Far be it from me to promote a cult of quaintness, but the power of the Prayer Book to connect with many of those who find the ordinary diet of the church banal, should not be ignored. There is now a younger generation who are realising afresh the importance of complementing the argot of Twitter and SMS with the majesty of Cranmer.  
  - The Rt Revd & Rt Hon Richard Chartres, Bishop of London

This quote from the Bishop of London serves well as a summary of the 2016 PBS Annual Conference, held for the first time from Thursday evening to Saturday lunchtime rather than Friday to Sunday; the purpose of this was to make it easier for clergy and ordinands to attend, and the new timing appears to have been very successful. Overall attendance was up almost 40% and included over 20 bursary candidates, most of whom were young, including a number of clergy, ordinands, and young people discerning a possible future vocation to ordained ministry.

One bursary candidate wrote of his experience at the conferece: "I genuinely believe we are on the cusp of a change in attitude and use of the Book of Common Prayer, younger people in the Church, both laity and ordinands such as myself, are discovering the Prayer Book, its elucidation of doctrine, and the beauty and depths of its liturgy for the first time and with new enthusiasm."

This year’s Conference will run from Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th September 2017, again at Girton. Please click here for full programme and booking details.