[Church of England] The Church of England is setting up a new group to support local churches resettling refugees in partnership with the United Kingdom Home Office.

Domenica Pecoraro and Canon Gareth Jones have been appointed as the Church’s first national representatives for community sponsorship.

They will work with a steering group chaired by Bishop of Bradwell John Perumbalath, who also chairs the inter-denominational Churches’ Refugee Network, and supported by staff from Church of England’s national Mission and Public Affairs team.

This initiative will build on the positive work since the 2015 General Synod which agreed a motion urging “parishes and dioceses to work closely with local authorities and other community partners, to provide practical and sustainable resources and structures for the resettlement of vulnerable refugees and to pray for all those seeking to address the causes as well as the symptoms of this crisis”.