FaithAction launches evaluation of its Faith Covenant scheme
FaithAction, an organisation that supports faith based organisations working in their local communities, has launched an evaluation of its unique Faith Covenant scheme, where faith groups and local authorities come together to sign up to shared guidelines for collaborative projects. The scheme has been going for 12 years, and 33 local authorities have signed covenants helping an estimated 12 million people in projects such as health and well-being, providing vaccinations, helping young families, youth work and supporting front line staff deliver challenging services. FaithAction hopes to see more local authorities and faith groups sign up in the future. At an event to celebrate what it has achieved, launch the evaluation project and kick start Faith in Partnership week, founding chair of the Faith and Society APPG, Sir Stephen Timms, revealed that the covenant idea came from David Lammy. Sir Stephen explained the scheme was born because local councils were wary of faith involvement fearing they were in it for conversion or to help their own members. Having a set of ground rules helped to build trust and enable joint working. Now the government has launched the Civil Society Covenant, to include all community, voluntary and faith groups, united in “transforming the country”. FaithAction expects the Faith Covenant to dovetail with the new system.
Quakers seek to join in judicial review of Palestine Action decision
“Quakers in Britain” has applied to intervene in the judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, saying the ban has undermined their freedom of religion and may mean a legitimate act of protest could be seen as a serious criminal offence. The government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in July and the High Court recently granted the group a judicial review of the decision. Quakers in Britain say they are seeking to draw the Court’s attention to the impact on human rights, the exchange of ideas and functioning democracy. Since their founding, Quakers say they have been led by faith to act non-violently against unjust laws and practices. Seventeen Quakers were arrested by police on Saturday 9 August during a London protest about the decision to proscribe Palestine Action. Others were arrested on Saturday, 6 September. Press release here
Board of Deputies places conditions on working with Stop the Hate after rally debacle
The Jewish Chronicle reports that the Board of Deputies president, Phil Rosenberg, has said it would only work again with Stop the Hate, if the group learned lessons from the incident in August when two leaders of Progressive Judaism were jeered off stage at a rally it organised. Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy had gone on stage to speak, calling for an end to the war in Gaza and said they supported the idea of a Palestinian state. As the crowd booed, organisers took the microphone away and the rabbis left the stage. According to the JC, Mr Rosenberg told the Board’s plenary session that he was “really sorry about what happened” and would only be able to support STH’s work in the future “if they demonstrate to us and the wider community that they have learnt the appropriate lessons and have policies and procedures in place.” Stop the Hate said it had learned important lessons from the event and was committed to “implementing these insights to ensure that future events are even stronger”. Article here
UK National Conservatism leader Dr James Orr meets the Pope
Dr James Orr, associate professor of philosophy of religion at the University of Cambridge, and a leading voice in the UK’s National Conservatism movement, has met Pope Leo at the Vatican. Announcing the news on Twitter / X, he said: “It was such an honour to meet and exchange a few words with Pope Leo XIV. What a holy and humble man. Deepest thanks to Archbishop Ettore Balestrero for facilitating the meeting”. Ap Balestrero is the permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and other institutions in Geneva. Dr Orr is chair of the Edmund Burke Foundation UK, and chair of the Centre for a Better Britain, a think tank aligned with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. He has served on advisory boards for the Free Speech Union, the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation and the St. Paul’s Theological Centre at Holy Trinity Brompton.
US National Conservatism conference speakers ‘regard Muslims as the enemy’
The US based Religion News Service reports on the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, and its debates over America’s Christian identity, while trying to broaden its appeal. The report quotes a Jewish participant and a pastor both declaring that America was founded as a Christian country. Yoram Hazony, the Jewish chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, said early supporters of NatCon were heavily Catholic, but new Protestant entrants had made them believe it had become anti-Catholic. But he was concerned also about antisemitism on the right and is quoted saying he wants to negotiate disagreement about Israel’s policies and rethink the relationship between Jews and Christians in America. The RNS report noted that there was unity against Muslims, regarded as a “common enemy”. Steve Bannon denounced New York candidate, Muslim American politician Zohran Mamdani, as a “Marxist and jihadist”. Pastor Doug Wilson spoke of restricting Muslim immigration and warned of a lack of a “commitment to assimilation”. The article is here
African Methodists: autonomy on same-sex teaching brings growth
Seventeen United Methodist bishops in Africa, who met last week in Angola, have created two new episcopal areas in Tanganyika and Burundi/Rwanda, nine new episcopal appointments and a new central conference, which they say indicates growth. In a statement, they welcomed an interim decision by the United Methodist Church conference last year, which allowed “regionalisation”, so that local areas would have the power to set their own policies and guidelines, reflecting their cultural context. It means that they can continue to say marriage is between a man and a woman, and oppose same sex relationships, while their US counterparts take the opposite stand, a move which they say, “honours diversity” and creates a “contextual church”. A vote to ratify the regionalisation proposal for worldwide United Methodists, will be known in November. The decision to allow same sex marriage and relationships has, however, led to the departure of some African churches to the rival conservative Global Methodist Church – 77 congregations of the Kenya–Ethiopia annual conference, the entire Côte d’Ivoire annual conference, and four annual conferences in Nigeria. UM news report here
High rates of mental health issues for Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand
A project by researchers at New Zealand’s University of Otago, has found high rates of mental health disorders among Muslims caught up in the attack on two mosques in Christchurch six years ago. A lone gunman armed with semi-automatic weapons killed 51 people and injured 40, during Friday prayers. The findings, shared at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists conference in Dunedin, identified post traumatic stress disorder, depression and post traumatic growth, measured against how they relate to others, new possibilities, personal strength, spiritual change and appreciation of life. Around 190 participants were involved in the study, including those injured, relatives and witnesses. 90 per cent of participants were born outside New Zealand and had lived there for an average of 11 years. Radio New Zealand story here.
New Orleans Catholic diocese ‘increases sex abuse settlement fund’
The Guardian reports that the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans has increased its settlement fund for claims of clergy sexual abuse, to $230m, $50m higher than the original deal. It follows complaints by a third of the 660 survivors, that the original settlement was too low. The report says that two-thirds of voting claimants must approve the revised settlement proposal before it can go ahead. The archdiocese has filed for bankruptcy meaning it can settle all claims at once, instead of individually. The complex case has led to calls for the archbishop to forego a guarantee of retirement benefits. Story here
