Andrea Minichiello Williams spoke to the General Synod today (6 Feb), challenging the Church of England to take a stand for traditional marriage before it is too late. Urging the Presidents of the Synod (the two Archbishops) to authorise an Emergency Debate, Andrea Williams, member of the General Synod and CEO of Christian Concern, called on the Church to resist David Cameron’s attempt to introduce same-sex marriage, noting that such a concept is contrary to both the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. ‘If the national Church were to stand for marriage as traditionally defined then our Prime Minister would be defeated even before he began. Is it not the job of the established Church to hold Government to account and not to let her stray from biblical precepts which are good not just for individuals but for communities and nations?’
Pray: that the challenge laid down by Andrea will be taken seriously by the Church. (Mt.19:1-6)
The Crown Prosecution Service has been accused of “double standards” over abortion laws as it brought criminal charges against a string of pro-life protesters yet refused to prosecute doctors over illegal practices. One outspoken peer accused the CPS of operating a policy “worthy of Alice in Wonderland” and subverting the will of Parliament by deciding against bringing charges for “public interest” reasons, despite there being enough evidence to do so. There were growing calls for a judicial review of the decision, supported by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, not to charge two doctors exposed in an undercover Daily Telegraph investigation agreeing to arrange abortions because the babies were female. In contrast the CPS has taken several recent cases of Pro Life Christians to trial for their anti-abortion activities. Lord Alton said: “Holding different people accountable to different standards should not be the basis on which the CPS operates.”
Pray: for clear guidance to be given to the CPS on how they handle such cases to ensure parity and fairness within the legal system. (Pr.18:5)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10292249/Gender-abortions-CPS-accused-of-double-standards-after-putting-pro-life-campaigners-on-trial.html
GDOP London links up with Micah Challenge
08 Oct 2010
Global Day of Prayer London (GDOP) is partnering with Micah Challenge’s 10-10-10 campaign as part of their 500 days of prayer initiative. They are encouraging churches across the UK to pray for the marginalised in their local areas and the world’s poor this October. As churches throughout the UK are getting behind this initiative, GDOP’s London Convenor, Jonathan Oloyede, wants to continue to build this momentum of prayer by providing more and more resources to keep mobilising Christians towards 24-hour intercession. GDOP London is now producing a monthly podcast with regular interviews and features with key Christian leaders. Their October podcast has a special focus on praying for the world’s poor. Oloyede also presents a monthly video blog to keep Christians inspired and updated on the 500 days of prayer movement and there are a number of prayer resources on the GDOP London website. Pray: that all Christians remember and pray for the world’s poor that their plight is lessened by God's strong intervention. (Dt. 15:7)
Maria Miller, the newly appointed Minister for Women and Equalities, has voiced her support for controversial plans to rewrite the definition of marriage. Mrs Miller was put in overall charge of the Government’s same-sex marriage plans by last week’s cabinet reshuffle. Gay campaigners expressed concern, fearing that she wouldn’t be supportive enough of same-sex marriage. But Mrs Miller, who was also appointed as the Culture Secretary, revealed her support for the controversial change yesterday. Speaking to the Sunday Times Mrs Miller said marriage needs to be redefined to make sure it ‘remains as a relevant and vibrant institution’. She added: ‘Look, I think everybody should be married. It’s something which creates strength in our society and whether it is two men, two women or a man and a woman it is something which is a way for us to strengthen our society further.’ Nearly 600,000 people, including a number of politicians, have signed a petition opposing any change to the current law. It is being run by the Coalition for Marriage.
Pray: for Maria Miller that she will be guided by the Holy Spirit into God’s definition of marriage and not be pressured to rewrite the definition. (Heb.13:4)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/gay-marriage-new-equalities-minister-backs-redefinition/
Worshippers in London on Sunday added their signatures to new petitions against David Cameron’s plans while one charity launched an online campaign to encourage Catholics to lobby their MPs. Last week more than 1,000 priests – a quarter of all Catholic clergy in England and Wales – signed a letter to The Daily Telegraph arguing that the change could open the door to new discrimination against Christians. These moves signal the start of a string of new ‘grassroots’ protests organised independently of the Church hierarchy in the run-up to the publication of the Government’s Equal marriage Bill, due at the end of this month. Meanwhile evangelical Christians from Britain travelled to Paris to observe a mass protest by Christians and Muslims against President Francois Hollande’s plans for same-sex marriage in France. Organisers said that 800,000 people converged around the Eiffel Tower for a demonstration attended by Jean-Francois Cope, the leader of the centre-right UMP party.
Pray: for the success of these protests and that the petitions will have the desired effect. (1Cor.12:2)
Gay couples to be allowed ceremonies in church
07 Nov 2011Lynne Featherstone, the equalities minister, will say that the ban on the ceremonies in religious surroundings will be lifted on Dec 5. The move has been championed by David Cameron but is likely to be opposed by some church groups. The scheme will be ‘voluntary’ with no church compelled to offer same-sex services. However, it is likely that some campaigners will seek to push the matter further if churches refuse to open their doors to gay couples. It is estimated that about 1,500 civil partnerships a year would take place in religious settings once the ban is lifted. There are currently about 5,500 civil partnerships taking place every year. Liberal Jewish groups, Quakers and other minor Christian organisations have lobbied for the right to host civil partnerships with religious readings and hymns. However, the Church of England has warned that it would not bless same-sex couples.
Pray: that the Church would hold fast to God’s guidance as laid down in His Word. (1Tim.1:9-11)
Churches fear that problem gambling is set to rise after the government announced plans to relax rules on the number of fruit machines in arcades and double the stakes from £1 to £2. Two draft Statutory Instruments were submitted to Parliament on 7 June. These measures would increase the maximum stake for category B3 gaming machines (a type of fruit machine) and raise the cap on the maximum number of such machines at adult gaming centres and bingo halls. The Evangelical Alliance, the Church of England, the Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, Quaker Action on Alcohol and Drugs and CARE have expressed concern at the Government's plans. The church groups are shocked and disappointed that the coalition government has made these proposals which will further liberalise the law. They are calling on the government not to implement this irresponsible rise when research into the potential effects has not been done. (See Prayer Alert 07-2011)
Pray: for the government to have wisdom over the problems that gambling excesses cause. (Dt.32:29)
More: http://www.eauk.org/media/gambling-set-to-rise-with-stakes-doubled-on-fruit-slot-machines.cfm
A judge was ordered to keep a ‘lower profile’ on Tuesday – after he spoke out in favour of marriage. Judicial watchdogs rebuked High Court family law judge Sir Paul Coleridge following protests about his involvement in a campaign to make marriage ‘the gold standard of relationships’. Sir Paul is listed as ‘founder and chairman’ of the Marriage Foundation think-tank and boosted its launch with a series of high-profile interviews and newspaper articles. But a barrister complained to the Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC), the disciplinary body for judges, that Sir Paul was breaking rules that prevent judges associating themselves with any ‘organisation, group or cause’. The disciplinary panel, led by Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling and a senior High Court judge, President of the Queen’s Bench Division Sir John Thomas, found there had been no judicial misconduct. The OJC said: ‘Mr Justice Coleridge has agreed to keep a lower profile role within the organisation.
Pray: that Sir Paul’s interviews will have raised the profile of marriage and may his influence continue to bear fruit. (Heb.13:4)
More: http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2012/12/05/gagged-judge-who-dared-to-stick-up-for-marriage/