Click here for a library of resources, including recordings from previous CMD events.
Gifford lectures 2025
12 May, 13 May, 15 May, 19 May, 20 May (all online)
A series of five free lectures by Professor Miroslav Volf of Yale Divinity School. is joining us this year to deliver a series of lectures on the theme “Amor Mundi: God and the Character of Our Relation to the World”.
The lectures will be held in King's College Conference Centre, University of Aberdeen, each one beginning at 6.00pm and followed by a drinks reception. They will also be live streamed. You are warmly invited to come to any and all of the events.
For further information, see the website or email giffordlectures@abdn.ac.uk
Register here. Attendance is free.
Bampton lectures 2025
Wading in the Word - womanist Biblical interpretation
20 May, 27 May (online and at University Church, Oxford)
This year's Bampton lecturer is Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney, a biblical scholar from Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas and a priest in the dioceses of Pennsylvania and Texas. Her work focuses on translation of the scriptures for congregations and lay readers, womanist and feminist biblical interpretation and, women who prophesied in ancient Israel and the ancient Afro-Asiatic world and, their reception in rabbinic literature.
Lecture 1 (20 May, 10am) Crystal clear until you look: the waters of translation
Lecture 2 (20 May, 11.30am) Getting our feet wet: close reading with womanist eyes
Lecture 3 (27 May, 10am) A world beneath the waves: womanist midrash
Lecture 4 (27 May, 11.30am) Take me to the water: a woman's lectionary for the whole world
Attendance is free and all the lectures are live-streamed here.
Using the Prayers of Love and Faith (PoLF)
POSTPONED. New date to be set
A half-day online workshop for clergy and LLMs in Oxford diocese exploring how the Prayers of Love and Faith (PoLF) resources might be used in a parish context.
The morning aims to be a pragmatic exploration of the resources from a pastoral and liturgical perspective and will focus on the PoLF resources as they have been published (Dec 23), rather than participating in the ongoing debate about whether they should exist.
Participants will familiarise themselves with all three sections of the PoLF and work together on case studies using the resources. We hope those who wish to use the resources in their own contexts will explore how to do so well and within the constraints and processes that the House of Bishops have established. The morning is based on the new Grove booklet 'Can we use the Prayers of love and Faith?' by Mark Earey and Phillip Tovey.
Leaders: Revd Canon Dr Phillip Tovey, Revd Mark Earey, Hannah Ling (Social Justice Adviser) and Revd Gill Lovell (CMD Adviser)
Hiring and managing staff in churches
24 June (10am - 3.30pm, venue tba Oxford area)
An opportunity to explore good practice for recruiting and managing paid staff and volunteers in churches.
Leaders: Susie Sigsworth (Head of HR), Gill Lovell and members of the HR team at Church House Oxford
Mental Health First Aid (2-day course)
1-2 July (9am-5pm, Archdeacon's House, Stone, Aylesbury)
This is a two-day course for clergy only, provided by humantalk and sponsored by the Clergy Support Trust. The course will equip participants with a practical framework for supporting those experiencing mental health concerns.
- Grounded in research, and developed with clinical practitioners, MHFA Is designed to enhance participants knowledge and confidence in how best to help others, whilst also looking after their own well-being
- within a church context, this programme can help participants reflect afresh on their theology of suffering, healing and recovery
- all participants will receive a 100 page printed workbook, and access to digital resources for up to three years post training, including the MHFA app which provides 24/ 7 digital support
- the training has been warmly received by cohorts of curates, parish priests, chaplains, area deans, and archdeacons
Sermon crafting
7 July (10.30am - 1.00pm, online)
A College of Preachers workshop primarily for those new to ministry and preaching.
A sermon does more than deliver facts - it tells a story, it encourages, comforts, challenges, exhorts. How a sermon is put together is as important as how it is delivered. In this workshop, we'll look at ways of crafting sermons that tell a story, helping our congregations to think afresh about the scriptures and see how they relate to their own life and faith.
Leader: Revd Dr Jennifer Brown, Director of Training for the College of Preachers
Cost: general, £12; ministry student, £10
Book here When prompted, enter password Preach075
Mental Health First Aid (2-day course)
9-10 July (9am-5pm, Church House, Oxford)
This course is now fully booked. We're looking for dates to run another course. Please email us here if you'd like to be on the waiting list for the next course.
This is a two-day course for clergy only, provided by humantalk and sponsored by the Clergy Support Trust. The course will equip participants with a practical framework for supporting those experiencing mental health concerns.
- Grounded in research, and developed with clinical practitioners, MHFA Is designed to enhance participants knowledge and confidence in how best to help others, whilst also looking after their own well-being
- within a church context, this programme can help participants reflect afresh on their theology of suffering, healing and recovery
- all participants will receive a 100 page printed workbook, and access to digital resources for up to three years post training, including the MHFA app which provides 24/ 7 digital support
- the training has been warmly received by cohorts of curates, parish priests, chaplains, area deans, and archdeacons
Preaching from Matthew's gospel
4 November (10am - 3.30pm, Church House Oxford) OR 8 November (10am - 3.30pm, venue tba near Oxford)
More details to come.
Click here for a library of resources, including recordings from previous CMD events.