Ofsted - 'not in my youth camp'
David Burrowes
In a letter published in the Telegraph in January, Christian MP David Burrowes responds to the apparent intention of Ofsted to insist on the registration of Church youth groups.
'Last week Open Doors published their World Watch List of the persecution of Christians by country. Christians are all too aware of the increasing threats to religious freedom from militant Islam. So the Government's plan to tackle radicalisation is welcome. However, it is both ironic and wrong to catch Christian groups in a blanket requirement for registration and inspection of "out of school" education of more than 6 to 8 hours a week.
Burma: a church under pressure
David Burrowes
On my flight to Burma in early October, I read a book about the extraordinary life of America’s first foreign missionary, Adoniram Judson.
He survived starvation, imprisonment and torture, alongside watching friends and family die, in his calling to spread the gospel in Burma. One of the highlights of my visit was to find a Gideon Bible in a hotel in Myitkyina, capital of Kachin State. It was a Burmese Bible which was originally translated 175 years ago by Judson.
What makes a leader? Reflections from the Conservative Party Conference
I am writing this article on the way back from the Conservative Party Conference, where most of my time was spent with the Conservative Christian Fellowship, who had an exhibition stand at the entrance to the conference hall. The talk of the conference was about leadership.
This has made me reflect not so much upon the qualities of the leadership candidates but upon the distinctive Christian characteristics of leadership, which are needed not just in the Conservative Party but across public life.