Christian Aid global fasting campaign for Gaza Aid
Christian Aid is calling for a global fasting campaign today, inviting people to go hungry for 24 hours each Wednesday until the people of Gaza get enough food. The campaign is fronted on Twitter / X by Richard Sewell, Dean of St George’s College, Jerusalem, who says the suffering in Gaza is off the scale, but despite what everyone knows and can see clearly happening, nothing is being done to prevent famine. He said it’s time for action not talking and there is no time to lose. Those with power must do something now, but all can raise their voices to bring change.
Muslim Council of Britain welcomes suspension of Israel trade talks
The Muslim Council of Britain has welcomed the government’s suspension of trade talks with the Israeli government. Mustafa Al-Dabbagh, MCB Assistant Secretary-General, said: “This is a necessary and overdue response to the grave and ongoing violations of international law in Gaza. However, more must be done. The UK must now take further steps, including the immediate suspension of arms exports to Israel and the recognition of an independent Palestinian State. Meaningful action is needed to end the suffering of Palestinians and hold the Netanyahu government and his allies to account.”
Joint church service in Jerusalem and London marks 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea
An ecumenical service, simultaneously held in the Temple Church in London and the Roman Catholic co-cathedral in Jerusalem, marked the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea 1700 years ago, which formed the Nicene Creed, affirming the divinity of Christ and the Trinity. It was an attempt to create unity and settle a theological argument in the early church. Centuries later, representatives of all major denominations assembled in both locations for the service and read the Nicene Creed together. In an interview with Rosie Dawson, the Master of the Temple, the Rev Robin Griffith-Jones, explained that the church had been taken aback by the interest shown in the service, which seemed to have fired the imagination. In a fractured world, he said the Nicene Creed seemed to be “unbreakable and unshakable”. It was like “digging back into the foundations” of the Christian faith. The service was organised by the Friends of the Holy Land, which said it was a moment of unity and prayer for peace. View the interview here, and read Catherine Pepinster’s article here.
ECUSA presiding bishop: institutional resistance more important than ever
The Presiding Bishop of the US Episcopal Church, Sean Rowe, has said “institutional resistance is now more important than ever”. He was speaking in a Religion News Service webinar yesterday, where he was asked to explain the church’s decision not to participate in the fast-tracked re-settlement of around 50 Afrikaners and to end all federal refugee resettlement work when its contract ends. He said the approach in dealing with the Trump administration is “to have a critical framework of moral decision making and to be strategic in the ways in which we stand up for the truth and what is right. I think institutional resistance is now more important than ever. The church may be one of the few institutions that will be able to stand up and to tell the truth along the way and not to fold to demands and continue to be asked to make compromises on our moral decision making”. He said some people had put to him that if they went ahead, they could perhaps re-settle other refugees, but he said: “The problem with any kind of Faustian bargain like that is that the Devil always wins. So we knew that if we did this, we were going to be asked to do something else we couldn’t do. And so this was the line that we had to draw, and we’ll continue to do that. We’ll continue to tell the truth and be on the side of moral decision making. And that’s what this is about. Just because the Trump administration and others have lost their way doesn’t mean the church has”. The RNS webinar “Religious Responses: Faith-Based Lawsuits During the Second Trump Administration” will be on their website later.
Appeal for Pope to act in defence of press freedom and to support journalists
The campaigning group “Reporters without Borders” is calling on Pope Leo XIV to take action to defend press freedom and protect journalists across the world. It says the Pope’s address to the media on his first day in office, where he called for the release of journalists imprisoned for seeking to report the truth and for safeguarding free speech and the press, now needs concrete action. It would like to see a papal encyclical or official statement emphasising the importance of reliable information from a wide range of independent outlets; Papal visits to imprisoned journalists; transparent communication from the church to the media; safeguards for information integrity as Artificial Intelligence expands; and support for “dignified” coverage respectful of migrants’ rights. The plight of journalists who are jailed, missing or have died is on permanent display at St Bride’s Church in Fleet Street, London, known as “The Journalists’ Church”. Article by Peter Crumpler in Christian Today.
Alpha course reports record numbers in 2024
Premier Christian News is reporting that the Alpha course, which outlines Christianity in a ten-week programme, has reported its most successful year since its inception in 1977, with more than two million people participating. The report says that last year, more than 81,000 Alpha courses were run across 146 countries, and more than a third of all Alpha participants were under the age of 25.
British Museum exhibition: Ancient India living traditions
The British Museum is putting on an exhibition on the origins of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist sacred art. Running from 22 May – 19 October, the exhibition will showcase more than 180 objects including sculptures, paintings, drawings and manuscripts, from its South Asian collection plus loans from national and international partners. It will highlight the inspiration behind the depictions of the deities in art and literature, and the exhibition will include films of people from those faith traditions explpaining their ideas and devotional practices on film.
Mosques encouraged to support knife crime awareness week
The Muslim Council of Britain is producing a template Friday sermon on the subject of knife crime, as part of its support for Knife Crime Awareness Week, a campaign of the Ben Kinsella Trust, aiming to raise awareness, foster community dialogue, and promote effective strategies to tackle the issue. Further guidance will be issued to support leadership in mosques and community centres, highlighting the importance of working with local partners and initiatives to keep streets and young people safe. Knife Crime Awareness Week runs from 19 – 25 May.
New CEO for the Church Commissioners
John Worth has been appointed chief executive officer of the Church Commissioners for England, responsible for managing its £10 billion endowment fund. He was recently chief financial officer at the insurer’s Hastings Group and has previously worked at Hiscox, Barclays, Prudential, EY, and PwC.
Fairtrade launches ethical tea trade campaign
It’s International Tea Day and Fairtrade is launching a campaign calling on tea drinkers, businesses and the UK Government to “Brew it Fair” and ensure fair pay, decent working conditions and job security for the people who grow, pick and process tea. It says more than 100 million cups of tea are drunk every day in the UK, but not enough of that money goes back to the farmers. It wants the government to introduce new laws, collaborate with businesses and help tea growers cope with climate change. In a Fairtrade survey of more than 250 people who grow and pick tea in Kenya, only one in five of the tea producers had enough money to support their families, pay for food, and support their children to go to school. Fairtrade is well known to churches across Britain who sell its products and use its tea bags.
