Church report confirms Mike Pilavachi safeguarding concerns are proved
The internal Church of England investigation into the founder of Soul Survivor, Mike Pilavachi, has concluded that safeguarding concerns are substantiated. The National Safeguarding Team reviewed 40 years of his ministry and said he had used his spiritual authority to control people and that his coercive and controlling behaviour led to inappropriate relationships, the physical wrestling of youths and massaging of young male interns. He has resigned from Soul Survivor and from his licence to the Bishop of St Albans, and cannot be a minister in the CofE. The Rev Andy Croft, a senior pastor at Soul Survivor, remains suspended under HR processes, but the suspension of Assistant Pastor Ali Martin has been lifted. Soul Survivor Watford has commissioned an independent review to be led by Fiona Scolding KC. Telegraph report here
Prime minister “proud Hindu” praises Narendra Modi
The Prime Minister. Rishi Sunak, has given an interview to the Press Trust of India on the eve of his visit to India for the G20 summit, where he spoke of the “truly unique relationship” between India and the UK, which is home to the 1.6 million strong Indian diaspora. “Being a proud Hindu means I will always have a connection to India and the people of India”, he said. Soon after he became PM, he held a Diwali reception at Number Ten which he said was “an incredibly proud and emotional moment for me”. He spoke of the strength of the UK lying in its diversity and paid tribute to Narendra Modi’s leadership over the past year, saying India’s scale, diversity and success made it the right country at the right time to hold the G20 presidency. He had strong words on combatting pro-Khalistan extremism in the UK, saying he took very seriously “the duty of the government to disrupt and counter violent, divisive ideologies”.
Calls for PM to raise at G20 the issue of violence against Christians in Manipur
Campaigners for the Freedom of Religion and Belief have held a roundtable discussion in parliament to discuss the British response to violence in the north-east Indian state of Manipur. The clashes have been between the predominantly Christian Kukis and the mainly Hindu Meiteis and have resulted in 150 deaths and churches and homes being destroyed. David Campanale, from the International Freedom of Religion or Belief Alliance, is quoted as saying that the PM should raise the issue of religious discrimination in Manipur before any trade deals are signed with India. Premier Christian News quotes the PM’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Fiona Bruce MP, saying her deputy had raised the issue on a recent trip to India and she maintained that the response by the government so far had been “inadequate”. Additional report by Aid to the Church in Need is here
American churches’ income has risen by 42 per cent since pandemic
The Religion News Service reports a study by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on America’s churches. It shows that three years after the start of the pandemic, churches have fewer people in the pews, there is more money in the collection plate and less conflict than in 2020. Clergy dissatisfaction, on the other hand, remains on the rise. Average church attendance in spring 2023 was 60, down from 65, while a quarter of churches experienced growth. Giving at congregations went up by about 42 per cent over the past three years, from an average of $120,000 in 2020 to $170,000 in 2023. Bob Smietana’s RNS report is here
Church volunteers required at party conferences to push for pledges to end poverty
Churches are being urged to find volunteers to speak about poverty at the Conservative and Labour party conferences in Manchester and Liverpool next month. The Joint Public Issues Team, representing Baptist, Methodist and URC members, is arranging two days of presentations at each event, aiming to persuade the parties to place an end to poverty high on their manifesto agenda.
Science cannot determine external reality of religious experience
The American author on science and religion, Dr Joshua M. Moritz, rehearses arguments for explaining religious experience, in an article published by the John Templeton Foundation. He asks: “Are Spiritual Experiences Just in Your Head?” and his answer is that “the science appears neutral with regard to whether or not religious (or non-religious) knowers are warranted in their beliefs”. The article reviews theories that moments of transcendence can be engendered by temporal lobe seizures and even electrical stimulation; that religious experience is rooted in the biology of the brain but that need not negate a corresponding external reality; and that cognitive intuition has a place in religious experience and in all experience of reality. His article is here
Praying football coach won his job back after 7-year fight and then resigned
A high school football coach in America, who won his job back after the US Supreme Court ruled he could pray on the field resigned on Wednesday after just one game back. Joe Kennedy lost his job in 2015 after insisting on praying publicly at midfield after games, despite appeals from the school district officials to stop. They said it would suggest government endorsement of religion, in violation of the separation of church and state. He waged a seven-year legal battle to get his job back and admitted he had mixed feelings when he returned to the school in Washington State. In a statement, he explained that he needed to care for a sick relative in Florida and would advocate for religious liberty by working outside the school system. Associated Press report here
