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About Us

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

Our Aims

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

Our Achievements Include

  • Friendships forged, wellbeing improved, lives rebuilt
  • Widespread recognition of Broken Rites including members across the UK and in the Irish Republic, the Diocese in Europe and further afield;
  • Growing awareness and appreciation of our problems and support needed for divorced and separated clergy spouses/partners and their children;
  • Every Anglican Diocese now has a Bishop’s Visitor;
  • Support from numerous charities;
  • Access to church housing schemes;
  • Pension sharing at divorce.

“Welcome to the lovely group none of us wanted to join!”

We have over 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.” Our work is 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.

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Area Map

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

As some areas cover vast distances, it is not easy to meet up in person, but Reps and Links try to keep in touch by phone, email, zoom 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 in this way. Members across the world are ‘met’ online and signposted to local support if possible.