Jeremy Corbyn, the newly elected Labour leader, announced his support for the campaign opposed to the change in Sunday trading laws at a Labour Party church service in late September.
Writing about the issue, Mr Corbyn wrote: ‘My ideal Sunday is a day of reflection and rest – everybody deserves that!’ The newly elected leader said he wanted to have conversations with Christian groups about common campaign areas.
Funding for life
Christian Concern
A cross-party group of 60 MPs called on the Government in September to increase funding for end of life care.
The MPs issued their call in a letter published in The Times. It followed the comprehensive defeat of Rob Marris’s Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Commons in early September.
SSM support
The Christian Institute
Over half of the members of the Church in Wales’s governing body have backed the idea of allowing same sex couples to marry in church, it was reported on September 22.
A secret ballot was held on taking the issue forward, but a two-thirds majority would be needed for change, alongside a Parliamentary Bill. The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said it would be ‘a very brave or perhaps a very foolish Bench of Bishops’ who would take the issue forward now.
Cliff praying for accuser
Bible Society’s Newswatch; Premier
Sir Cliff Richard is said to be praying for the person who has accused him of committing a sex crime against a young boy, it was reported in mid-September.
According to friend and radio presenter Paul Gambaccini, Sir Cliff is said to have told him he was ‘praying to God to forgive my accuser’. Sir Cliff has never been arrested or charged by the police.
Bible books for dyslexics
Bible Society
People across the country who have dyslexia can now read the Bible more easily, thanks to a new Bible format launched in October.
Mark’s Gospel and the Psalms have been printed in a dyslexia-friendly format using thick cream paper, a clear typeface and a single column of text to make the reading of it easier. One in ten Britons live with dyslexia which can affect reading and writing. It is hoped that more books of the Bible will be produced like this.
All in print
Grace / 10ofthose
Grace Publications Trust announced in October that despite distribution problems over the past 12 months, all the existing titles in print are available again.
10ofthose.com has helped Grace overcome their struggles of the last year. Although published by a separate trust, the Praise! hymnal is also available through the same site.
Gender missing
The Christian Institute
‘Male’ and ‘female’ should be removed from official forms in order to ‘cut discrimination against transgender and intersex people’, the Liberal Democrats said in their party conference in September.
This means it becomes official party policy. On forms that maintain ‘male’ and ‘female’, ‘X’ and ‘Mx’ should also feature as options.
Headless
Bible Society’s Newswatch; Christian Today
The Church of England is struggling to find enough Christian head teachers to lead its 4,700 primary and secondary schools it was announced in October.
The 4,500 primary schools and 200 secondary schools, which are among the best in the country and are highly sought-after by parents, are having to recruit from other faiths or none at all to fill the posts.
Positive ruling
Christian Concern
Christian NHS therapist Victoria Wasteney won, in October, permission to appeal an Employment Tribunal ruling against her.
Judge Eady QC said the Employment Appeal Tribunal should consider whether the original ruling had properly applied the European Convention on Human Rights' strong protection of freedom of religion and expression. She was found ‘guilty’ of inviting her Muslim colleague to church and giving them a book about a Muslim woman who converted to Christianity.
Preparing to preach
www.pastor-training.org
Pastor Training International (PTI) /Christian Books Worldwide (CBW) held its first Open Day, for supporters, on 26 September at East London Tabernacle.
PTI exists to provide training and resources for pastors in the poorest parts of the world. It specialises in running in-country training conferences, distance mentoring from the UK and in providing learning resources for self-study by pastors. Speakers included Rosie Edwards talking about the PrayPrepare Preach series of books.
