News
On Wednesday 4th November, the Free Churches Group will be hosting the annual healthcare chaplains study day.
Details of the meeting and the theme for the day are yet to be confirmed.
If you have a suggestion for the theme of the day, then why not let our Secretary for Healthcare Chaplaincy know? Revd Meg Burton meg.burton@freechurches.org.uk
Save the date in your diary and watch this pace for further information!
4th November
(photo courtesy of Jeshoots.com at Unsplash)
Presidents of Churches Together in England, named below, with the support of the Fourth Presidency Group, have issued a statement calling on churches to travel together on the journey of racial justice, addressing injustices both within our church life and in wider society. They write…
We as Presidents of Churches Together in England have responded to the killing of George Floyd in the United States, and the widespread call for real change to combat racial injustice in our world, above all in our own country. We have spent time over the past few weeks listening to voices of people from the black community, especially the younger generation. This has been a deeply moving experience and illustrated powerfully the many profound changes of heart and actions that need to be made. The attitude that regards black people – and indeed other people of ethnic minorities – as inferior is evil and mars our common humanity. We challenge this unreservedly, recognising the constant experiences of racism, including micro aggression, which black people face.
We believe that churches have a significant role to play in combating racial injustice. If we are to be effective in doing so, we must look at ourselves.
We are painfully aware of the racism that blights the life of our churches. We are intent upon a process of identifying racial injustice within our churches – current and historic – repenting of it and taking action to effect real change. This includes the potential for discriminatory behaviour in the way that we make church appointments, which we know can happen at the conscious or unconscious level. We want to ensure that these processes are just and demonstrate the so often neglected gospel truth of Colossians 3:11 “there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all”. In this verse Paul makes it clear that racial injustice and discrimination is not only profoundly unjust and an affront to God but also the very denial of Christ who reached out to all human beings.
Some Member Churches of Churches Together in England have already embarked upon this journey of tackling racial injustice. The Church of England plans a new action group, and among the Free Churches work by the Methodist and United Reformed Churches, together with Baptists Together is already under way, as is also true for the Catholic Church. The Pentecostal Forum has long held this issue in its view, as have the Orthodox Churches.
We call upon all churches to travel together on this journey of racial justice so that together, as one community of churches in England, we may reach out in love and respect to one another in pursuit of our common witness.
An area of great concern to us as Presidents is the relationship between the black community and the criminal justice system. We will therefore be facilitating conversations between young black women and men and senior members of the police service. We are also seeking to engage both the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice in further considering the day-to-day experience of many young black people in England.
We encourage all churches throughout England to do all they can to build trust and improve accountability between black communities, the police, civic bodies and wider community groups. In particular we call upon groupings of Church Leaders throughout the nation to reach out to their black colleagues in church leadership who are currently absent from their membership, making more inclusive ecumenical leadership. Our desire is that these groups will create spaces for those in authority to listen, as we have, to the powerful testimony of young black women and men as a step towards greater social cohesion.
We see these issues as matters of gospel and faith for all who follow Jesus Christ, the one who calls every nation and people to the justice of the Kingdom of God.
——
Presidents of Churches Together in England:
Archbishop Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster
Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, The Free Churches Moderator
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and CTE President for the Orthodox Churches
Pastor Agu Irukwu, head of Redeemed Christian Church of God UK and CTE Pentecostal President
The Fourth Presidency Group comprises Lutheran, Quaker and The Church of Scotland (English Presbytery) Member Churches.
(photo below from CTE website, cover photo courtesy of Casey Horner at Unsplash)
As you may know, the Free Churches Group has been an active and dedicated member of the Pray for Schools steering group for many years. Our work with them has been ongoing throughout recent months and we know that primary and secondary schools, as well as the wider education sector have been facing considerable challenges in recent months. They are in need of and grateful for our prayers and concern…
Across the UK, we are invited to pray for our schools. A helpful prayer sheet has been designed to help guide us in our prayers for schools, inspired by verses from Holy Scripture.
You can read and pray through this HERE.
Please feel free to share with your church and community groups too.
Father, please pour out Your blessings upon our whole school community so that everyone grows in the knowledge of Your truth, love, wisdom and peace. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
‘Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.
Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.’
John 16:24 (NIV)
** Note for your diary - 17th November - Pray Day for Schools **
(photo courtesy of Kelly Sikkema at Unsplash)
The Free Churches Faith Adviser to the Prison Service, Revd Bob Wilson, serves as the Vice Chair to the International Prison Chaplains Association (IPCA). We are invited by Rev Bob and all the the members of the IPCA network to join in a global wave of prayer for the work and ministry of the IPCA!
A day of prayer is taking place for prison chaplains across the world on 25th August 2020. Please encourage your church fellowships to get involved by praying in your homes or by safely physically distancing in your churches (as appropriate).
Join with the Free Churches Group and many other ecumenical partners across the globe for the International Prison Chaplains Association (IPCA).
The theme for this year is: The Grace of God
The IPCA has produced an order of service, complete with readings from Scripture and prayers for you to share and pray through.
Join us as we pray together… you can download the prayer and worship resource HERE
(photo courtesy of Mike Labrum at Unsplash)
“Compassion, resilience and COVID-19” is a thought provoking article which has just been published in the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and written by Andrew Gillies, who is a healthcare chaplain.
Rev Gillies writes, “Pandemics change perspectives, and the unique global impact of COVID-19 has offered little in the way of predictability that would otherwise inform what new, or helpful perspectives we might carry forward to cope with all that is unfolding. As a healthcare chaplain I spend a lot of time ‘holding stories’. These are the ones that patients tell as their lives come to an end, or as their health circumstances change. These are also the stories that healthcare colleagues tell of how unacceptable and painful their work can be, or of how dull and disconnected their emotions are compared to when they started. These stories are important because in speaking them, and having them heard, they are in some way validated, made real and understood …”
You can read the full article HERE.
(photo courtesy of Annie Spratt at Unsplash)
