UK & Ireland in Brief

UK local churches are being offered a vital online-giving platform to help reverse the decline of income due to coronavirus.

Whilst some churches are starting to re-open their doors, the lack of collection-plate offerings is causing financial challenges for many churches. However, Stewardship is offering every church in the UK an online webpage and portal, which they can then customise for their church, thus creating a dedicated fundraising page to maximise

The Scottish Government’s Hate Crime Bill poses a ‘serious threat’ to free speech, a new campaign has warned.

Free to Disagree, a campaign supported by SNP veteran Jim Sillars, the National Secular Society, The Christian Institute, and criminologist Dr Stuart Waiton, marked its official launch on 17 July. The campaign opposes the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill. This would make behaviour deemed ‘abusive’ and ‘likely to stir up hatred’ a criminal offence.

Redcliffe College, the mission training centre based in Gloucester, will be joining All Nations Christian College from September 2020.

Redcliffe Vice-Principal Dr Tim Davy said: ‘I’m thrilled at the opportunities and possibilities that will come from joining together these two global families.’ Both colleges boast a history of over 120 years’ service to churches, mission organisations and individuals who seek excellence in training for ministry to serve God’s Kingdom.

SNP MP Dr Lisa Cameron received a death threat against an elderly relative following her vote against last month’s Ten Minute Rule Bill to introduce ‘buffer zones’ around UK abortion clinics.

This is not the first time she has received threats for voting pro-life. She was sent 900 abusive messages after opposing extreme abortion laws in Northern Ireland. Cameron said: ‘It is becoming more difficult for Christians MPs … as freedom of religious belief appears to be being continually eroded.’

A new Anglican church outside the Church of England began on 2 August.

Christ Church Newland describes itself as ‘an Independent, Orthodox Anglican fellowship led by a team of Elders with Scott McKay as Lead Pastor’ and says ‘our basis of faith is rooted in Scripture expressed by the Gafcon Declaration of 2008.’ It is understood that the keys of St John Newland, the Church of England church from which the new church comes, have been returned to York Diocese. The vicar of St John, Melvin Tinker, is retiring.

The Scottish Government has been accused of ‘misleading’ church leaders after setting an ‘arbitrary limit’ on the number of worshippers.

Holyrood Ministers have been accused of treating churches less favourably than other establishments. Guidance released in July stated that: ‘No place of worship should admit more than 50 people at any one time, regardless of its size or usual capacity.’ Although the guidance states the limit is not legally binding this 50-person cap has not been applied to cinemas, libraries, universities, restaurants, museums or pubs.

A new survey shows that more than 70% of UK citizens do not want it to be easier to change legal sex.

In a YouGov poll of 1,688 adults, just 28% said that changing sex should be made easier. Two-thirds disagreed with removing the requirement of a medical diagnosis before changing sex. A majority opposed allowing a trans woman to access female-only changing rooms. Former Health Minister, Jackie Doyle-Price MP expressed her concerns about the ‘dangerous’ trans lobby and reiterated the need to ‘just give children the chance to grow up’.

New research from Allchurches Trust has highlighted that, for many churches, the coronavirus pandemic has made them feel particularly cut off from young people in their communities.

Nearly a quarter of churches reported a decrease in engagement with children and teenagers. 30% of respondents indicated they were unable to run any online activities for the younger generation during lockdown. Previous research from 2019 revealed that 67% of churches have five or fewer 11 to 18-year-olds in their worshipping community.