025) shows that image-based sexual abuse (so-called ‘revenge porn’) and cyberflashing offences are responsible for ...

15 yrs ago that required hard work, now the tools are weaponised. Photoshop does have censorship; try scanning a banknote and see what happens; that's basic regulation ... which is what we need in order to tackle the rate of sexual harassment eg: www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/latest-data-...

#IRAN "I suspect that in the coming months we are going to see more Iranians arriving on our beaches, I wonder what His Majesty's government is doing to prepare for this, and be forward-thinking in the stance which will be adopted regarding welcome and hospitality?"

~ @bishgloucester.bsky.social

#GROK #Ofcom "What more will the government do to create a robust framework so that AI will be used responsibly in the whole landscape of misogyny and abuse? [And] Why does it seem that Ofcom does not have teeth?"

Bishop Rachel's role in the House of Lords 👉 gloucester.anglican.org/support-serv...

#supportworkers "It's music to my ears that these Parenting Support Workers in Wales have been instrumental in engaging with families, providing early preventative support to resolve those issues before they escalate to criminal proceedings."

~ Bishop Rachel on #justicesystem #prisonreform

#Gaza: NGOs are facing considerable obstacles to providing aid and working in Gaza; "What more can be done to encourage the government of Israel to give international NGOs the access they need to the region?"

~ Bishop Rachel's intervention yesterday gloucester.anglican.org/support-serv...

Today in the #HouseofLords, @bishgloucester.bsky.social asked for support on behalf of Iranians in the UK, who are struggling to contact friends and family in Iran due to the protests.

#IRAN #IranProtests #gloucestershire

"I'm very grateful for the action being taken by Ofcom to investigate X and the Grok AI chatbot, but what is the government doing to create a robust framework so that AI will be used responsibly ..."

~ @bishgloucester.bsky.social in the House of Lords this week. #grokai #sexualharassment #deepfakes

⚠️Can rehabilitation be delivered in prisons - and where are we going wrong?

Andi Brierley joins us to discuss how we can ensure people leaving prison have the opportunity to move away from offending.

🎧Catch up on the latest episode of the Transform Justice Podcast now! pod.fo/e/3648a8

Indefinite jail terms are indefensible – so why are thousands still trapped by them? The government admits IPP jail sentences are a mistake, but refuses to correct it. With prisons at breaking point and petty criminals being held inside with no hope of release, this is a stain on our justice system we can no longer ignore, says Lord Thomas

“If we can do justice in the terrible cases of the Post Office and the infected blood scandal, we can do it here.”

Lord Thomas on why we must end the IPP scandal in 2026.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/ipp-sentencing-bill-parole-prison-overcrowding-criminal-justice-reform-b2895416.html

Message from Bishop Rachel, 13 January 2026 We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

"May we commit ourselves to place the child at the centre, and to travel to where they ‘are at’, geographically and/or emotionally, mentally and spiritually."

@bishgloucester.bsky.social writes 👉 gloucester.anglican.org/2026/message...

Message from Bishop Robert, 6 January 2026 We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

"Christ dwells with us still. He walks with us into this year’s uncertainties, opportunities, challenges, and joys."

Bishop Robert writes:
👉 gloucester.anglican.org/2026/message...

💚 Register your community with The Welcome Directory today & help people leaving prison to turn their lives around.

www.welcomedirectory.org.uk

#transforminglives

Holding the key, podcast episode 12: Sarah Burrows, founder of Children Heard and Seen We are the Church of England community in and around Gloucestershire, committed to sharing the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that people may know life in all its fullness

🎧PODCAST: Bishop Rachel in conversation with Sarah Burrows, CEO of Children Heard and Seen.

Parental imprisonment is often discussed from the perspective of the parent, but what about the children left behind?
gloucester.anglican.org/2026/sarah-b...

@childrenssociety.bsky.social