How churches in England got behind the Lionesses on Sunday morning
The timing of England’s Lionesses World Cup final clashed with Sunday morning church services, but there were novel responses. Some churches chose to show the service on a big screen after their service, including CofE Winton Moordown and Charminster, Ebenezer church Bristol and Hillingdon Park Baptist. The Rev Mark Montgomery wore an England shirt to lead worship at West Malling in Kent. The Bishop of Derby, Libby Lane, the CofE’s spokesperson on sport, told The Times that the church was “fine” if people wanted to watch the match instead of attending their usual Sunday service, as they could visit another church at another time instead. The idea that football could dictate church service times and attendance provoked fury on social media with clergy questioning whether worship should rank second to sport. But the Archbishop of Canterbury, among other clergy, got into the spirit of things, calling on the Almighty before the match, tweeting “May God Be With You!”, but after their disappointing defeat, some pastoral help: “Commiserations @Lionesses, World Cup 2023 Finalists. We know you gave it everything. We admire your talent, grit and determination. And congratulations to Spain, who played with such dedication to the end”.
“Hatred and uncontrollable rage” against Christians in Pakistan
Catholic bishops in Pakistan observed yesterday as a day of prayer, following attacks on Christians and the burning of churches and businesses in Jaranwala, in the north east of the country. Archbishop Benny Travas of Karachi spoke of his shock and disbelief, saying: “We have once again been confronted with open hatred and uncontrollable rage shown towards the Christian community”. The trouble occurred after a demonstration by Muslims who alleged that a Christian man disrespected the Quran, though this is yet to be determined. 128 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks. Last Friday a demonstration against the violence was organised by the Commission for Interfaith Dialogue. Report in Catholic Herald here
Safeguarding review into complaint against Pioneer Trust founder, the late Gerald Coates
Pioneer Trust, a charity which runs a network of evangelical charismatic churches, has commissioned a safeguarding review, following a complaint made against its founder and leader Gerald Coates, who died in 2022. It will hear concerns from people who have been harmed within Pioneer or who have concerns about the culture or safeguarding practice. In a statement, the Trust says it is not an investigation into particular actions of any specific individuals, but if it identifies a need for this it will initiate it. The Trust has not given details of the nature of the complaint, which was made in July this year, but it does say that the concerns “do not meet the threshold for referral to statutory services (e.g., the police or social care)”. It confirms “there is no indication that any person engaging with Pioneer is currently at risk, nor are the trustees aware of any concerns about the conduct of current staff or members of its leadership team”.
Buddhist monk charged with sex abuse in Australia
Vijitha Naotunne, the chief incumbent at the Dhamma Sarana Sri Lankan Buddhist temple in Melbourne, Australia, has appeared in court charged with 13 sex abuse cases gainst children he met through his work, dating back to the mid 1990s. Naotunne, aged 68, is yet to enter a plea, and will appear ijn court again in November. The Australian Associated Press reports that the temple has a Sunday School with more than 300 children.
Southern Baptist Convention leadership in turmoil again
The Southern Baptist Convention has just appointed its fifth Executive Committee CEO and president in five years. Jonathan Howe has replaced Willie McLaurin, who resigned after admitting lying on his CV, claiming to have attended courses and been awarded degrees which proved to be untrue. Bob Smietana, writing for the Religion News Service, explains that before McLaurin, the previous leader, Ronnie Floyd, resigned in 2021 due to controversy over the SBC’s sex abuse crisis. His predecessor, David August “Augie” Boto retired in 2019, barred from ever serving a leadership role in the SBC after being named in a report for mistreating sex abuse survivors and obstructing efforts to address the issue of abuse. And before him, the Rev. Frank Page resigned in 2018 due to misconduct.
Woman with fire extinguisher tries to end latest Swedish Quran burning
Salwan Momika, a refugee from Iraq now in Sweden, has staged another Quran burning protest in Stockholm, outside the Iranian embassy, but this time, a women rushed towards him spraying a fire extinguisher. She was led away by police and the demonstration continued, allowed on the grounds of freedom of speech. Sweden has warned nationals abroad of possible revenge attacks following the Quran burning protests, raising its terror alert to the second-highest level, saying the country has become a priority target for terrorist groups.
GP returns to work after suspension over Niqab removal request
Dr Keith Wolverson, a GP in the Midlands, who was suspended after asking a Muslim woman to remove her veil because he couldn’t understand what she was saying, has been allowed back to work so long as he has a responsible officer and a workplace reporter to monitor him. His case was referred by the GMC to the Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service, which came to its judgment last October. He said he deeply regretted the episode but the Service maintained he had not shown sufficient insight nor taken a course in cultural diversity, so it had imposed further conditions on his return. Telegraph story here.
Methodist/URC church members build refugee community in Sherborne
An initiative by a couple and the Methodist / URC church in Sherborne, Dorset, to help refugees flee the war in Syria ten years ago, has led to a lively community of more than 100 refugees in the town. The Methodist Church reports that it started when church members Penny and Geoff Gardner, along with other members of the town’s Cheap Street Church, resolved to help when they saw families in desperate situations, uprooted by the war. By 2017, the town had welcomed five refugee families and helped them with housing, jobs, English language skills and paperwork. The report says: “Some residents hosted families, some bought houses for them and Phyllis, a 90-year-old woman who died recently, gave up her house for a Syrian family”. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Sherborne residents offered drop-in sessions, English classes and interview skills to all refugees and now they have jobs. One family has set up the Al Rayan (Arabic for ‘door of heaven’) catering company, cooking meals for refugees, accompanied by Syrian music and decorations.
Up and coming cricketing star visits mosque to encourage youngsters into the sport
New cricketing talent Jafer Chohan, who plays in the 100 for Hampshire-based Southern Brave, has visited Medina mosque in Southampton to encourage budding cricketing stars of the future. The event was put on by the community cricket organisation Wicketz, to encourage diversity and inclusion in the sport. Chohan is just 21 and says he wants to be a role model for the kids at the mosque. He told the BBC: “When I was young there was always a feeling that life might be a little bit tougher, I might not be able to get to where I want because of my background. Programmes like this are making everything so much more inclusive.”
A sisterhood of witches face the sunset on a white sand beach in Florida
A coven of witches gather on St Petersburg beach in Florida to welcome in the new moon through healing rituals such as breathing exercises, meditating through the sound of gongs or offering flowers. They cleanse their souls – and the beach, taking time out to clean up the area before sitting in a semi circle to face the sunset. The coven has been expanding since it was set up by three founders, who turned their tarot and astrological phone readings into a community of spiritual people across Florida. They told West Central Florida’s NPR radio station that the coven is a sisterhood of witches, a place for people to connect deeply, with compassion and understanding. Story on WUSF website here
