Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

A church in Bristol, closed after it suffered bomb damage during the Second World War, will be reopened with a vision of making Jesus known to the city's young adults and vulnerable people. Rev Toby Flint, formerly a lead pastor at Holy Trinity Brompton in London, is going to lead St Nicholas on Baldwin Street. He said, ‘We're really excited to have been invited to reopen and restore the church to its original purpose, demonstrating the love of God. We want to build on the deep foundations of faith in the city, to reimagine church for a new generation, and play our part in meeting the needs of the most disadvantaged in Bristol.’ The setting for two major universities, Bristol has experienced an influx of students and young professionals in recent years. It is estimated that 60% of people living in the city centre are aged between 15 and 29.

Theresa May has replied to the Archbishop of Canterbury after he criticised the Government’s record in tackling poverty. She said that working hard was ‘the best route out of poverty’, rather than state interventions. Jeremy Corbyn used his speech to the party conference to praise the Archbishop and his recent report, in which, he said, ‘economic justice needs to be hard-wired into the way the economy works’. Justin Welby has adopted an increasingly strident tone in recent weeks, most notably with an outspoken attack on zero-hours contracts and the lack of opportunity for young people at the TUC’s annual conference. He said the wealthy should pay more tax, adding, ‘We cannot continue with an economy that works so badly for so many’. Theresa May’s reply to the archbishop was made on her trip to the USA, where she addressed 200 business leaders about the advantages of investing in the UK after Britain leaves the EU.

A poet and songwriter has complained to the Welsh Language Commissioner after HSBC told him it could not respond to his letter because it was written in Welsh. The bank asked Mr Lovgreen to resend his message informing them of his change of address because it was in a foreign language. HSBC has since apologised, and said it will offer better training to staff. Earlier this year MPs were able to speak Welsh during parliamentary debates for the first time at Westminster, after translation facilities were made available. See also the Europe article on Greater Europe Mission (GEM UK).

Calls for buffer zones to be introduced outside abortion clinics to stop patients being harassed have been rejected by the Home Secretary, who said that protest-free areas around clinics ‘would not be a proportionate response’. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his decision was a ‘shocking failure to protect women’ and should be reversed. Be Here For Me, a campaign group which opposed the ban, welcomed the commonsense decision which would mean ‘women could continue to be offered much needed help and support’. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said they were ‘delighted’ by the decision: ‘This is a massive victory for common sense, democracy and above all for the hundreds of vulnerable women who are saved from the horror of abortion at the very gates of the abortion clinic.'

Farmers are coming to terms with low crop and forage yields resulting from a long cold winter and hot dry summer. They are also worried about Brexit; many feel that farming is a long way down the list of politicians’ priorities. The main concern is the direct payments to farmers made under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (an essential part of their income as long as food is cheap). They fear new trade agreements will allow imports of cheaper food from countries that lack our high standards of animal welfare, soil protection, minimum wages, and quality goods (all of which add value and cost). Meanwhile, over the past months the National Farmers Union has been preparing reports on international trade, domestic agricultural policies, competent/flexible workforce, managing price volatility, and improving productivity. The EU withdrawal bill is now working its way through Parliament; the wheels are in motion to enact Brexit. The first agriculture bill for a generation is also on its way and must be seized as a golden opportunity to build a system that works for British farmers. See

On 13 September 2018 the House of Lords debated a motion from Lord Popat, ‘to ask Her Majesty’s Government what actions they are taking to reassure the Jewish community over the impact of anti-Semitism in the United Kingdom.’ David Urquhart, the Bishop of Birmingham, said, ‘There is a need for constant vigilance to ensure that anti-Semitism plays no part in the life of our country’. A further report on the theology of Christian-Jewish relations is in preparation, led by the Bishop of Lichfield.

Christian Unions (CUs) are groups within schools for young people to explore Christianity and develop their faith, usually meeting during a lunchtime. They are typically student-led, sometimes with teachers present, and every group is different. We can pray that this year’s CUs are powerfully outward-looking to their non-Christian friends. May many Youth Alphas be used in the CU meetings. Being a young person who wants to follow Jesus in 2018 is not easy. It is difficult just to survive in their faith through the years of change in their teens. Reaching friends for Jesus takes a serious amount of courage and character. Pray for more parents, church leaders, and youth workers to stand with these teenagers in a show of support and encouragement as they work towards transformation in their school.

Britain has given a strong message to Chinese companies that it is fully open for business as it prepares to leave the EU next year, and that China is one of the countries with which Britain would like to sign a post-Brexit free trade deal. Following talks between British trade minister Liam Fox and China’s commerce ministry, they have agreed to look at the possibility of reaching a ‘top notch’ free trade agreement after Brexit. They met at the British Ambassador’s residence in Beijing and signed memorandums of understanding between British and Chinese firms and institutions. China also said that it hoped Britain would use a major import fair in November in Shanghai, which President Xi is overseeing, to expand its exports to China. Dr Fox and Prince Andrew are expected to be leading Britain’s delegation.

St Andrew’s Day is 30 November and it will also be a day of prayer for Scotland, with many churches in different parts of the country hosting a variety of prayer events. May God bless Scotland and help every individual to show gratitude for what has been good in the past, goodwill in the present, and hope with determination for the days ahead. May Scotland follow Andrew’s footsteps, just as he followed his Lord, Jesus Christ.

At the time of writing, a huge clean-up operation is continuing after Storm Ali battered parts of the UK with winds of up to 100mph. Two people died, thousands of homes were without power, and lorries overturned due to the severe winds. Rail services were disrupted, and on 20 September in some places the winds were still too strong for engineers to repair downed power lines. Some 55,000 homes and businesses, largely in southwest Ireland, suffered a loss of power due to the winds. Meanwhile Storm Bronagh has been officially named; she is due to reach Devon and Cornwall on 20 September, and expected to deliver heavy rain, lightning, hail and high waves around the coasts. The Met Office has warned of damage to buildings, falling trees, and danger to life. See