The Church Times

The Church Times
Name	The Church Times
Type	Weekly newspaper
Format	Broadsheet
Founded	1863
Founder	George Josiah Palmer
Publisher	Church Times Ltd
Political	Anglican Communion coverage
Headquarters	London
Circulation	(see section)
Language	English

The Church Times The Church Times is a London-based weekly Anglican newspaper established in 1863 that covers news, opinion, arts, and mission across the Church of England, the Anglican Communion, and related institutions. It reports on synods, dioceses, clergy appointments, theological disputes, liturgy, and charitable initiatives, while engaging with public figures, legislative developments, and ecumenical partners. The title is read by bishops, clergy, laity, theological students, and observers from institutions such as Lambeth Palace, Westminster Abbey, Christ Church, Oxford, and theological colleges.

History

Founded in 1863 by printer and publisher George Josiah Palmer, the paper emerged during the era of the Oxford Movement, alongside figures such as John Henry Newman, Edward Bouverie Pusey, and John Keble. Early coverage responded to controversies around ritualism, the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874, and disputes involving diocesan authorities like the Bishop of London and the See of Canterbury. In the late 19th century it reported on missionary expansion in connection with societies such as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Church Missionary Society, and on colonial matters involving British Empire territories including India, Australia, and South Africa. During the First World War and the Second World War the paper covered chaplains serving with the British Expeditionary Force, reported on the Battle of the Somme and the Blitz, and voiced responses to social change that intersected with debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

In the postwar era the paper chronicled liturgical revision movements associated with commissions such as the Liturgical Commission (Church of England), the introduction of the Book of Common Prayer (Alternative Service Book), and later developments leading to the Common Worship series. It has reported on ecumenical milestones like the World Council of Churches assemblies, dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church, and bilateral conversations with Methodist Church of Great Britain leaders. The title has also followed cultural moments involving public figures such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Rowan Williams, and Justin Welby.

Editorial profile and content

Editorially the paper positions itself as an Anglican forum engaging theological, pastoral, and cultural topics while covering news about institutions such as General Synod of the Church of England, the Anglican Communion Office, and diocesan bodies including the Diocese of London and the Diocese of Canterbury. Regular sections include news briefs on episcopal appointments, commentaries by theologians from universities like University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Durham University, and King's College London, book reviews discussing works by authors such as N.T. Wright, Alister McGrath, Tom Wright (bishop), and Rowan Williams (author), and arts coverage addressing exhibitions at institutions like the Tate Modern and performances at Royal Albert Hall. The paper publishes sermons, obituaries for clergy connected to places such as St Paul's Cathedral and memorials relating to societies like the Society of Mary.

Coverage spans pastoral care, charitable agencies including Christian Aid and Tearfund, overseas mission partnerships with organizations such as CMS (Church Mission Society), and reporting on legislation affecting churches debated in the Palace of Westminster. Opinion pages have featured contributions from academics at Jesus College, Cambridge, bishops from sees including Durham, Exeter, and Chester, and commentators linked to seminaries like Westcott House and St Stephen's House, Oxford.

Circulation and distribution

The paper circulates weekly throughout the United Kingdom, with distribution channels reaching cathedrals such as Canterbury Cathedral, parish churches across counties like Kent, Yorkshire, and Cornwall, and readers in dioceses including Liverpool and Bath and Wells. It reaches subscribers internationally in provinces of the Anglican Communion including the Episcopal Church (United States), the Anglican Church of Australia, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Circulation figures have fluctuated with secularisation trends noted in studies from institutions like the Church of England Research and Statistics unit, and with digital transition analogous to changes at legacy titles such as The Times and The Guardian. Availability extends via newsagents, cathedral bookshops, and digital subscriptions paralleling platforms used by publishers such as Reach plc and Johnston Press.

Notable contributors and editors

Over its history the paper has employed and published notable clergy, theologians, journalists, and public intellectuals. Editors and writers have included figures associated with Lambeth Conference deliberations, contributors from Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and commentators linked to ecumenical dialogue partners such as Archbishop of Canterbury incumbents. Regular columnists have included theologians comparable to Graham Kings, liturgists with connections to Colin Buchanan (bishop), hymnographers in the tradition of John Mason Neale, and cultural critics who engage with broadcasters like BBC Radio 4. The paper has printed early work by emerging writers later associated with institutions such as Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and charities like The National Trust.

Editors have navigated relationships with prominent bishops—names appearing in its pages include Michael Ramsey, Rowan Williams, George Carey, and Justin Welby—and engaged with lay leaders from bodies like the Church Commissioners, the Archbishops' Council, and the Cathedral and Church Buildings Division.

Controversies and criticism

The paper has faced criticism for editorial stances on divisive issues within the Anglican Communion such as same-sex marriage debates involving provinces like the Episcopal Church (United States) and the Anglican Church of Canada, ordination controversies concerning women and LGBTQ+ clergy encountered in dioceses like Chichester and Ripon and Leeds, and responses to doctrinal disputes reflected at convocations such as the General Synod of the Church of England. It has been challenged over perceived biases by advocacy groups, contested letters to the editor from clergy in provinces such as Kenya and Nigeria, and scrutiny during high-profile inquiries into safeguarding matters similar to investigations held at IICSA-style inquiries. Critics have compared its stance to that of other religious weeklies such as The Tablet and secular counterparts including The Spectator.

Awards and recognition

The paper and its journalists have received recognition in media and religious journalism circuits, with nominations and awards analogous to those presented by organisations like the British Journalism Awards, the Church Times Book Awards-style commendations, and honours from academic institutions including Durham University and University of Oxford departments of theology. Contributors have been shortlisted for categories in national competitions alongside writers from outlets such as The Independent and commentators featured on panels at conferences hosted by bodies like the National Church Institutions and the Hay Festival.

Category:Newspapers published in London