Over a quarter of Anglican churches do not now hold a weekly Sunday service, according to the National Churches Trust. They also found that many churches struggle to raise funds for repairs and maintenance. Covid has had a significant impact on church attendance, which has fallen by over 20% from before the outbreak. It is not that no one wants to come to services; churches that stayed online and have not reduced their service numbers have regained 2019 attendance levels. Exhausted leaders spread across multiple congregations, tired volunteers and financial struggles were given as some of the issues facing churches post-pandemic. This relates only to the Church of England, and some of the findings are not present in the wider evangelical church. A common denominator in churches who are experiencing reduced numbers of attendees is that they are the churches who have abandoned orthodox Christian teaching.
Police accused of online child abuse failings
06 Apr 2023
A report into how police forces in England and Wales tackle online child sex abuse has found responses to allegations are slow, leaving vulnerable children in danger while allowing offenders to escape justice. In some cases, it takes up to a year and a half before an arrest is made. Many officers do not follow lines of inquiry into who the suspect is and whether they are approaching children. In most forces, cases reported directly to police are dealt with by non-specialists with inadequate training. These people are unaware of guidance they should follow and what specialist services they should refer children to. The lack of a consistent, effective national approach to tackling online abuse is a concern to the UK's only independent Christian safeguarding charity, Thirtyone:eight. They urge chief constables, policing bodies and the Government to implement the report’s seventeen recommendations speedily with a coordinated, sustained response across the country.
French president Emmanuel Macron arrived on 6 April for a three-day state visit to China. President Xi Jinping greeted Macron on a huge red carpet lined by Chinese and French flags as the countries’ national anthems played. President Macron said, ‘The Russian aggression in Ukraine has dealt a blow to stability. I know I can count on you to bring back Russia to reason and everyone back to the negotiating table.’ Macron also said that Beijing can play a ‘major role’ in finding a path to peace in the conflict and welcomed China’s willingness to ‘commit to a resolution’. Macron, who was accompanied on his visit by the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, said he wants to ‘be a voice that unites Europe’ over Ukraine; coming to China with her served to ‘underline the consistency of this approach’.
Greece: Iranian terror attack averted
06 Apr 2023
Greek police have prevented an ‘imminent attack’ against Israelis and Jews after arresting two Pakistani nationals who are part of an Iranian terror network. The two arrests came after the police, aided by Israel’s Mossad spy agency, uncovered plans for mass-casualty terrorist attacks, one of the targets being a Jewish restaurant in Athens. It is a kosher restaurant which also hosts other religious services. The two suspects had chosen targets of ‘high symbolism’. A third man, who is not in Greece, is wanted for questioning and has been charged in absentia. A police statement said, ‘Their aim was to cause the loss of life of innocent citizens and also to undermine the sense of security in Greece, while hurting public institutions and threatening our international relations’.
USA: Trump indictment
06 Apr 2023
Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to hide damaging information ahead of the 2016 election. He was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to hush money paid to a porn star who says they had an affair. He said the ‘fake case’ was a Democratic conspiracy to interfere with next year's presidential election, in which he is running. There's nothing in America’s constitution preventing him from running for election: even if imprisoned he could still campaign, but will white conservative Christians still accept him? They previously stood by his side despite sexual assault accusations, fascination with authoritarian leaders, and his fondness for racists. Now that he has been formally charged in a sordid saga, will they finally turn away from their man? A prolonged legal fight and a trial will be a major diversion from a presidential campaign - in time and energy, and the scheduling of election rallies. See
Japan: G7 summit prayer watch
06 Apr 2023
The annual G7 summit, in Japan, is from 19 to 21 May. The World Prayer Centre is calling people globally to join them on Zoom on 20 May at 10 am GMT +1, to pray for the summit and all the G7 leaders, together with the president of the European Council and the president of the European Commission. If you would like to join the event online via Zoom video conferencing. You will need to set up an account and download the app to your device Log in when the meeting is due to start, using these details. Topic: WPC PRAYER WATCH Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 819 5187 5317 Passcode: jesuslives You will then be admitted to a waiting room until WPC permits access. Once admitted, please put your mic on mute. WPC look forward to seeing you!
Angola: landmines scourge
06 Apr 2023
People are still dying or being maimed by one of the millions of landmines or unexploded ordnance left from the war that ended 20+ years ago. ‘I don't want my daughter to be the next landmine victim’, said Helena from eastern Angola. The 25-year-old mother has joined the ‘sapadora’ - Angolan women risking their lives daily to clear the scourge of leftover landmines. A national survey by the Angolan government in 2014 found that about 88,000 people were living with injuries caused by landmines. Organisations like the International Campaign to Ban Landmines say the true toll may be higher still, as there is no on-going official monitoring of casualties. Everyone in Angola knows someone who is injured. 7,300 hectares still need clearing. ‘We need to stop this cycle for the good of our people and our nation’, said Helena.
Global: objections to COP28 president
06 Apr 2023
Sultan Al Jaber, the CEO of the UAE’s national oil company, Adnoc, has been controversially appointed president of the UN’s COP28 summit in December; campaigners say this makes a mockery of the summit. Adnoc, the world’s 11th biggest oil and gas producer, delivered over a billion barrels of oil equivalent (BBOE) in 2021. Time is running out to end the climate crisis, yet Sultan Al Jaber is overseeing expansion to produce extra oil and gas, equivalent to 7.5bn barrels of oil, the fifth largest increase in the world. 90% would have to remain in the ground to meet the net zero scenario of the International Energy Agency. The UAE has the third largest plans for oil and gas expansion in the world, surpassed only by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.