Seventy new missionaries mark 70 years of Slav mission
www.sga.org.uk
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
The Slavic Gospel Association has marked its 70th anniversary by sending 70 new mission partners to spiritually- needy areas. Mark Foster, Director of Field Ministries, reports:
Covid-19 put an end to national and international travel in 2020, but not to gospel outreach and expansion. Slavic Gospel Association [UK], as part of its 70th Anniversary Projects, had planned to support the sending of 70 new missionaries into spiritually-needy communities – one for each year of its existence – to bring the good news of salvation in Christ. What would become of such a project in the paralysing lockdown due to the pandemic? Was there any hope of even getting near to that target? If it were reached, was any kind of spiritual return possible?
everyday evangelism
Is evangelism to blame?
A Buddhist critiques our
lack of godliness
Glen Scrivener
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
On the Speak Life Podcast, Paul Feesey
and I have been discussing
the various
scandals rocking the evangelical world —
particularly those of Ravi Zacharias and
Jonathan Fletcher.
While some have questioned our focus
on these topics (when we’re meant to be
inspiring evangelism), one listener had the
opposite observation. Writing as a Buddhist
he had
some blistering criticisms of
the
evangelical church – a critique which I think
is very worth considering.
Is this the road to Namugongo?
Neil Barber
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
‘And what,’ we hear you cry, ‘is this picture all about then? And who are these people? And, well, er, just… why?’
Dear reader, we shall tell you. These three are (left to right) Neil Barber, vicar of the evangelical St Giles, Normanton, Derby; Will Eley, the church’s ‘planting curate’; and Liz Cox, minister for women and community.
And now, here is the BBC news…
Ian Bunker / en
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
Land purchased for just £60 in 1933 now boasts a 21st-century church complex fit for the future.
Broadstone Baptist Church has just completed its 13-year-long building project on York Road, Poole, Dorset.
How a vision led Muslim Sakina to faith
Graham Miller
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
The most recent Annual Population Survey found 1.25 million followers of Islam in London – that’s one in eight Londoners.
If, by God’s grace, the gospel is to flourish among these people – Bangladeshis in East London, Arab-speakers in West London, and Turkish and Iranian communities – it will be due to ordinary Christians faithfully and patiently building relationships, breaking down misconceptions, living and speaking the teaching of Jesus.
‘Be prepared,’ Finnish leader warns Western Christians
EN
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
A Finnish evangelical Christian leader who
is
facing court because of his orthodox
beliefs on sexual morality has spoken to en,
declaring that public opinion is on his side.
However, The Revd Dr Juhana Pohjola,
Bishop Elect of the Evangelical Lutheran
Mission Diocese of Finland
(ELMDF),
criticised what he called the ‘awkward silence’
of the established church in his country.
politics & policy
Assisted dying: opening Pandora’s box
James Mildred
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
The starting pistol has been fired in the race to legalise assisted suicide.
After appearing before the End of Choice All Party Parliamentary Group, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock then wrote to the national statistician, Ian Diamond, requesting information on the number of terminally-ill patients who had killed themselves because of their diagnosis. Mr Hancock wants a new debate on the issue and there are plenty other MPs who want the same.
evangelicals & catholics
Are we all ‘Children of Abraham’?
Leonardo De Chirico
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
Whenever we talk about lands tormented by decades of wars and violence, sometimes perpetrated in the name of religions, we must do so with sobriety.
This is to say that commenting on Pope Francis’ recent trip to Iraq (5-8 March 2021) can become a pretext for easy criticism if one does not try to enter the complexity of the situation. Therefore, it must be acknowledged that the Roman pope’s call to religious freedom, his appeal to respect for minorities, and his invitation to national conciliation were commendable.
Disarray grows
in Free Church
of England
Josep Rossello / Emmanuel Anglican Church
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
Leading evangelicals have announced they
are quitting the Free Church of England
after the denomination appeared to descend
into chaos.
Peter Sanlon and Josep Rossello have both
said they are
leaving the group, hard on
the heels of a dispute which also saw fellow
minister Jonatas Bragatto depart.
Waking up to the dystopian world of deepfakes
By Andy du Feu
Want to see Tom Cruise perform a magic trick, joke about ex-presidents, or tee-off?
ANiEthing is
possible!
Andrew Symes
Date posted: 1 Jun 2021
The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE),
approved
by
conservative
Anglican
network GAFCON last year, was formally
constituted and commissioned at an online
service in April.
It
was
led
by
Bishop
Andy
Lines
(see
photo)
with
Archbishop
Foley Beach as the
preacher. Music was
provided
by
the
Glasgow-based New
Scottish Hymns Band, and there were many
messages of support from around the world,
including, movingly,
from Stephen Than,
Archbishop of Myanmar.
A global vision
One of the stranger things to make its way to the editor’s desk this month was the rather zany (for want of a better word) video from which a picture is shown here.
It is safe to say that the photo is probably quite unlike any other you have seen recently! But all credit to the ministry team behind it, for it has achieved its purpose – raising the profile of world mission. Now not only do the members of St Giles’ Church, Normanton, where the video originated, have more awareness of the mission work going on in Namugongo, Uganda – but so do you. You may even be inspired to find out more about the Uganda Martyrs’ School there, which commemorates 32 young men who in 1886 were burned to death for refusing to renounce their faith.