UCB Broadcast January 2007
Hello and welcome to the Parliamentary prayer update, my name is Gareth Wallace and I work in Westminster for the Evangelical Alliance Public Affairs Department.
Trans-Saharan Charity Banger race
Over the New Year, I, and two of my friends drove a dilapidated 30 year old SAAB 4000 miles from Plymouth to Banjul the capital of the Gambia. We wish to thanks all of those who supported and sponsored us. Our target was to raised £10,000 for Tearfund and Macmillan, to date we have received over £14000!
We had an amazing and eye opening time as we drove through Europe and then into Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia. The daily video blogs of our journey and links to other teams can be found at www.sanddodgers.co.uk
Give thanks that there were relatively few incidents during the rally and the vast majority of the team’s dilapidated cars finished. Give thanks that despite the difficulties and challenges, team spirit was maintained and new friendships forged, not least with a team from Avon fire service that was driving a fire engine from Bristol as a gift to the Gambian fire service.
We also met up with two amazing Christians, Rob and Andy, the Clayton Farm Crew, who raised over £50,000 for a disabled retreat centre they are building in Sussex. Give thanks for the generosity of the donations and for the survival of most of the vehicles as these are auctioned in The Gambia for local charities and projects. ·
Finally, one thing I could not really publicise before we left was that the Bible Society kindly donated some Scriptures for us to smuggle! Pray for the two churches and half dozen individuals that we distributed them to.
Parliament Back
Not only have I returned from Africa, but Parliament has returned from its Christmas recess!
Please pray for MP’s and their families as they get immersed back into the frantic pace of Westminster life. Pray that MP’s will not only be able to spend time passionately debating key issues and passing good laws, but that they will also have quality family time and be able to maintain something of a work life balance.
CSW report on Burma
On Tuesday the 23rd of January, Evangelical Alliance member human rights organisation Christian Solidarity worldwide launched a major new report at an event in Parliament.
The ‘Carrying the Cross’ report highlights the military regime’s campaign of restriction, discrimination and persecution against Christians in Burma.
Supportive MP’s including David Drew, Peter Bottomley, Stephen Crabb, Steve Webb and Jim Dobbin have signed Early day motion 658 RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS, DISCRIMINATION AND PERSECUTION IN BURMA which highlights the issues raised in the CSW report.
Please consider writing to you MP to ask if they would sign this parliamentary petition. More information can be found on the CSW website.
Please pray for persecuted Christians in Burma, give thanks that Christians in the UK and politicians in Westminster are taking this issue very seriously. Pray that the democracy movement in Burma will be strengthened and that justice and freedom will prevail.
Sexual Orientation Regulations
One cannot fail to notice how far up the media agenda the issue of the Sexual Orientation Regulations has come. Now both Anglican Arch-bishops and the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales are clearly outlining their concerns that faith based adoption agencies will be adversely affected if the SORs remain unmodified.
On the 10 January 2007 the Evangelical Alliance commented in the wake of the Northern Ireland SORs saying that it will continue to talk to the Government about Christians’ concerns about Sexual Orientation Regulations.
The Government delayed its decision on similar regulations for England and Wales after it received more than 3,000 responses, mainly from faith groups.
Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance, said: “The concerns about this legislation that we have been voicing all along have not gone away, and we will continue to hold the Government to account on its assurances that it will protect the rights of religious groups in practice.
“We support the principle of the law here – to defend people from discrimination. “However, there is a danger that if a fair balance of rights is not achieved civil and religious liberties could be threatened.
“Freedom of conscience is an important right, which we intend to defend.”
Please pray for Ruth Kelly and Prime Minister Tony Blair, there is much media speculation that they are in favour of granting exemptions for the Christian adoption agencies but the Cabinet is deeply split on this issue.
Pray that cabinet ministers who don’t feel the need for exemptions will realise that this legislation has seriously alarmed Christians who are deeply committed to public service and community work.
Employment re Andrew McClintock
From the 24 until the 26 January an Employment Tribunal will be heard involving Mr Andrew McClintock, a Sheffield Magistrate.
This case highlights some of the legal and conscience issues that surround the sexual orientation regulations. Mr McClintock believes that his Christian beliefs prevent him in good conscience from placing children with same-sex couples to be fostered or adopted.
He therefore asked to be excused from cases where such an outcome was in prospect. Advised that he would not be able to be excused from these cases, Mr McClintock resigned from family work as a magistrate and is now seeking to clarify the law in this regard in court.
Recently Christian registrars have been sacked for refusing to celebrate same-sex partnerships on conscience grounds. Also, Joe and Helen Roberts were visited by the police following allegations of homophobia for asking their local council to display Christian literature alongside literature promoting gay rights. Such developments are nowadays not uncommon for Christians engaged in public service. The implications of this tribunal hearing are therefore much wider than Mr McClintock’s individual case.
Please pray that Christians engaged in public service will not have to act against their consciences and feel forced to withdraw from the public sphere.
Pray for Andrew, his wife and four children at this stressful time. Pray for Andrew’s legal team that the court will be sympathetic towards granting those in his position the conscience right to let a colleague take certain cases. In that way the rights of Homosexual people are not affected.
The current state of affairs that appears to force Mr McClintock to choose between his job and his faith surely affects the rights of Christians to freedom of conscience.
Further Prayer and Action
The Evangelical Alliance Public Affairs department produces a monthly parliamentary magazine, PQ, and a monthly ‘Prayer and Campaigns’ action and prayer sheet.
If you have any questions please e-mail the public affairs team at pub-aff@eauk.org
Gareth Wallace
