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About Us

Broken Rites is an international group offering mutual support and information to separated and divorced spouses and partners of clergy and recognised ministers.

Our Aims

  1. To create and sustain awareness within churches and the wider community of the problems of clergy marriage and partnership breakdown.
  2. To raise awareness of the need for and to campaign for consistency in the provision of pastoral and practical care for clergy families.
  3. To support clergy spouses and partners who are experiencing difficulty in their relationships or situations.

Our Achievements Include

  • Nationwide recognition of Broken Rites including members in the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland and the Diocese in Europe;
  • Every Anglican Diocese now has a Bishop’s visitor;
  • Support from numerous charities;
  • Access to church housing schemes;
  • Growing awareness and appreciation of our problems and support needed for divorced and separated clergy spouses/partners and their children;
  • Pension sharing at divorce.

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Area Map

In each area there is a Representative and several Link Members.

As some areas cover vast distances, it is not easy to meet up often, but Reps and Links try to keep in touch by phone, email, or letter. Members are welcome to attend meetings in other areas.

Note – The Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, and Europe are also covered.

We have approximately 150 members from many different denominations and a committee which meets three times a year to discuss issues and determine policy. An Annual General Meeting is held in April or May. There is a regular newsletter, “The Rite Lines.” We are funded by membership subscriptions and donations.

Associate Members are those who support our work but are not eligible to join as Members. There is a special page here for Associates.

What next?

We will continue to support separated and divorced spouses and partners of clergy of all denominations and provide positive support and understanding to families in need. We seek greater uniformity over the issues of re-instatement and greater knowledge of the particular difficulties surrounding post-retirement relationship breakdown and divorce. We will campaign with others to raise awareness of the particular stresses which clergy families experience and for consistent support for those in need as a result of these stresses.