These articles were first published in our March edition of the newspaper, click here for more.
The Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) has appointed a Church Revitalisation Co-ordinator who will be responsible for spearheading a revitalisation initiative among the churches of the FIEC.
Phil Walter, currently pastor of Brixworth Christian Fellowship near Northampton, will work part-time in the role before joining the FIEC staff team full-time in July 2016. He will work alongside struggling local churches to help them recapture and renew their gospel vision.
A Bill seeking to restrain the operation of shari’a councils was passed in January by the House of Lords, with the Peer who introduced it saying there is still a long way to go.
Baroness Cox received support for the plans from Muslim women’s groups as it seeks to tackle gender discrimination in pseudo courts. However, its First Reading in the House of Commons is yet to be scheduled and the BBC has indicated that the Bill has ‘little chance’ of being discussed or passed by MPs.
The Archbishop of Canterbury suggested in January that Easter should fall on the same Sunday every year to try to end a disagreement over the date which has gone on since the 10th century.
Archbishop Welby said Anglican leaders had voted to join discussions with the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches to set an annual date. The plan is expected to be welcomed by parents and schools, but may anger traditionalists.
In January, ‘Uncover John’ Seeker Bible Studies were produced in Mandarin Chinese for British students to use with their Chinese friends.
Produced in partnership with COCM (Chinese Overseas Christian Mission), this resource has been translated and contextualised into Chinese. mirrors the English version so the two can be used side-by-side, enabling any British student to look at John’s gospel with a Chinese friend.
In January the UK National Screening Committee confirmed that it will be recommending the implementation of ‘cell-free DNA’ (cfDNA) techniques to screen for Down’s syndrome in babies in the womb.
With 90% of the babies diagnosed likely to have Down’s syndrome being aborted, many are concerned this will lead to further abortions. In response, a campaign called ‘Don’t Screen Us Out’ against the implementation of cfDNA, has been formed.
In January, the Scottish Parliament rejected a bid to make the teaching of LGBT topics a statutory requirement in all schools.
In August 2015, homosexual lobby group, Time for Inclusive Education (TIE), called for the Scottish Parliament to urge the Government to enforce a pro-LGBT agenda in schools. But the Public Petitions Committee, convened by Labour MSP Michael McMahon, decided that the group’s request had ‘little support’ from Government, local authorities and other organisations.
New proposals for shops to be allowed to open for longer hours on Sundays have been included as ammendments to the upcoming Enterprise Bill by Business Secretary, Sajid Javid.
Announced in February, this comes less than three months after the Prime Minister was forced to scrap a vote on plans to relax Sunday Trading laws after they sparked revolt by 20 Conservative MPs. CARE has highlighted that the government has put ‘spin above transparency’ in its summary of responses to the consultation on Sunday trading proposals.