We are incredibly fortunate to welcome The Very Rev’d Canon Richard Sewell, Dean of St George’s College, Jerusalem, to Tewkesbury Abbey. Living and serving in the heart of the Holy
Tag: Gaza
A busy week in the House of Lords: Bishop Rachel’s challenges to government
Last week, Bishop Rachel was the bishop on duty in the House of Lords, and spoke on six occasions on various topics. Full details are below: Grok and Twitter/X:
Paths of Hope: seeking justice and compassion for Palestinians and Israelis
Paths of Hope: seeking justice and compassion for Palestinians and Israelis 7.30pm Monday 10th November. St Laurence Church, Stroud Author Matthew Teller in dialogue with The Rt Revd Rachel Treweek (Bishop of Gloucester), moderated
Bishops pray Gaza ceasefire deal brings immediate relief and comfort
A group of bishops with a close interest in the Holy Land have welcomed the Gaza peace deal, praying that it will “bring immediate relief and comfort”. The Bishop of
Palestinian statehood
Bishop Rachel, together with the Archbishop of York, the Bishops of Southwark, Chelmsford and Norwich, respond to the Prime Minister’s announcement on the possibility of recognising a Palestinian state.
Bishop Rachel: 10 years of ministry
We’re celebrating 10 years since Bishop Rachel was consecrated as the Bishop of Gloucester and the first female diocesan bishop in the Church of England. On 22 July 2015, she
Bishops call on government to take action over settler violence
Bishop Rachel has joined with the bishops of Norwich, Southwark and Chelmsford in writing an open letter to The Guardian over settler violence against Palestinian communities, particularly in Taybeh, the
Shining a light and magnifying a whisper
Bishop Rachel’s reflections from a visit to Israel-Palestine in May 2025
Message from Bishop Rachel, 3 June 2025
Having only returned from Jerusalem the day before, it was poignant last Thursday on Ascension Day to recall Jesus Christ’s words to his disciples on the Mount of Olives, that they should wait to be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49).
House of Bishops statement on Gaza
Bishop Rachel joins the House of Bishops in protest at the death, destruction and suffering that men, women and children have endured in Gaza, Israel and the region these last 20 months.
Bishop Rachel’s statement on the ceasefire-hostage release agreement
I am extremely glad to hear the news of the ceasefire-hostage release agreement. Whilst there is still a long way to go it shines some light in the darkness for
Message from Bishop Rachel, 24 September 2024
‘They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more’ (Isaiah 2:4) In
Message from Bishop Rachel, 10 September 2024
‘Fair’ is an intriguing word when we think about our local communities and beyond to the wider world. It raises questions around discrimination, the difference between equality and equity, and shines a light on justice.
Message from Bishop Rachel, 16 July 2024
It is good to be back in the diocese after a few weeks away of so called ‘mini sabbatical’, during which time the political landscape changed dramatically. There have been
Bishop Rachel’s visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Bishop Rachel has visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (15-19 June 2024) to show solidarity with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and local Christians, and to listen and understand
Bishop Rachel for Church Times: On listening to the voices of Palestinian Christians in the West Bank
Bishop Rachel is this week featured on the Church Time’s podcast, interviewed by Francis Martin about her visit this month to Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. “One of the
Message from Bishop Rachel, 23 January 2024
This Saturday is Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), held each year on 27 January which marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Every year, HMD is not only a day to remember the millions of Jews and ‘others’ murdered in the Holocaust, but also the acts of genocide which have happened elsewhere in the world in the years that followed. HMD is an invitation to pause and reflect alongside people of different faiths, views and backgrounds regarding how easily people are ‘othered’. We are invited to pay attention to the dark path that othering takes us down, whether it be about groups and neighbours in our local contexts, or about peoples and groups in distant parts of the world.
Bishop Rachel’s invitation to stand ‘Together for Humanity’ at peace vigil
As we continue to watch the events in the Middle East, we mourn the loss of all those who have been killed in Israel and Palestine, and we long for
Message from Bishop Rachel, 9 January 2024
In these early days of 2024 I have enjoyed the beauty of creation whilst also being aware of the devastation of wind and earthquake, and storm and flood, not least within our diocese. Indeed, I’m sure that each of us has begun this year acutely aware of the pain and turbulence in our world, whether that be locally and in our own lives, or whether it is the horror of what is going on in Gaza and across Israel and Palestine, or in Ukraine and elsewhere.
Christmas crib surrounded by rubble
Christmas crib surrounded by rubble as Tewkesbury Abbey remembers the suffering of Gaza and Israel
LIFE Together 2023: Highlights
It’s been two years since we focused the spotlight of our LIFE vision into the five areas of the LIFE Together vision. We’re seeking to live ‘life in all its
Message from Dean Andrew, 31 October 2023
One of the questions I often find myself being asked by people I meet is this: what is your favourite verse from the Bible? There are so many verses I could choose, but the themes in the scriptures that have always most inspired me are those that speak of light and hope.
Israel-Palestine conflict: “We must not be silent.”
In our diocesan Bulletin I wrote of the danger of seeing the world through a simple binary lens, and I included the situation in Israel-Palestine. The details of the evil
Message from Archdeacon Phil, 17 October 2023
One of the questions we sometimes ask candidates being interviewed for clergy posts in the Diocese runs along the lines of ‘What, for you, is the heart of the good news of the Gospel, and is there a Bible verse that is central to this?’ … I am always struck by the range of responses and find myself reflecting on what my answer would be.
