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29 March 2010

Press release

Launch of the Cymru Institute of Christianity

The new Cymru Institute of Contemporary Christianity has launched. In three venues on three consecutive nights, hundreds of people gathered in Swansea, Cardiff and Colwyn Bay to listen to some of the UK’s most prominent Christian leaders. 

In Swansea’s Waterfront Church, Joel Edward's addressed the subject of ‘Engaging Culture.’ As a former commissioner to the Equality and Human Rights Commission and international director of the Micah Challenge, his address was peppered with examples of the dilemmas and challenges facing today’s Christians. Speaking to a larger-than-expected audience Edwards argued that the church needs to develop new competences in the battle for ideas, in demonstrating its faith in a God of public benefit, in surfing the waves of liberal democracy and in spiritual warfare. "My hope," he said, "is that we will go with our heads held high, recognising that we serve a God of well-being, and that we have a legitimate place in the public square."

At the Cardiff launch in Highfield's Church, 280 people packed in to the main auditorium to take part in a Question Time style event. Joel Edwards took part in a panel along with leading feminist and writer Dr. Elaine Storkey;  Michael Green, advisor on evangelism to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York;  campaigner Dan Boucher and Media Wales journalist David Williamson.

In Colwyn Bay, general director of the Evangelical Alliance Steve Clifford joined the panel, along with Dr. Elaine Storkey, Professor Chris Cunningham and Bishop Andy John. 

Questions ranged from the growth of virtual relationships to Terry Pratchett's views on euthanasia. BBC Radio Wales’ Roy Jenkins chaired the sessions, and challenged the panels to express their opinions on the complex questions they were asked to address.

Elfed Godding, national director of Evangelical Alliance Wales said, “These CICC events provided an opportunity for Christians from all walks of life to acquire greater skill in understanding the Bible and applying it to contemporary issues."

Media Enquiries

 Gethin Russell-Jones, Wales press officer, 07985 145726

Notes to Editors

Evangelical Alliance Wales was started in 1990 and is a part of the UK Evangelical Alliance and the World Evangelical Alliance, both established in 1846 – the latter of which today has a global membership of 380 million. Evangelical Alliance Wales represents Christians and churches from within over 20 denominations in Wales to the government and media. The Evangelical Alliance Wales has a Media Voice Team that can be contacted via info@eauk.org

The Evangelical Alliance
We are the largest and oldest body representing the UK’s two million evangelical Christians. For more than 165 years, we have been bringing Christians together and helping them listen to, and be heard by, the government, media and society. We’re here to connect people for a shared mission, whether it’s celebrating the Bible, making a difference in our communities or lobbying the government for a better society. From Skye to Southampton, from Coleraine to Cardiff, we work across 79 denominations, 3,500 churches, 750 organisations and thousands of individual members. And we're not just uniting Christians within the UK – we are a founding member of the World Evangelical Alliance, a global network of more than 600 million evangelical Christians. For more information, go to www.eauk.org.