Reflection from Yvonne Campbell, Director of the Free Churches Group
Being part of the Free Churches Group is such a privilege and an opportunity.
Earlier this year Colin Bloom published a report titled “Does government do God? As part of the Government’s response, the Free Churches were asked to provide feedback on the report in a round table meeting with Baroness Scott, the Minister of Faith. Drawing on briefings from the Free Church Secretaries and Paul our General Secretary, I was pleased to participate in the first meeting with the Minister and a small group of church leaders.
The report is very detailed and really interesting especially for anyone praying for the future of the Church. I highly recommend you read at least the summary and the recommendations. Here is the link to access the report.
The Church has an amazing opportunity to be the hope in our communities at a challenging time and this report, which was welcomed by those at the meeting with Baroness Scott, could help to play a part in that. The Free Churches Group was invited to play its part in making the recommendations of the report a reality. We definitely have an important voice that needs to be heard and excellent work to share that local churches are doing in communities across the country.
The report claims that “Faith is an ‘overriding force for good’ and government needs to improve its engagement with these groups.”
The main areas of conversation in the meeting focused on the following:
Faith Literacy
How to help Government and those with no faith or belief understand our Christian beliefs and way churches serve and connect people in communities. The Government also needs to be more transparent about how churches and faith organisations can connect with local and national government. Discussion took place about making faith literacy creative, using stories and involving young people.
Safeguarding
A Faith Compact/Charter is going to be written to help government departments to more effectively join up around the recommendations relating to safeguarding out-of-school settings.
Religious Education
There was a discussion about RE in schools and statistics were shared on the need for improvement, in relation to Ofsted figures on non-compliance with Government requirements. The Minister showed a great deal of interest in this issue. We are hopeful that specific action will be taken to address the areas of concern raised.
Chaplaincy
I highlighted that there was much more scope needed in the report on chaplaincy and we as the Free Churches have a concentration of expertise in chaplaincy ministry, primarily in healthcare, prisons, education and the Armed Forces. There was interest in the Free Churches ‘Chaplaincy Hub’, which we are continuing to develop. Only prison chaplaincy was mentioned in the report in any depth. I was able to confirm that we agree with the importance of speedily reforming the means by which Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service source and resource the faith and belief advisors. There was a useful discussion about healthcare chaplaincy and the suggestion that NHS practitioners don’t always know how to treat patients of faith.
Faith Champion
The Faith Champion was discussed although there was no consensus on what the next steps should be.
Baroness Scott will of course be meeting other faith groups as the Government continues to take forward its response to this report. The Free Churches Group will continue to engage on this report and take advantage of any opportunities to help the Government take forward the recommendations.
At the end of the meeting, I had the privilege of praying for the Minister and the work she has to do.
Do share any thoughts or ways your church is responding to what the report highlights.
Yvonne Campbell
Director, Free Churches Group
General Secretary, Congregational Federation