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Articles by Nicola Laver
Jonathan Fletcher facing nine charges
Former vicar Jonathan Fletcher has been charged with eight counts of indecent assault and one of grievous bodily harm. The offences were allegedly committed between 1973 and 1999. Fletcher, 81, is due to appear at Kingston Crown Court on 7 August. The Metropolitan Police has urged any victims of abuse to come forward and speak with specialist officers.
A new UK Government - how are evangelicals reacting?
A new Labour government is settling in, hundreds of new MPs are finding their way around the House of Commons, Islam is gaining momentum in politics, and Christians across the UK are watching closely to see how their rights and interests may be affected. Christian Concern’s Head of Public Policy, Tim Dieppe points out that voter turnout (around 60%) was the lowest since 1945, and only 20% of the electorate voted for Labour.
Killing of disabled unborn on the rise
Six babies with cleft lips or cleft palates and 19 with Down’s syndrome were aborted late-term in 2022 across England and Wales, according to official figures. The latest statistics also reveal a general uptick in the numbers of abortions directly related to a baby’s disability. The latest abortion figures for Scotland in 2023 are even worse, also revealing a sharp rise in the numbers of young girls having abortions. Scotland reports its figures a year ahead of England and Wales.
Alan Millard (1937-2024)
Alan Millard, a leading evangelical scholar who for decades bridged the worlds of archaeology, Assyriology and the Old Testament, has died. Previously vice-chairman of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq, he was also Rankin Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Ancient Semitic languages, and Honorary Senior Fellow (Ancient Near East), at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool (where had taught since 1970).
Scots approve abortion buffer zones
Parliamentarians in Scotland have overwhelmingly approved the implementation of abortion ‘buffer zones’ – with just one vote against. The new legislation will criminalise any act ‘capable of being seen or heard by another person’ – which could include both audible and silent prayer. John Mason MSP, (see his comment on being a Christian in politics) was the only MP to vote against the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill.
Thought crime ‘now real’
A pro-life campaigner has been fined after refusing to move away from a ‘buffer zone’ outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham. Two police community support officers from West Midlands Police told Sebastian Vaughan-Spruce that he was breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) – even though he had reportedly been standing silently outside the clinic.
Islands debate euthanasia steps
The Island of Jersey has taken a major step towards legalising ‘assisted dying’ after a parliamentary vote. Around two-thirds of the 49-strong assembly voted in favour of assisted dying (also known as assisted suicide) for adults with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of six months (or 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative disease). The plan as proposed will require applicants to have made a voluntary and informed decision to die.
Most oppose banning smacking
Most adults in Britain do not believe parents should be criminalised for smacking their children, a major survey has revealed. Out of 4,000 adults polled by YouGov, less than a third said parents should be criminalised for smacking. The proportion of younger people (aged 18-24) who supported a ban was greater (50%) than older age groups. A total of 75% of adults aged at least 65 years were against criminalising parents.
Could YOU write a letter to a prisoner? More needed
Daylight Christian Prison Trust is calling for more letter-writing volunteers in response to a growing request from UK prisoners for pen pals. Daylight currently has 50 letter-writers but it is no longer enough to keep up with prisoner demand. The surge in requests follows a wider rebrand last year.
More buildings preserved for new gospel work
A record four transfers of church buildings to the Church Growth Trust were completed on a single day in May – adding to the growing number of church premises preserved for gospel work. The Church Growth Trust (CGT) secures independent church properties, then matches them with congregations and church plants needing premises in which to meet. The CGT was established in 2010 after separating from Stewardship in order to develop this work.
Evangelicals very political – survey
Most evangelical Christians are prepared to vote in the upcoming general election, a survey from the Evangelical Alliance UK (EAUK) suggests – though one in four were as yet undecided as to how they may vote. EAUK has published a report, ‘Thinking Faithfully About Politics: a snapshot of how evangelicals think and act as they engage in politics’, following a survey that was carried out in the last two months of 2023.
Presbyterian split queried
Following a lengthy period of internal disagreements, four Presbyterian congregations have attempted to separate themselves from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of England and Wales (EPCEW) – but EPCEW has refused to recognise their action. EPCEW was established in the 1990s and has grown to 22 congregations across the UK and Europe. However, two years ago disagreements arose within the Sheffield (SPC) congregation.
‘Step up to foster,’ Christians urged
The gap between the numbers of children needing foster care and the number of foster families available has widened – and Christians are being challenged to step up to the need. Home for Good, a Christian charity that finds homes for children within churches in the UK, said the numbers of children entering the care system has increased 30% since austerity was introduced in 2010.
Safeguarding manifesto is first of kind
Leading Christian safeguarding organisation Thirtyone:eight has launched its first-ever manifesto, setting out wide-ranging recommendations for legislative change to protect the vulnerable. The charity has identified three key themes across all four nations: Strengthening the safeguards in place for children and adults; Better protecting victims and survivors of abuse; Creating safer environments for everyone – whether in the physical space, digital or virtual space.
UCCF: former staff members talk to EN
Former UCCF staff members say a ‘deliberate ministry model’ lay behind allegedly ‘unethical and potentially illegal’ practices at the organisation – practices the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship has now conceded were followed, en can reveal today. Two former UCCF workers have spoken with Evangelicals Now and voiced their concerns and hurt at what went on.
UCCF: former staff members talk to EN
Former UCCF staff members say a ‘deliberate ministry model’ lay behind allegedly ‘unethical and potentially illegal’ practices at the organisation – practices the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship has now conceded were followed, en can reveal today. Two former UCCF workers have spoken with Evangelicals Now and voiced their concerns and hurt at what went on. Join today to gain access to the rest of this article and many others.
Shock at new illegal abortion guidance
A top gynaecologist and Marie Stopes director has admitted being behind guidance which warns doctors not to report a woman who has undergone an illegal abortion, without her consent. The apparent conflict of interests has prompted calls for an inquiry. Any doctor reporting a suspected illegal abortion could face a disciplinary, imminent new guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) will say.
‘Coalface ministry’ brings gospel to Welsh valleys
A new theology school for Christian ministers at the ‘coalface’ has been launched in the Welsh valleys. ‘You may be able to exegete Scripture, you might even be a Hebrew Scholar, you could even be the most charismatic preacher on the planet, but if you can’t handle 2.00am phone calls from social services or late-night knocks on the door from the police… you are no good in the Valleys!’ says the Valleys School of Theology website.
Operation Coronation reaches celebrities
Coronation Day was unforgettable for the nation, but it will also be remembered by some as the day they met with the King of Kings. On the weekend of 6 May, hundreds of Christians joined Royal fans around Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and elsewhere in central London handing out gospels and Christian literature.
The jury’s out: Westminster’s case for modernising data law
The prudent stewardship of personal data can be a delicate and onerous task for British businesses, but less red tape and greater flexibility in managing this material could soon be within their sight. Freed from the EU’s shackles, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is seeking to modernise the UK’s bureaucratic data protection regime by creating a “bold” new system, all in the name of aiding economic growth.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Documentation and Additional Reading Part Part Part The Briefing Thursday, April 22, 2021 Tags: Audio Transcript Transcript has not been added yet. Check again soon.
Technology lawyers become essential for big tech companies
Technological innovation has a notorious tendency to outpace the law. This means the in-house lawyer in the biggest tech companies must anticipate legislative and regulatory changes while performing their broad legal functions. With the likes of Google, Uber and IBM dominating the technology innovation market, the in-house technology lawyer’s role in the big companies is unique.
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