Displaying items by tag: Britain

This is week 1 of the Friday Focus 2017 initiative that provides the opportunity for us to pray where we are, and unite across our nations, supporting all ongoing mission and preparing the way for future mission. HOPE’s aim (along with the World Prayer Centre) is to see the entire church mobilised during 2018 to make Jesus known. John 3:16: 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' Because of Jesus we can have the free gift of eternal life with him. Give thanks for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Pray that churches will work together using both words and actions to make Jesus known. Consider how churches in your area can work together to plan a rhythm of mission through 2018, especially at Easter, Harvest and Christmas. (Written by Roy Crowne, HOPE’s Executive Director)

Sir Ivan Rogers, the British representative to the EU, has resigned from his position without warning, following disagreements with Theresa May’s team. His resignation leaves the Prime Minister without a senior experienced European negotiator, only weeks before Brexit talks are due to begin. One of the country’s most senior retired civil servants, Lord Macpherson, said that this sudden decision highlighted the Government’s ‘wilful and total’ destruction of its EU expertise. In a farewell message Sir Ivan, who had been criticised for being pessimistic about Britain’s future outside the EU, called on the staff of Britain’s mission in Brussels to ‘continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking’. The Government has acted swiftly to deal with the crisis by appointing Sir Tim Barrow (former ambassador to Russia) as Sir Ivan’s successor. See:

One month after a large group of black and minority-ethnic (BAME) clergy wrote a letter criticising the lack of non-white senior clergy in the CofE, Downing Street has announced the appointment of the first BAME bishop for twenty years. The next Bishop of Woolwich will be the Vicar of St John’s, Upper Holloway, Revd Woyin Karo­wei Dorgu. The 58-year-old was born and brought up in Nigeria, and worked as a GP before training for ordination. He has been Vicar of St John’s since 2000. ‘We are greatly honoured to be invited to share and contribute to this dynamic ministry of bringing God’s love to the people of Wool­wich and the diocese,’ Revd Dorgu said. Speaking to reporters, he said, ‘I want to encourage BAME vocations and more participation in ministry. I will celebrate the divers­ity in race, ability, gender, sexuality, and class. Celebrating our differ­ences is a gift.’

James Jones, the former Bishop of Liverpool, who chaired an independent panel of inquiry into the Hillsborough football disaster, has been knighted in the New Year Honours list for services to bereaved families and justice. Bishop Jones was widely praised for his chairmanship of the panel, which concluded that many of the deaths at Hillsborough might have been avoided with better medical care. Bishop Jones said that he had mixed emotions on accepting the KBE, ‘because of the enduring sadness of the families who continue to feel the loss of their loved ones’. The inquiry, he said, had been ‘very much the climax’ of his 15 years as Bishop of Liverpool. A Hillsborough protester, Professor Phil Scraton, who led the panel’s research team, revealed last week that he had turned down an OBE in protest at those who ‘remained unresponsive’ to the campaign for truth and justice.