Great Britain: Churches give fresh impetus to social justice challenge

The Joint Public Issues Team

The work of Baptists, Methodists and members of the United Reformed Church in the field of social justice has been given fresh impetus, with new work priorities and the appointment of a new leader for the Joint Public Issues Team.

Rachel Lampard, previously responsible for political and parliamentary liaison in the MethodistChurch, is to take over as team leader, when she returns from maternity leave. She said: “Our three church traditions share a passionate concern for issues of poverty and injustice. By working together we have been able to make a much stronger impact. Our challenge is to help the churches to promote justice, equality and peace by influencing those in power. We also want to help resource and energise local congregations in their effort to live out the gospel of Christ”.

The Joint Public Issues Team was set up two years ago as a ground-breaking initiative between the churches which is now being adopted in other spheres of work. Staff retain a denominational identity but pool their expertise and produce resources jointly for the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the MethodistChurch and the United Reformed Church.

Team members are currently working on poverty in the UK, theology and climate change, human rights and corporate responsibility, business ethics, and human embryology and early human life. They have responded to government consultations on alcohol strategy, gambling, and climate change, and have produced a series of studies for home groups called “The Art of the Possible” which explore why Christians should be interested in public issues (www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/artofthepossible/index.htm)

A new Methodist member of the Team, Dr Paul Morrison, brings added expertise in the field of science, technology and bioethics. Other team members bring experience in international affairs, conflict, UK politics, theology, education and business.

The Joint Public Issues Team is managed by a group consisting of Janet Morley, head of the Christian Communication, Evangelism and Advocacy Cluster within the Methodist Church Connexional Team, Simon Loveitt, spokesperson on public issues for the United Reformed Church, and the Revd Graham Sparkes, head of Faith and Unity for the Baptist Union of Great Britain.

More details on the work of the Joint Public Issues Team from Wendy Cooper (enquiries@jointpublicissues.org.uk) or at www.jointpublicissues.org.uk

The Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) is the Baptist family in England and Wales (there is also the Baptist Union of Wales). It is made up of churches, regional associations, the national resource centre and Baptist colleges. The Union works with others in mission locally, regionally and internationally. It is a diverse union with small and large congregations, different nationalities and differing styles of worship yet united by core values and a common purpose of changing lives and transforming communities with the message and love of Jesus Christ. There are some 140,000 members of 2000 Baptist churches associated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain. www.baptist.org.uk

The MethodistChurch has about 295,000 members and 800,000 people are connected with the Church. It has about 5,800 churches in Great Britain, and also maintains links with other Methodist churches totalling a worldwide membership of 70 million. www.methodist.org.uk

The United Reformed Church comprises one hundred thousand people in 1600 congregations. It has brought together English Presbyterians, English, Welsh and Scottish Congregationalists and members of the Churches of Christ. Worldwide, more than 70 million Christians are members of the Reformed family of churches, the largest Protestant tradition. The name ‘Reformed’ is used because the churches began to emerge with reform movements in the sixteenth century. www.urc.org.uk

The Joint Public Issues Team combines the expertise of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the MethodistChurch and the United Reformed Church in the area of public issues. Through close collaboration, the churches aim to increase the effectiveness of their engagement in public life and parliamentary affairs. For more information about the Joint Public Issues Team, visit www.jointpublicissues.org.uk


03.10.2008 URC/UMC/BUGB / GEKE-Internet-Newsletter, 8. Oktober 2008

Südafrika begrüßt Entscheidung der Reformed Church of America Rassismus als Sünde zu bekennen und das Belhar Bekenntnis anzuerkennen

A South African church leader is hailing a move by an American church to require members to confess racism as a sin.
Representatives of the Reformed Church of America (RCA) voted at meetings in the city of Holland (8. Juni 2009) in the northeastern United States to accept the Belhar Confession as one of four foundational statements of belief which define the terms of church membership.

WARC, 9. Juni 2009

Neue Reformierte Bewegung will Ortsgemeinden für weltweite Verbindungen öffnen

RWB-Vizepräsident Locher erwägt gegenseitige Fürbitte für die Anliegen der Mitgliedskirchen
Vertreter von Mitgliedskirchen des Reformierten Weltbundes (RWB) und des Reformierten Ökumenischen Rates (REC) kamen überein, den Zusammenschluss der beiden Organisationen zu einer weltweiten Gemeinschaft oder ‘communio’ zu empfehlen, - ein Schritt, der ihrer Ansicht nach direkte und positive Auswirkungen auf ihre Ortsgemeinden in der ganzen Welt haben dürfte.

WARC, 4. Juni 2009

Rechtsradikale im Europaparlament schaden den Menschen in Europa

Christlicher Glaube geht nicht mit fremdenfeindlichen und rassistischen Parolen zusammen
Der Generalsekretär der Gemeinschaft Evangelischer Kirchen in Europa (GEKE), Bischof Dr. Michael Bünker: ''Das Europaparlament darf nicht zur Schaubühne für extremistische Kräfte werden.''

Pressemitteilung der GEKE, Thomas Flügge, Wien/Bern, 9. Juni 2009

Reformierter Weltbund: Barmer Theologische Erklärung weltweit maßgebendes Beispiel

Eine Erklärung der deutschen Kirchen von 1934 bleibt für Reformierte Kirchen heute maßgebend
Das Vorgehen einer Gruppe deutscher Kirchenmitglieder im Jahr 1934, die sich dem nazifreundlichen Reichskirchenregiment widersetzten, ist noch heute ein maßgebendes Beispiel für uns, sagt der Generalsekretär des Reformierten Weltbundes (RWB), Setri Nyomi.

Pressemitteilung des Reformierten Weltbundes

Reformierte Christen weltweit prägen Genfs Stadtbild anlässlich der Calvinfeiern

Clifton Kirkpatrick, der Präsident des RWB: ''Gelegenheit zur Begegnung unter Angehörigen der Reformierten Kirchenfamilie''
Christen und Christinnen aus aller Welt strömen nach Genf in der Schweiz anlässlich der Geburtstagsfeiern des Vorkämpfers der Kirchenreformation, Johannes Calvin.

Pressemitteilung des Reformierten Weltbundes (RWB)

Reformed church Christians propose sacramental union

Setri Nyomi: ''The decision is in line with John Calvin’s commitment to Christian unity''
Representatives of Reformed, United and Presbyterian churches from diverse traditions have voted to form a union which is unprecedented in its inclusiveness and overcomes longstanding divisions among some churches.

Pressemitteilung des Reformierten Weltbundes (RWB) / WARC

Korean students prepare for ministry via ''travelling theology''

Gyoung Ho Jeong: ''process of learning from life settings''
A Korean professor who has taken theology students to live with nomadic herders in Mongolia and with the urban poor in Viet Nam believes he may be creating a new branch of theology, one which he has dubbed « Travelling Theology ».

Pressemitteilung des Reformierten Weltbundes (RWB) / WARC, 27. Mai 2009

Calvin-Feier und Tagung zum Zusammenschluss von WARC und REC

21. – 31. Mai Tagung von Reformiertem Weltbund und Reformiertem Ökumenischen Rat im John Knox Zentrum, Genf
Leitende Reformierte Kirchenvertreter feiern Calvin und planen den Zusammenschluss ihrer Organisationen, der rund 75 Millionen Reformierte Christen in aller Welt umfassen wird.

Pressemiteilung WARC, 13. Mai 2009

Gründung der Ungarischen Reformierten Kirche (Hungarin Reformed Church)

22. Mai 2009, konstituierende Synode der Ungarischen Reformierten Kirche in Debrecen, Ungarn
Reformierte Kirchen aus Ungarn, Rumänien, Transkarpatien (Ukraine), Slovakien, Serbien, Kroatien und Slovenien schließen sich zu einer synodalen Gemeinschaft zusammen, der Ungarischen Reformierten Kirche (Hungarin Reformed Chruch).

Barbara Schenck

Theologischer Exekutivsekretär des Reformierten Weltbundes in Baden

Douwe Visser besuchte die Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden
Der Exekutivsekretär für Theologie des Reformierten Weltbundes, Dr. Douwe Visser, besuchte Mitte Mai die Evangelische Landeskirche in Baden. Zunächst trat er als Referent bei einer Tagung der Evangelischen Akademie Baden auf, die sich dem Reformator Johannes Calvin (1509-1564) widmete. Danach nahm Dr. Visser an einer Sitzung der Kirchenleitung in Karlsruhe teil und stellte die Arbeit des Reformierten Weltbundes vor.

Pfr. Hans Georg Ulrichs
<< < 291 - 296 (296)