The Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS) is an
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
mission agency. It was founded in 1836.
History of the Society
The CPAS was founded in 1836 in the midst of the social upheaval of the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
to take 'the gospel to every man's door, with a single eye to the glory of God'.
[About CPAS - History]
Its founders included the prominent
social reformer
A reform movement or reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary move ...
Lord Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II. He had already succeeded his f ...
.
[
It initially sought to fulfil its vision by giving grants to poorest parishes to enable them to take on extra help. One early recipient of such a grant was ]Haworth
Haworth () is a village in the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, in the Pennines, south-west of Keighley, west of Bradford and east of Colne in Lancashire. The surrounding areas include Oakworth and Oxenhope. Nearby villages includ ...
, which enabled its minister, Patrick Brontë
Patrick Brontë (, commonly ; born Patrick Brunty; 17 March 1777 – 7 June 1861) was an Irish Anglican priest and author who spent most of his adult life in England. He was the father of the writers Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë, and of ...
, to employ a curate, Arthur Nicholls, who later married Patrick's daughter, Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
.[ Charlotte summarised and praised the early work of the CPAS in the opening of her 1846 novel '']Shirley
Shirley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë
* ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film
* ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film
* ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...
'':
"Of late years, I say, an abundant shower of curates has fallen upon the north of England, but in eighteen-hundred-eleven-twelve that affluent rain had not descended. Curates were scarce then: there was no Pastoral Aid - no Additional Curates' Society to stretch a helping hand to worn-out old rectors and incumbents, and give them the wherewithal to pay a vigorous young colleague from Oxford or Cambridge."[
While the CPAS has since diversified in its methods, which now notably include its holidays for young people, it retains its original vision of "enabl ngchurches to help every person hear and discover the good news of Jesus Christ."
]
Work of the Society
The CPAS works with churches across Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. Its aim is to "enable churches to help every person hear and discover the good news of Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
". Its activities include the ''Growing Leaders'' suite of resources, the Arrow Leadership Programme, weekends, and a range of events and resources for youth and children's leaders.
CPAS is responsible fo
Venture and Falcon holidays
which are holidays for 8-18s. Falcons are subsidised holidays for young people who might not otherwise be able to go on holiday. CPAS also has responsibility (sole or shared) for around 690 patronages of Anglican churches up and down the country, and seeks to fill vacant incumbency posts with evangelical leaders.
There is a head office team who develop and deliver tools, training and resources for churches.
Their records are held at the University of Birmingham
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
Special Collections.
Controversy
In March 2021, Church Times
The ''Church Times'' is an independent Anglican weekly newspaper based in London and published in the United Kingdom on Fridays.
History
The ''Church Times'' was founded on 7 February 1863 by George Josiah Palmer, a printer. It fought for the ...
reported a conflict in 2018 between CPAS and the PCC of St Luke's, West Holloway (a member of Inclusive Church), over the appointment of a new vicar. The PCC representatives could not agree with the patron on which candidates to shortlist, after two rounds of interviews. After a year elapsed, CPAS' right of presentation expired, and eventually the new vicar, John MacKenzie, was appointed by Sarah Mullally
Dame Sarah Elisabeth Mullally, (''née'' Bowser; born 26 March 1962) is a British Anglican bishop, Lord Spiritual and former nurse. She has been Bishop of London since 8 March 2018. , Bishop of London. Joanne Grenfell
Joanne Woolway Grenfell (born 27 May 1972) is a bishop of the Church of England serving as Bishop of Stepney, an area bishop of the Diocese of London, since 2019.
Early life and education
Grenfell was born on 27 May 1972. She was educated at Eggl ...
, Bishop of Stepney, is working to resolve the situation by trying to finding another parish with which to do a patronage swap. Neither John Dunnett, CPAS general director, nor Mike Duff, CPAS patronage secretary, commented to Church Times.
Writing about the system of patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
, Martin Wroe suggested it is "time to disempower some of these hidden hierarchies and place a little more trust in the local".
Notes
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.cpas.org.uk/
Anglican organizations
Christian charities based in the United Kingdom
Christian missions
Church of England societies and organisations
Church of England missionary societies
Organisations based in Coventry
Religion in Warwickshire
University of Warwick
1836 establishments in the United Kingdom