Displaying items by tag: church leaders

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, along with other church leaders, have voiced strong concerns regarding the recently passed Safety of Rwanda Bill. This legislation, aimed at deporting some asylum seekers to Rwanda, has met with considerable opposition. The church leaders criticised the bill for unfairly maligning migrants fleeing war, persecution, and violence for political purposes. In a joint statement, they highlighted the potential precedent this bill sets for the treatment of vulnerable individuals, including victims of modern slavery. They expressed disappointment in the rising hostility towards refugees and asylum seekers, whom they describe as being used as 'political footballs.' The UN has also urged the UK to reconsider this bill, especially after the tragic deaths on 23 April of five people attempting to cross the English Channel. Rishi Sunak defended the bill, citing the need for a deterrent against criminal exploitation of vulnerable migrants. See

The north of England faces a crisis in child welfare, with one in 52 children in Blackpool in care, highlighting the urgent need to address poverty-driven disparities. A report has revealed that nine in every thousand children in the north are in care, compared to six in the rest of England. The figures indicate that £25bn could have been saved if care entry rates had been equal across regions from 2019 to 2023. Child poverty emerges as the primary driver of these discrepancies. Dr Davara Bennett, lead author of the report, has stressed the necessity for policymakers to confront systemic inequalities and prioritise preventative measures over reactive spending. Emma Lewell-Buck, co-chair of the Child of the North all-party parliamentary group, has pointed to the detrimental impact of underinvestment in social services, advocating for improved support systems for vulnerable families. The call to action urges the Government to address these issues promptly to ensure a brighter future for children and families across the region.

The Meeting House church in Oakville, Canada has had ‘substantiated’ sexual abuse allegations against its former leader, Bruxy Cavey. In June, he was charged with one count of sexual abuse after an internal investigation. Then the church announced two further investigations, as more accusations of sexual abuse against him and former pastor Tim Day were submitted: see In Australia the Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission launched an investigation into the Hillsong megachurch in March after a former employee alleged financial malpractice, including using tax-free money for ‘large cash gifts’ to former Hillsong global leader Brian Houston and his family. See also

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and 200+ church leaders sent an open letter to Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. They said a stronger commitment to renewable energy would help address the climate emergency and help people to weather the cost of living crisis. Letter signatories include fifty Anglican and Catholic bishops, including the lead environment bishops. Their call for financial and fiscal support for renewable energy and energy efficiency - solar and wind energy - was met in the spring statement, but retrofitting of homes and other buildings across the UK to reduce heating bills and decrease carbon emissions was not. They also proposed a windfall tax on fossil fuel companies to address the cost of living and no support for new oil and gas developments if we are to limit global heating to 1.5°C.

A renowned and well-established research institution found only 5% of pastors/priests in every worldwide Christian tradition have theological training with a recognised degree. 90% of pastors only have some kind of informal or non-formal theological education. Formal theological education has a clearly defined programme, curriculum, exams, degrees, and associated accreditation processes. The thousands of informal programmes have nothing similar; there are no guidelines, no standards, and no outcomes that could be globally accepted. Each one does what it considers best. Often the concepts and beliefs of the founders or leaders of each denomination or mission agency determine how the various training programmes are carried out. One teacher and missionary leader stated publicly that he had personally trained more than 15,000 pastors for ministry; each pastor received about six weeks of training, and were then ordained as pastors. He and his board believe that such training is sufficient.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis, and Church of Scotland moderator Jim Wallace have written to South Sudan's political leaders on the tenth anniversary of its independence. They said that the anniversary calls to mind past struggles and points with hope to the future, and that the nation is blessed with immense potential. They encouraged leaders to make even greater efforts to enable their people to enjoy the full fruits of independence. They also said, ‘When we wrote to you at Christmas, we prayed that you might experience greater trust among yourselves and be more generous in service to your people. Since then, we are glad to see some small progress. Sadly, your people continue to live in fear and uncertainty, and lack confidence that their nation can indeed deliver the “justice, liberty and prosperity” celebrated in your national anthem. Much more needs to be done to shape a nation that reflects God’s kingdom.’

Protestant and Catholic church leaders said the causes of the recent violence were complex and deep-rooted, and have appealed for politicians to provide a unified response to the recent ‘heart-breaking’ scenes of violence. In a joint open letter, they called on them to ‘renew their commitment to peace, reconciliation and the protection of the most vulnerable’. Almost ninety police officers have been injured in rioting in the past week. The leaders' plea is addressed to NI ministers, the British and Irish governments, and the EU. They called for the entire NI executive to approach the EU and UK government to deal with the Brexit fallout and the Irish Sea border, and for politicians to express their support for the police. Much good work on the ground has been undermined as tension has risen and confidence has plummeted.

948 church leaders have sent an open letter to Boris Johnson and the devolved nations’ first ministers, opposing the introduction of vaccine passports, which they call ‘one of the most dangerous policy proposals ever to be made in the history of British politics’. They warn of a ‘two-tier society’, divided between those who have had the vaccine and those who will be barred from venues because of no immunisation. They intend to keep church doors open to all, regardless of whether they have had the vaccine. The scheme ‘has the potential to bring the end of liberal democracy as we know it and create a surveillance state with the government using technology to control aspects of citizens' lives’. However recent surveys have indicated a high level of support for passports among the public, albeit with some concerns.

Church leaders from seven denominations have argued that the Government's plan to increase the UK's nuclear warheads ‘takes us in a worrying and wholly wrong direction.’ The UK currently has 195 nuclear warheads and was expected to reduce that to 180 by the mid-2020s. The cap is now 260, due to the threat of state-sponsored terrorism and other states increasing their nuclear arsenals. The leaders said that the fundamental purpose of nuclear weapons is to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression. A minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent, assigned to the defence of NATO, remains essential to guarantee our security and that of our allies. They also said that Trident submarines already carry warheads with an explosive yield equivalent to hundreds of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima, and the Government is committing resources which could be spent on the common good of our society.

A common theme is emerging among church leaders experiencing lockdowns: the importance of connection and how to connect as a church. Refreshments after church, shared events, coffee shop catchups, Sunday dinner get-togethers have been stripped away. Leaders have lost the thermostat of knowing how church people are. Many are wondering if and how online church is translating into everyday life. It is encouraging that this season has produced worship that is decentralised, has moved out of the building, and is more tightly woven into the daily fabric of life. Mission no longer has a visiting evangelist. Evangelism is now central in conversations with neighbours and colleagues. We are sharing our faith. Another common theme is how Christians have taken hold of their own discipleship because of the decentralisation of worship and the democratisation of mission.