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T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E E VA N G E L I C A L A L L I A N C E
The Reformation:
how did it change our lives?
GRENFELL TOWER
How churches helped the survivors
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How is it changing lives today?
One man’s work to prevent the next attack
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Peter Lynas: Luther did not set out to change the world, but instead sought reformation in himself. He describes feeling ‘absolutely born again’ as he began to fully grasp Romans 1:17: “The just shall live by faith”.
idea-torial Always reforming Only a handful of events or people can really be said to have changed the world, but Martin Luther and the Reformation are part of that select list. So, I am so excited to have been asked to guest edit this edition of idea marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
FIVE THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL THIS ISSUE
CONTENTS
FEATURES 14 – 15 How did the Reformation change the Church? Five ways in which the Church was changed forever.
How churches have helped locals after the Grenfell Tower
16-17 How did the Reformation change society? Freedom and equality are life-changing consequences of the Reformation.
5
fire
REGULARS
That evangelicals
4 – 6 Connect
Luther did not set out to change the world, but instead sought reformation in himself. He describes feeling ‘absolutely born again’ as he began to fully grasp Romans 1:17: “The just shall live by faith”. Having been personally reformed in heart and mind by a combination of God’s word and the work of the Holy Spirit, Luther now set about to reform those around him.
in Africa are working for
News from across the Alliance.
peace in South
10 Around the WEA
Sudan
News from alliances around the world.
That the head of
12 – 13 The 9-5
the Met’s Prevent
The reformers released everyday people to become the priesthood of believers they were supposed to be. They gave people the Bible in their own language and launched education programmes to teach people to read the newly-translated Bibles.
strategy makes a
Chief Supt David Smart, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Prevent programme, talks about the challenges of trying to stop the next terrorist attack.
Authority shifted from the Church to the individual and of course people began to read all sorts of things produced on the new printing presses. Ideas began to spread rapidly releasing all sorts of creative energies, increasing political and economic freedom.
passionate about
I was asked how I would pitch the story of the Reformation to a national newspaper. “The paper wouldn’t exist without the Reformation,” I replied. The Reformation changed everything. Some of the consequences were by design, others unintended and still others outright perversions of the what the reformers sought. But work, worship, the Church, the modern state, democracy, free speech, capitalism, individualism, liberalism, the Enlightenment and many other areas of life have been revolutionised by the Reformation. So, in this edition we look at how the Reformation changed the Church including our ongoing relationship with the Catholic Church. We also look at its impact on the state, including how we respond to terrorism, extremism through the Prevent strategy and disasters such as Grenfell Tower. Every aspect of our daily lives looks different because of a young revolutionary from Saxony. 500 years on, what might it look like for us all to be ‘always reforming’? Peter Lynas Northern Ireland director We’re on Twitter! Follow us @idea_mag
great salad
– the local Grenfell Tower e. ns po re es ch ur Ch
18 – 19 Impact Report That Martin
It’s been a great year at the Alliance: find out why.
Luther was
24 – 25 In The Thick of It
music Audio Bibles are a big thing in
500 years after the Reformation, what does Bible translation look like today?
32 Politics Phew! What a summer it’s been. Now’s the time to trust in God.
Africa
12
ational avid Smart, N Chief Supt D r the Prevent strategy. fo Co-ordinator
Head Office 176 Copenhagen Street, London N1 0ST tel 020 7520 3830 [Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm] fax 020 7520 3850 info@eauk.org www.eauk.org Evangelical Alliance leadership team Steve Clifford, Gavin Calver, Fred Drummond, Elfed Godding, Emrys Jones Dave Landrum, Peter Lynas,
Email address changes to members@eauk.org Northern Ireland Office First Floor Ravenhill House 105 Ravenhill Road, Belfast BT6 8DR tel: 028 9073 9079 nireland@eauk.org
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Making the Bibl e known around the world.
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CONNECT
News from the Alliance across the UK
Forgiveness could “completely restructure our nation” says J.John This summer, some 24,000 people flocked to the Emirates Stadium in London to hear international evangelist J.John speak.
“It was a privilege to witness so many people making such significant steps along their individual journey of faith. No matter who you speak to, people right now need security, stability and hope. This is what Jesus offers. “Many of the world’s problems are born out of a lack of forgiveness,” he added. “While governments and charities attempt to
J John: “message of forgiveness”.
alleviate the symptoms of these problems, Christianity can tackle their root cause, as the Christian message is one of forgiveness for the past, new life today and hope for the future.” If we were able to accept God’s forgiveness, forgive ourselves and then forgive others, “it would completely restructure our nation,” he said. Among those attending the event, were 40 women from a refuge in London, as well as survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Project Lab winners announced
Project Lab 2017’s aim was to find local, church-based social action projects, led by young people (between 16-25 years of age) who are helping to tackle issues of poverty and social exclusion faced by young people. The final included a Dragons’ Den-style event. “The experience was the most amazing and the most scary thing I’ve done,” said Stephen Addison, founder of BoxUpCrime, an initiative that helps young people to rebuild dreams, using non-contact boxing sessions and mentoring. “There was a lot on the line for us and through everything I really learnt to trust God.’ IDEA MAGAZINE / 4
Praise God for the work of His Church across the UK, and for the selfless and often unseen acts of kindness that the “hands and feet of Christ” are doing in local communities all around the UK. Please pray for peace, wisdom and unity among our country’s leaders and the various political parties as they continue to respond to the events of the general election, and the ongoing political discussions about Brexit. Let’s pray for a blessing on all those who are working to translate the Bible into other languages and dialects, allowing people around the world to read Scripture for themselves. Pray for this wonderful work, that it would grow and bear fruit in every community. As Movement Day approaches in October, please pray that Christians and churches around the UK would set aside differences and unite together around the heart of the Christian message to make Jesus known to all people.
Local Christian action groups, BoxUpCrime and The Primetime Project have been awarded the title of Project Lab 2017 winners at Mercers’ Hall in London. The scheme is run by Alliance member, the Cinnamon Project. Each winner receives a development grant of £30,000, plus entry onto the Cinnamon Incubator Programme where they’ll get expert coaching, professional advice, marketing support and access to industry and government contacts to help their projects grow.
Please join us in prayer as we reflect on a summer of political upheaval, tragedy in the Grenfell Tower fire and terrorist attacks, and as we all mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. In this significant anniversary year of the Reformation, join with us in reflecting and giving thanks to God for how His Spirit has been working throughout the centuries to draw people to Jesus.
He talked about the need of forgiveness in a city which has recently experienced more than its fair share of tragedy. Among the thousands of people who packed into the stadium to hear J.John were 300 survivors and families of victims of the Grenfell Tower fire. There was “a real buzz”on the evening, J.John said. “For people of faith, it gives them a faith lift, but for other people it might help them on a journey of faith,” he added. “That can only be a good thing.
Five prayer points
MISSION TO WALES TURNS A NATION “All the finalists are winners,” said Rachel Gardner, one of the Project Lab 2017 judges.
“It’s given us the encouragement that this is the right thing to do,” said Liam Jagger from The Primetime Project. The scheme helps disadvantaged young people to develop key skills for employment, life and leadership. “It was so encouraging to meet the other finalists and hear from last year’s winners too.” In addition to the top prizes, more than £15,000 was pledged on the night from members of the audience to help the other three finalists expand their work. “All the finalists are winners,” said Rachel Gardner, one of the Project Lab 2017 judges. “This is a challenging time for youth work and we were deeply impressed by the excellent projects and their deep love for young people.”
For 10 days in July, more than 400 Christians from an array of denominations, took part in a Mission to Wales. This was an initiative of New Wine Cymru, who trained and mobilised local outreach across six regional hubs. For 10 consecutive days, people gathered for worship, training and prayer before taking to the streets for one hour; sharing the gospel through conversation. Inspired by stories of street evangelism in Reading, Lille, Liverpool, Leicester and other cities, New Wine Cymru sought to impact every corner of Wales with the gospel at the same time. At the end of the 10-day mission, around 3,000 people had made a response to Jesus. Cardiff church leader, Gethin Russell-Jones said: “It was amazing to see so many Christians take to the streets and coming back with stories of faith and salvation. Big thanks also to The Turning Team from Reading who trained and encouraged us.”
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Churches help locals made homeless in Grenfell Tower fire Disaster response after the Grenfell Tower fire was led by the voluntary sector. That’s the view of Jackie Blanchflower, church leader at the Latymer Community Church. An Alliance member, it stands near to the foot of the tower in West London. Eighty people are presumed dead after flames swept through the 24-storey block of flats on the night of 14 June. “The body of Christ has been awesome,” she said. “We have been able to call on other churches to help.” The Latymer Community Church opened its doors at 2.30am just a couple of hours after the fire had started. “It was very busy there,” said Jackie. “There were survivors and people looking for their relatives.” In the week after the fire, the centre was open 12 hours a day for people in the local community. At first, it joined in the collective effort of taking in donations of clothes and food and redistributing them. But it has also been focusing on providing emotional support for the families, survivors and other members of the community. “Hundreds of people were coming through in the first few days,” said Jackie. “We have been listening to people and helping them.” Speaking just two weeks after the fire, Jackie added, “We find that we are now getting the traumatised people who have not felt able to come forward before “Every day is different. We don’t know what we will face each day. But God is keeping us going.” In conjunction with the Message Trust, the Latymer organised a prayer wall outside the building. It now runs down the street. People have written prayers, messages and thoughts on it: “Why?”, “May God comfort you”, and “Hope is the only thing stronger than fire.” People have laid flowers and other tributes, including teddy bears and footballs, along its length. Alongside it are the posters asking for information about those who are still missing. Seeing them go up was “the saddest
Grenfell Tower: the blackened building dominates the skyline.
moment”, Jackie said. “We know these families and now they are gone,” she said. “We haven’t had time to grieve yet, because we have been supporting other people”. They were joined in this effort by the Mind and Soul Christian Counselling Network and the Billy Graham Rapid Response Network, as well as local mosques and Sikh gudwaras. But there is criticism of the lack of coordinated help from local authorities. “The coordination has been really, really hard,” said Jackie. “You do feel, ‘Where are the authorities? Where’s the leadership?’ We want someone to come in who’s going to tell us what to do. We want to be strategic. “This has been a pop-up disaster response powered by What’s App and Post-It notes,” she added.
JOIN US IN NOVEMBER TO PRAY FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS In parts of the world from Nigeria to North Korea, from Eritrea to the Middle East, the suffering of Christians cannot be ignored. Scenes of churches burned to the ground and Christians forced to flee their homelands remind us that our freedom to preach the gospel and meet to worship is something never to be taken for granted. This November, organisations are uniting to call the Church to pray for our brothers and sisters across the globe who are persecuted for their faith. The Alliance’s Religious Liberty Commission brings together Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Open Doors and Release International to focus the Church’s attention on the challenges and struggles many Christians face across the world as they pray, worship and preach the gospel. Sunday 19 November is set as the International Day of Prayer for the persecuted Church and churches across the UK are asked to take time to focus prayer and attention on the suffering experienced by parts of the body of Christ. Each organisation is highlighting a part of the world were persecution is acute and the need for religious liberty is great. This is a key opportunity to use resources provided by the partner organisations to prayer for places were Christians do not have the freedom to worship openly. Resources are available at www.eauk.org/rlc SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
Photo: Clare Kendall
An estimated 300 people attended a service held in the road outside the church a few days after the fire. The mood was ‘sombre’ Jackie said, but she personally felt ‘healed’ through it. The centre remains a place for the community to come together. “We need to do what we are best at,” said Jackie, “providing a place for people to be together. After a disaster, people want to be together to share what’s happened.” And she asked for prayers for the community, “We need to pray for unity,” she said, “the community is obviously devastated. There is a lot of anger.” The fire destroyed 151 homes, both in the tower and the surrounding area. The Metropolitan Police says that corporate manslaughter may have been committed.
REFORMATION IN WALES As Wales celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the Cymru Institute of Contemporary Christianity (CICC) is planning two special events in October. Rev Dr David Hilborn, Principal of St John’s School of Mission, Nottingham will give lectures in Colwyn Bay on 12 October and Cardiff on 31 October. Paul Hocking of CICC said: “Join us to consider the story of Luther and the Reformation, and its lasting legacy. This CICC event will set the Reformation in its wider context, and also give insight into the personal journey of faith taken by Luther as a monk and as a reformer, and reflect on the impact of the Reformation then and now with the challenge to the church of Semper Reformanda’.’ (always reforming). For further details visit www.cicconline.org.uk IDEA MAGAZINE / 5
NEWS
50 years and 100,000 lives This October not only marks 500 years since the Reformation but also 50 years since the introduction of the 1967 Abortion action in England and Wales. The Bill received Royal Assent on 27 October 1967. “It is a story of great sadness,” says Dawn McAvoy from the Both Lives Matter Campaign, “but we can also celebrate the 100,000 people alive today because one part of the UK pursued a different path.” The passing of the 1967 Act is probably the “single most important political decision in our lifetime” she says. In England and Wales for every four children born, another has been aborted. By the age of 45, one in three women will have had an abortion, with 38 per cent of all abortions being for women who had at least one abortion previously. And behind each of these stats is “an often difficult story”, says McAvoy. Northern Ireland took a different approach balancing both lives and only allowing abortion where there was a threat to the life and health of the mother. This approach has recently been challenged in the courts and the court of public opinion with the deal between the DUP and the Conservative party.
states under the European Convention of Human Rights. It decided that it was for the Northern Ireland Assembly to make any changes to abortion law, not the courts. This was followed by moves at Westminster and in the devolved Assemblies in Scotland and Wales to offer free abortions to women from Northern Ireland. There were complaints that Northern Irish politicians should not influence abortion policy in the rest of the UK while those same people sought to undermine Northern Ireland’s alternative approach. The Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland joined with CARE to form Both Lives Matter, a movement of organisations and individuals from across the political and religious divides. Dawn McAvoy says, “In a part of Western Europe where the effects of the Reformation are perhaps felt most strongly, Catholics and Evangelicals, as well as people of no faith, are standing together to tell a better story.
Terry Clutterham, digital discovery director for Scripture Union said: “We are absolutely delighted to meet this significant milestone so quickly. “Children love the game for its fun, parkour elements and the fact that they can customise their own characters and fully immerse themselves in the game. We are delighted it has been so warmly received by so many children.’ Children from as far afield as Indonesia, Canada, South Africa and Australia have been playing the game, as well as children in the UK, and in doing so are learning about the Bible. Recently, a Welsh version of the app has also been introduced. IDEA MAGAZINE / 6
“After a few months of robust interrogation of our methodologies, their independently appointed consultant statistician concluded that, ‘The evidence indicated that there was a reasonable probability that around 100,000 people were alive in Northern Ireland today who would otherwise have been aborted had it been legal to do so’. This is a fantastic result which you can help us to share widely.” To find out more visit: wwwww.bothlivesmatter.org
Serve is a coalition started by Evangelical Alliance, of those evangelicals who are passionate about community transformation. It is both local and national.
CHRISTIAN APP REACHES 1 MILLION GAME PLAYS WORLDWIDE
Guardians of Ancora was designed by Alliance member, Scripture Union. It is aimed at children aged between 8 and 11 years old.
“In fact we thought this was such good news that we recently put it on a series of billboards. A small number of people complained to the Advertising Standards Agency that we could not substantiate our claim.
SERVE SCOTLAND HOLDS PARLIAMENTARY EXHIBITION
In June, the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland decided that the law is fair, legitimate and proportional and within what is called “the margin of appreciation” given to member
An app intended to introduce children to Jesus has now been played 1 million times by people around the world.
“We estimate that there are more than 100,000 people alive today because the 1967 Act was not introduced in Northern Ireland.
SCOTTISH PUBLIC LEADERSHIP SCHEME ENTERS ITS SECOND YEAR “One of the most encouraging parts of the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland over the last 12 months has been our Public Leadership programme,” says Fred Drummond, director of prayer and Scotland. “Our aim is to have between 15 and 20 people a year as a part of a group who meet every two months. They are given a mentor, support and input from key Christian leaders.” Those selected for the course will be Christians who feel that God has called them to be leaders in areas such as business, law, medicine, the arts, or sport. “They are aiming high,” says Drummond. “They want to be culture changers and we want to help them fulfil their potential in Christ.” The first year has just ended and a second group will start in October. If you feel that this programme may be for you then contact the EA Scotland office on 0141 353 0150 or Scotland@eauk.org.
It wants to tell good news stories of the Church caring for and helping to transform the communities. It also aims to encourage churches to get more involved and sometimes take a few daring steps to meet greatest need. It also calls for united prayer and a united voice to local and national government. Several months ago, Serve Scotland held a parliamentary event where 10 different churches and organisations displayed what they did within the local community. Over 100 people came to the event and 20 MSPs also attended. The aim was to show that people of faith make a positive contribution to the nation. “The event was extremely positive,” says Fred Drummond. Future plans include a week-long display in the Scottish Parliament showcasing the work that the church is doing with communities. This will take place in the week beginning Monday 11 September. In the same week there will be a members’ business debate on the value of local churches to their communities. “Please pray that God would use what is an amazing opportunity for us to share more about His love in action in our nation,” says Drummond. “If you are in Edinburgh during that week or are visiting the parliament for any reason, please stop by and support us during that week.”
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A great way to share the Christmas story It might be difficult to believe but recent surveys show that knowledge of the Christmas story is fading.** Among 5-7 year olds, 36% don’t know whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas and 72% don’t know Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Among adults, less than 12% know the full nativity story and 51% say that the birth of Jesus is irrelevant to their Christmas. This is a tipping point. ** Survey findings from ComRes 2007, 2010, 2012.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
Act Today!
For Free Delivery* Use the free resources booklet included in this publication or buy at
www.realadvent.co.uk * There is free delivery if you order a case of 18 by 1st November 2016
Could you be a champion?
We recommend that churches, schools and groups buy in bulk directly from us. The best way is for a champion (maybe you) to collect orders and place an order online at www.realadvent.co.uk IDEA MAGAZINE / 7
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
by Chine McDonald, Head of Christian influence & engagement, World Vision UK
Introducing Pumpkin Heroe As a child growing up in a Christian home, I wasn’t allowed to engage in Halloween. On the dreaded night when the neighbours’ children would go out trick or treating, we would turn off all the lights and sit in darkness so that people thought we weren’t home. As an adult (with my first baby due on Halloween), I think it’s more important than ever for Christian parents and church youth leaders to engage the children in their congregation in a Christ-centred, creative way in what is now the third biggest retail event in the UK. As Christians, we are called to be salt and light in the communities in which God has placed us. We are challenged, like the Apostle Paul, to find points of connection with the culture and from there to find points of contradiction; to be in the world but not of it; to engage with the prevailing narratives of our day, but to point to a better way. That’s why I’m delighted that we at World Vision have launched Pumpkin Heroes - a set of Bible-based resources to equip the children in your church and your community to respond to Halloween with warmth and love, while thinking about the children less fortunate than them around the world. So we’re excited to introduce you to Pumpkin Heroes star Patch, a cheeky little pumpkin with a big heart who wants to take the kids aged 4-10 in your church on an exciting adventure sharing the light of God’s love around your community. Your Pumpkin Heroes from churches across the UK will spread light and love in their local communities. They will enjoy a funfilled journey around your neighbourhood with lots of storytelling, craft-making, game-playing and pumpkin partying, all suitable for Christians seeking a different response to the season. At World Vision, we believe that Jesus is the light of the world and that he came to bring life in all its fullness for every one of us. But for millions of children around the world, life in all its fullness seems a far cry from the reality of their daily lives. Our vision is of a world IDEA MAGAZINE / 8
Pumpkin Heroes - Flora and Elsa
The hero in 5-year-old Kamama’s (pictured) life is her sponsor, who is helping to give her a hope filled future. ©2016 World Vision/Jon Warren
in which every child is loved, protected and cared for, and enjoys good health and an education. That’s why we work in close to 100 countries to bring about long-term change; we give children a voice in the places where decisions are made and we respond quickly to the emergencies that affect more than 250 million people around the world each year.
“
World Vision is calling together children from churches across the UK to become Pumpkin Heroes and spread God’s light and love for others this Halloween.”
es: A hope-filled Halloween
Actress Natasha Little (The Night Manager, Wolf Hall), reads the story of Patch the Pumpkin in the downloadable version of Patch’s Story-time
As people of hope, we long for the children we serve to live lives free from fear. What better opportunity, then, do we have to turn Halloween into a night of hope, by not only engaging children in the love of Christ for their communities but also enabling them to think and pray for these children around the world, who God loves just as much as He loves our own. We’re excited to be partnering with our friends at Scripture Union, UCB and The Meaningful Chocolate Company in Pumpkin Heroes. Will you join us?
Ha n for dy G u id e P H e rou m pki n Pa rtes y
H u nt, Pu m pkin nd a c ra ftses gam
Download your FREE, easy to use pack at
pumpkinheroes.com • Patch the Pumpkin storybook • Storytime film as read by actress and World Vision ambassador Natasha Little
BIBLE-BASED RESOURCES FOR YOUTH LEADERS IN YOUR CHURCH HELP CHILDREN SHARE GOD’S LOVE THIS HALLOWEEN
• Church leader guide with suggested activities, crafts, recipes and games • Invitations & posters that can be used for your own Pumpkin Heroes event We would love to know if you’re planning a Pumpkin Heroes event at your church or in your community. Email us to let us know: pumpkinheroes@worldvision.org.uk SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
Wh e re ’s Patch ? A ctivity
he Patch t Pu m pkin nd b oo k a
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film
IDEA MAGAZINE / 9
AROUND THE WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE
WEA PUBLISHES DECLARATIONS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Photo: UN Photo/Tim McKulka
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has published a compendium of 19 global declarations on freedom of religion. The declarations have been made by various bodies over the last 70 years and can be used to help shape policy on religious freedom.
South Sudan: some 3.5 million people have been displaced by civil war so far.
AEA CALLS FOR PEACE IN SOUTH SUDAN The Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) is calling on political and religious leaders across Africa to influence the government of South Sudan to achieve peace in the nation.
(ARDC) has also focused its efforts in ensuring the government in Uganda continues care for the ever-growing South Sudan refugee community in the country.
South Sudan has been at war since late 2013 and it is estimated that over 300,000 people have been killed. A further 3.5 million people have been displaced, 2.1 million within the world’s youngest country and more than 1.5 million have fled abroad.
On the 28 June, 2017, the ARDC hosted a strategy meeting in Kampala, Uganda, alongside the Evangelical Fellowship of Uganda and Justice Africa. The meeting brought together church leaders from South Sudan, with over 18 South Sudan bishops from different denominations in attendance.
Calls from the Church and other civil society movements across the continent are seeking to put pressure on the South Sudanese government to find a way to bring peace to the country. AEA regional leaders signed a petition targeting The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an eight-country trade bloc in Africa, which aimed at increasing pressure on IGAD heads of state. They called for the heads of state to take action on South Sudan, ensuring a ceasefire and that humanitarian aid has access. The AEA Relief and Development Commission
Part of the aim of these meetings is to raise money for people who have become refugees because of the war. Money raised will go towards supplementing funds raised by international organisations. Church leaders are hoping to strengthening the refugee church communities that are becoming established. If you would like to find out if you can support food aid and other emergency efforts in the refugee settlements in North Uganda please write to info@aeafrica.org.
The publication builds on a collection of declarations prepared for the Tirana consultation on discrimination, persecution and martyrdom in November 2015 and includes the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Dignitas Humanae (1965), the WEA Declaration on Religious Freedom (2008) and the Marcham Conference on Women and Persecution (2016). Open Doors UK monitors the top 50 countries where persecution of Christians takes place, with the most dangerous five countries for Christians being Sudan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and North Korea. The editors, Thomas K. Johnson, together with Thomas Schirrmacher and Christof Sauer, wrote in their preface: “Our united concern to address the problems of discrimination, persecution, and martyrdom facing Christians should be organically tied to our proper Christian concern for human rights protection on the global level, including the right to freedom of religion for other faiths. “Whether you are a student or a journalist, a diplomat or a representative of your church or other faith community, understanding this set of texts will equip you to assess and respond to religious persecution and the related human rights abuses in a morally serious manner.“ You can download the full compendium on the WEA website: www.worldea.org
EUROPEAN EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE TO DISCUSS MISSION IN EUROPE 500 YEARS AFTER THE REFORMATION The European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) will meet to discuss mission in Europe at its general assembly later this year. In the 500th anniversary since the Reformation, it will consider what mission looks like today. Visiting speakers will include Evert van de Poll, a teacher of missiology at the Evangelical Theological Faculty in Leuven, and Johannes Reimer, professor of missiology at the University of South Africa. Both speakers will deliver lectures and facilitate workshops on issues including the challenges of a society becoming post-secular and the role evangelicals play in the reconciliation of people Europe. There will also be dedicated evening programmes looking at youth work in Europe run in partnership with Mission-Net. Krish Kandiah, formerly a director of the UK Evangelical Alliance, will talk about the work that he is doing with Home for Good, the adoption charity, and the broader work of the Alliance working with churches in mission across the UK. IDEA MAGAZINE / 10
The WEA has published a compendium of declarations on religious freedom.
60 SECONDS WITH…
Hazel Southam freelance journalist
If we don’t pray, there’s no point in doing anything that we do here. We have to be rooted in prayer so that we can be rooted in God…”
Rev Isabelle Hamley Rev Isabelle Hamley is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s chaplain. She leads prayers at Lambeth three times a day, when all meetings stop, and goes on the road with the Archbishop. Here, she talks to Hazel Southam about her new role and the importance of prayer. Q You’re originally from France. When you did your British citizenship, you were asked, ‘Who is the Archbishop of Canterbury and where does he live?’ At that stage, could you have imagined being his chaplain? A Not in my wildest dreams! The Archbishop of Canterbury was my boss, in a very distant way. I saw him in The Church Times and the news, but that was about it. Q So what’s it been like, taking on the role of Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury? A It’s been scary in some ways and it also feels very surreal. You have very strange days of meeting all kinds of people and hearing about all kinds of things. I have been surprised by the level of political involvement and how intimately involved in the life of the nation the Archbishop is. It is incredibly intimidating and I worry about everything. I never feel good enough. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
I ask myself, how can I do this? Everything matters. You are in the public eye. You have to check before everything goes out as people are ready to distort your words, or misunderstand, perhaps wilfully. That’s quite difficult. On the other side, the life of a vicar is quite lonely and here I work with a fantastic team of people, working collaboratively. These people are so gifted and talented, it’s a real joy. Q Is there a typical day? A There really isn’t a typical day and if you think that there is, then something will happen and the diary will change. That’s the joy of it. We pray three times a day in the chapel. Normally, I’m there unless I’m out and about with the Archbishop. The meetings all stop for prayer. Q Why is that? A If we don’t pray, there’s no point in doing anything that we do here. We have to be rooted in prayer so that we can be rooted in God and rooted in the story that we are trying to tell. It’s easy to be seduced by the shiny, glittery things, because we meet people who are famous. You can get swept up in that. Remembering that you can’t do anything without Jesus is important in a place like this. Q The Archbishop of Canterbury has made prayer a focus, not just for himself, but for Britain. Why is that? A He has lots of duties and there is little time for the things that he personally wants to do. But in that time he wants to focus on evangelism, reconciliation and prayer and the renewal of the religious life. As his
chaplain, I lead the work at Lambeth on prayer. We have done things on Facebook. Q What would you say to people who, in the light of recent terrorist attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire, say, ‘What’s the point of prayer?’ A ‘What’s the point of prayer?’ is a good question. All too often we think of God as a cosmic Santa who can grant our wishes. The point of prayer is joining with God in what He is doing in the world. It’s not armwrestling Him to do what we want, but to find our place in what He’s doing. I do believe in answered prayers. But there is an essential mystery of why God allows things and we have to be careful not to give trite answers to that. Personally, I like the book of Job because it shows us what we all do wrong when we try to answer the question ‘why?’. Job never finds out why he suffered. The people around him try to give answers, but they get it all wrong. Job doesn’t have an answer, but he carries on talking to God. Q So what are your tips for those who find it difficult to pray? A First, be creative and look for different ways to pray. That’s what I do. I find words don’t work. I like to sit with a paper and pen and I talk to God whilst drawing. It’s important to explore how prayer might work for you. My second tip would be to go to scripture. It’s full of prayer. It gives us prayers for everything in life. My third tip would be to pray with other people. Sometimes it can be difficult to pray alone. It’s a bit like running. You don’t start with a marathon. And if you run with others, you’re more likely to run. It’s the same with prayer. You are accountable and drawn together. IDEA MAGAZINE / 11
THE 9-5
David Smart
Chief Supt David Smart, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Prevent programme, talks about the challenges of trying to stop the next terrorist attack. Photo: Clare Kendall
My day starts at 5.30am. We have two children: one 13, the other 19, who’s at university. But we have also been fostering for the last couple of years. Currently, we are fostering a baby. So before I leave for work I do my little bit to help. My job is to get the baby’s bottles ready. I’m the National Co-ordinator for Prevent, which is at the heart of the government’s counter terrorism strategy. Our role is to prevent people going down a path of terrorism. My work is quite removed from the front line, so doing the fostering I get to see the realities of how busy social services are at a
working level. It keeps me connected. In my work in the police force I’ve seen over many, many years the reality that not getting off to a good start in life affects people’s lives into adulthood. So giving any child a settled home is a good thing to do.
people and trying to help them not go down a path of oblivion, like travelling to Syria, is that not a good thing to do? That said, some communities feel that Prevent has stigmatised them. If that’s what’s happened, we need to try and resolve that.
It may sound a little bit odd, but I like to get the slow train into work. It’s emptier. I get a seat. And it gives me time to think and pray.
But when people say it should have a re-brand, I haven’t got time for that. We stopped 150 people going to Syria in 2016.
I reflect on my day ahead and the needs of my family and my colleagues and I do pray for God’s wisdom and guidance, that I will say things that are wise.
I am never off-call. Every morning when I wake up I check the news to see what’s happening. If there has been a terrorist incident my schedule will have changed and I will be in urgent meetings.
Prevent gets criticised a lot. It’s easy to be anti-Prevent, but what are the alternatives? If it’s about looking out for vulnerable
In the immediate aftermath of the Manchester bombing we had to put
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THE 9-5
resources into place. I had video conferences with officers from Manchester and other places to make sure that the operation was resourced properly. And we had to agree what messages to put out to the media. You can never give enough information. It’s a balance between satisfying their curiosity and not hampering the investigation. After Manchester, everyone wanted to know the name of the bomber. There was a big clamour for information. It’s also very important to take care of the welfare of the officers and give them the support they need. Things like Manchester do affect my sleep. You are always asking yourself, “Was there any opportunity that we didn’t take up?” It’s not about trying to beat yourself up. If the problem was easy to solve, we would have done. Manchester was a really shocking event for the public, but for those in counter terrorism we were genuinely shocked because it was children. No-one is a legitimate target, but the fact that children were involved was so shocking and it completely changed the mood in our area of business. It makes you more determined. When someone drives a car over Westminster Bridge we can put barriers up to stop it happening again. But a concert venue? They are everywhere. Stopping things from happening is just part of the solution.
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There’s lots of talk about lone wolves. The truth is that when someone carries out an act alone there’s a reasonable chance that there
I do pray for God’s wisdom and guidance, that I will say things that are wise. were people supporting them who knew they were going to do it. Studies show that a person – it could be a neighbour, a partner, a teacher – often comes out later and says that they had concerns. They didn’t know that person was going to carry out an atrocity, but they had concerns. What Prevent encourages is if you have concerns, report them really, really early. We get 20 referrals a day at Prevent. Every one has to be assessed for the help, support and intervention that’s possible. When something like Manchester happens, I can’t focus on the investigation, I have to focus on stopping other people being drawn in to radicalisation. A typical day is in London. A big part of my role is working with the Home Office, schools and government departments. I have lunch at my desk: I make a good salad. We share the cooking fifty-fifty. My wife does more in the week. But I do a mean roast lamb at the weekends. On an average day, I leave here at 5.30pm. It’s a mindset, isn’t it? I have spent a lot of my career not doing that. Working long hours was expected. It didn’t matter what you were doing.
But I am always checking my emails. I tell my staff not to do it, but I do. I never switch my phone off. It doesn’t ring in the middle of the night any more as I’m not providing urgent, operational response. In the past it used to ring at night and I had to sleep in the spare room. Not now. In the evenings, Dad’s taxi is required for tennis lessons or Guides. And the baby is always pleased to see me. At the weekend, I try to go to the gym and we go to church which is really important for us. I’m a Crystal Palace fan. I have been since childhood. I get tickets every now and again. You never know what’s going to happen at the beginning of the season. Will you be relegated? When I was on the beat, my beat included Kennington Oval. I’ve never been interested in cricket. I went to Lords once. We watched all day, and then they said it was a draw. What’s all that about? Things are different when my daughter is home from university. She went to an Adele concert recently. It did go through my mind that this was just like an Ariana Grande concert. I woke up worrying about that. Normally I never sleep until she’s home, and that night, it wasn’t until 2am. Thank goodness the baby is a good sleeper. What I go to bed with is the question, “Am I doing enough to prevent the next atrocity?” Want to find out more? David Smart will be speaking at the ‘Safer Places’ track at Movement Day in October http://www.movementday.uk/david-smart.
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leading you from
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Rev Mark Woods is a Baptist minister and managing editor of Christian Today
How did the Reformation change the Church? 31 October 1517 – the day the Reformation began. According to some, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church in defiance of the Pope, and the rest is history. Well, perhaps. Actually it’s not entirely clear that he did it himself rather than sending a servant. It was a perfectly normal way of communicating – a bit like blogging. And it took a little while before the implications of the 95 short statements –about how the Pope couldn’t forgive sins through granting indulgences – really sank in. Furthermore, Luther wasn’t the first or the only Reformer. Still, 31 October is as good a date as any to mark the beginning of a movement that changed not just the Church but the world. This is how it happened.
1. It gave us the Bible. The Reformers believed in going back to the scriptures. While the Catholic Church set store by tradition, the Reformers believed in going back to the source. So, their scholars and pastors read the Bible intensively, and as printing and literacy spread they encouraged their people to do so too.
Shutterstock/Sarawut Aiemsinsuk
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They preached from the Bible and wanted everyone to understand it, so they translated it; the Catholic Church believed the Bible was dangerous in untrained hands. Evangelicals’ love of scripture comes straight from the Reformation, because the Reformers taught that scripture alone was authoritative. Hence the famous words of William Tyndale, strangled and burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English: “I defy the Pope and all his laws. If God spare my life, ere many yeares I will cause a boy that drives the plough to know more of the scripture than he does.”
2. It gave us spiritual freedom. Luther’s key insight was that salvation was by faith alone. He wasn’t the first or the only one to realise that, but because he was a brilliant writer, speaker and publicist, his books and pamphlets spread very quickly. It’s not up to the Pope or his ministers to forgive sins, he said – we trust God and we are saved. In the Church of the day, forgiveness was obtained through doing penance – acts of charity, prayers, or self-punishment that were supposed to reinforce an inward repentance and were inseparable from it.
Luther used to torment himself – and irritate his confessor – because he thought he hadn’t done enough penance to be saved. But then he realised that salvation wasn’t about what we do, but about what Christ has done. This was radical because it cut out the middle man. Anyone, without the intervention of a priest, could repent and be saved. It was also threatening to the authorities: the sale of indulgences – effectively tickets to heaven – was an industry bringing in huge revenues to the Church. Luther was hitting the Pope in his pocket.
3. It gave us religious freedom. Which is not quite the same thing. Before the Reformation, the Church was in charge of spirituality. The Catholic Church, which controlled religion in the West, defined right and wrong theology. It exercised
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political power through Catholic rulers who all acknowledged – grudgingly, in quite a few cases – that the Pope had some kind of authority over them. After the Reformation, that changed, though it took a while – many Protestant countries were just as intolerant as Catholic ones. Real freedom of religion was a long way off and in the beginning only the strange Anabaptists taught it – but the Catholic Church’s monopoly was broken. That led to a flowering of theology not just among Protestants, but among Catholics too. They had to think about why they believed what they believed, and to be able to defend it – so the quality of debate jumped all round. It was the beginning of a free market in religion, and everyone had to try to improve their product.
4. It gave us democracy. The Reformation began as a protest against authority. Luther was deeply opposed to violent rebellion and wrote a truly horrible pamphlet urging rulers to put down a peasants’ revolt with fire and sword. But others were perfectly prepared to resist unjust authority. They read in the Bible about God’s judgment on wicked kings and were willing to take up arms against them.
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It didn’t always end well – Zwingli died at Kappel in a battle against Catholic forces, and several others came to sticky ends. Many Continental Protestant countries had absolute and authoritarian monarchies even so, but in England it was the children of the Reformation who chopped King Charles’s head off and gave Britain a true parliament. Recognising the importance of the individual’s conscience was a step on the way to recognising the importance of the individual’s rights. As the Leveller Thomas Rainsborough said at the famous Putney Debates in 1647: ‘I think that the poorest he that is in England hath a life to live, as the greatest he; and therefore truly, Sir, I think it’s clear, that every man that is to live under a government ought first by his own consent to put himself under that government; and I do think that the poorest man in England is not bound in a strict sense to that government that he hath not had a voice to put himself under.’
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destruction of the old systems of authority. Everyone could read the Bible and interpret it for themselves, so Protestantism was – and is – vulnerable to new heresies growing up. And human nature is inherently sinful, so the Reformers themselves, and the movements they inspired, were flawed too. Luther wrote anti-semitic tracts; Zwingli had the great Anabaptist Balthasar Hubmaier racked to get him to change his mind about baptism; Calvin demanded the death of Michael Servetus for denying the Trinity (though, to be fair, he wanted him beheaded rather than burned, his actual fate). We should rejoice in the Reformation and praise God for the reformers – but we should acknowledge where they went wrong, too.
5. It gave us fresh temptations. The Reformation was a wonderful gift from God in which precious truths that had been hidden for generations were discovered and shared with the world. But it also meant the
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Sarah Williams is research professor in the History of Christianity, Regent College.
How has the Reformation changed society? If we believe that all human beings are created equal, that they are free to act according to conscience, to speak freely, to be treated fairly before the law; if we believe that rulers should obey the same laws as their subjects, that oppression should be resisted; that leaders should be held to account, that differences should be tolerated within civil society - then the Reformation is something we must celebrate.
This action on 31 October 1517 may have catalysed immediate events, but Luther and his fellow reformers had no idea just how momentous the consequences of their actions would be.
The 16th century Reformation went far beyond correcting the doctrines of the Church, to address the fundamental shape and structure of the Western world. It established the moral, philosophical and political foundations of the modern liberal tradition upon which our own society is built.
By preaching that every individual - master and peasant, male and female, ordained priest and layman – had equal access to freedom in Christ, the 16th century reformers established the idea of Christian liberty as a fundamental spiritual, moral and political identity and they generated sociopolitical structures that protected these values through an essential commitment to equality as a right upheld in law.
There were four dimensions to the Reformation process. The Lutheran Reformation brought the scriptures to bear on the relationship between the Church and the state. It placed the vernacular Bible in the hands of ordinary men and women. The Calvinist Reformation applied the scriptures to the laws and customs of daily life, and - by the end of the 16th century - the Catholic Reformation heard the rebuke of scripture and put its own house in order. In short, the Reformation in all its varied expressions, was a great deal bigger than a brave monk nailing 95 contentious statements to a door in Wittenberg.
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Many thinkers and writers from Jacob Burkhardt to Alexis De Tocqueville and Max Weber have pointed back to the Reformation to find the roots of modern democracy and the idea of the modern participatory state. Luther in preaching justification by faith alone re-envisioned the meaning of a priesthood of all believers and centralised the liberty of individual conscience. In place of mediating priests, he put the gathered ecclesia - a voluntary community of unforced and free individuals who chose to associate on the basis of common beliefs and shared commitments. This understanding of the individual as the primary building block of civil society and of society as a moral community in which all human beings share equally in the privileges and obligations of belonging, stripped away the suffocating hierarchy of clerical privilege and the treatment of the Bible as a possession of the elite subject to the whims and priorities of power.
Papally-endorsed canon law was transformed to create a code founded on the assumption of the inherent moral equality of persons, and a theory of natural rights that were pre-social and decisive as the legitimating criterion for all social organisation. This radical assertion of human freedom centralised the operation of the individual conscience as the glue of self-government over and against the mere imposition of authority from above. All these supposedly self-evident truths upon which our own
society depends would not exist without the Reformation. Why is it then that we so often leave this profound Christian legacy out of the story of the West? Why has modern liberalism locked itself into conflict with Christianity and cut itself off from the source that gave it life in the first place? The effect of modern liberalism’s amnesia concerning its roots has been to drain modern liberalism of its substantive framework of meaning, its moral content and its social and political vision. We are in danger, like the corrupted Church that so offended Luther, of erring against our roots and falling into our own kinds of heresy. We reduce liberalism to unimpeded market economics. We prioritise individual wants and preferences without reference to the common ends towards which they should rightly be directed. We commit the heresy of reducing political philosophy to crude utilitarianism; the heresy of changing the meaning of the individual person-in-community into an atomistic unit of alienated autonomy. We neglect the habits of association, affiliation and communal reciprocity for which many of the reformers lost their lives, and retreat into the private sphere, leaving political and civic participation to an ambitions and power hungry elite. The individual conscience given liberty by the reformation is increasingly subjugated by a centralised and impersonal state. These are the heresies that threaten to destroy our culture, just as corruption and spiritual elitism threatened to destroy the medieval Church. It is time to take stock as we celebrate the 500th year anniversary of the Reformation. We need to renew our understanding of the profound connection that exists between these momentous historical events and the values that we hold so dear in western culture. If we are to find the coherent moral vision that we so desperately need to meet the acute geopolitical challenges facing us today, maybe we need another Reformation.
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It is time to take stock as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the reformation. We need to renew our understanding of the profound connection that exists between these momentous historical events and the values that we hold so dear in western culture.�
Photo: Credit: Shutterstock/Julius Kielaitis
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GOOD QUESTION
Calvin Samuel is the principal of the London School of Theology.
Does justification by faith still matter? Justification by faith is perhaps the most significant of the doctrines to be reaffirmed and reemphasised in the Reformation. Yet as we come to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation, what does this doctrine mean to us? Are we in danger of viewing it as passé?
It’s not that many Christians, particularly evangelicals, have stopped thinking that justification by faith is true. It’s rather more likely that we are in danger of no longer viewing this doctrine as vitally important. Indeed, in some parts of the Church, doctrine is all too easily perceived as the “letter that kills” rather than the Spirit which gives life. So, does this doctrine matter and, if so, why and in what ways? First, let’s address the issue of faith. That we are justified by faith is not primarily a way of emphasising the efficacy of faith. Rather, it is a way of acknowledging that apart from the intervention of God in whom we place our faith, we could never be justified. We cannot rescue ourselves from our fallenness. We cannot atone for our sinfulness. We cannot heal our brokenness. We cannot repay our indebtedness, or negotiate our way out of our alienation from God. We place our faith in God who alone can bring us from darkness to light, from death to life. This utter reliance upon God is a challenge to contemporary presumptions about human autonomy and self-determination. To acknowledge that only God can redeem creation is to recognise that all is not right with the world. Our cultures and relationships, politics and identities need to be reshaped. This is far more than a course correction; they need to be rebooted. Justification by faith expresses our conviction that only God can press the CTRL ALT DELETE command on our lives and God’s world. It acknowledges our deep need for that divine intervention which has taken place in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
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resurrection of Jesus those who believe in him are in the right, they are righteous.
Having talked of faith, what of justification? Justification is the declaration that someone is in the right. It is a term borrowed from the law court. To be justified, therefore, is to be declared righteous.
Justification therefore presupposes both sin and grace. Where there’s no sin, there’s no need for justification. Where there is no grace, there is no possibility of it. These are urgent issues with which the contemporary Church needs to re-engage.
This is not some form of divine sleight of hand, or an overlooking of human sinfulness. Rather to be justified is a declaration that through the life, death and
Sin is a concept with which many parts of the Church are becoming increasingly uncomfortable. We can speak of right and wrong, or of injustice or liberation, but talk
GOOD QUESTION
…to be justified is a declaration that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus those who believe in him are in the right, they are righteous.”
Photo: Isaac Torrontera Photographic
Justification by faith: it shows our deep need for the divine intervention that took place in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
of sin sounds increasingly out of place in a liberal democracy. And yet society’s ills cannot be adequately diagnosed without a recognition of the pervasiveness of sin, whether individual, cultural, relational or systemic. The recognition of the pervasiveness of sin is far more than an inclination to name and shame the particular sins that matter most to us. It is problematic when the Church seems more concerned about sexual sin, for example, than about the sin of failing to care SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
for the poor. Indeed, that one is described as sin and the other as injustice may betray our prejudice. But if sin enables us properly to diagnose the underlying source of society’s problem, grace allows us to speak of its solution. Justification by faith is the doctrine that gives us a language by which we might declare the good news that God does not deal with us as our sins deserve, but responds to us in love and grace, despite our sinfulness because of the reconciling work
of Jesus in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We need to give more rather than less attention to the doctrine of justification by faith in contemporary churches. Indeed, this is a doctrine that has missional significance because of its presupposition of the problem of sin and the solution of grace which can only be attained through faith and not works. #Preach!
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF …
Our regular look back through the Alliance archive by Kim Walker, research and information officer for the Evangelical Alliance
A centenary marked during World War 1 In 1917 marking the centenary of the Reformation was a much harder affair than it is today, as war raged, and the prospect of celebrating the life and work of a German proved too much for some. One hundred years ago the Evangelical Alliance had great plans for celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the Reformation. Ideas were discussed for a large international celebration at an Evangelical Alliance executive council meeting in August 1914, possibly taking place in Germany, but by 1917 that was clearly impossible as Great Britain was now at war with Germany. Merely organising a celebration of the work of a German could have been controversial at the time, but it was felt that the centenary was too important to pass unmarked. More modest plans were put in place for a commemorative event to take place in November 1917 at Queens Hall, London. The Alliance published a statement saying: “We looked forward to a closer unity between the sons of the Reformation. Today Great Britain and Germany, the chief Protestant European powers, are in a deathgrip. We lament the fact and are saddened by the perverted use to which great privileges have been put. Luther was a German, but his influence was and is world-wide. He was born to do a great work and he did it.” The commemorative event was well supported by Christians across the denominations and there was a wide range of speakers including the Dean of Canterbury, the Very Rev Dr H Wace, who was the most senior evangelical in the Church of England at the time. The Alliance at this time in its history was organising regular united prayer meetings that featured speakers from a range of denominations and churchmanship to demonstrate unity and the wide support for this big event must have been particularly pleasing. An offering taken up during the event raised £200, the equivalent of roughly £16,000 today. Speeches given at the event were published in full in a special supplement to the Alliance’s magazine Evangelical Christendom. There was an appeal in the magazine for subscribers to pass their supplement on as the war time situation was making further distribution difficult, thus making the “valuable addresses” less readily available as they should have been. Celebrations also took place in Germany and, not surprisingly due to the war-time situation, many had a nationalistic air to them with Luther being celebrated as a great German. Despite World War I preventing a coordinated international celebration of Reformation Day in 1917, the Alliance was able to celebrate other related 400th anniversaries in the inter-war years, starting in June 1930 with an international event in Augsburg which commemorated the presentation of the Augsburg Confession at the German Diet in 1530. The Diet was the legislative assembly of the Holy Roman Empire. The Diet had been called during a time of unrest amongst Protestants. There had been disagreements amongst Christians in the 13 years since Luther had posted his 95 theses and Protestants IDEA MAGAZINE / 22
Centenary: 400th anniversary at Barfusser Church, Augsburg.
were not a united grouping. In 1529 Luther and Zwingli had tried to come to an arrangement that would smooth over the differences but this was unsuccessful as they continued to disagree on the question of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. While a few Lutheran princes prepared for military action, a compromise-minded group led by Phillip Melanchthon, who was really concerned about the divisions in Protestantism, drew up a moderate outline of Lutheran positions which was presented to the Diet. This outline or confession as it is known went to become one of earliest summaries of Protestant beliefs. It took two hours to read out and was met with a raucous response. People were shouting both for and against. As part of the commemoration of this event the Alliance published, in the May/June 1930 edition of the Alliance’s magazine, Evangelical Christendom, a five-page article about the Augsburg Confession by Bishop Arthur Ward. In the article the bishop looked in detail at the story about why Luther wrote his 95 Theses and his “astonishment” that his thoughts “written in Latin for the learned, were known all over Germany in a few days, and he found himself the mouthpiece of the nation.” As well as the stormy aftermath of the presentation Melanchthon’s confession in 1530 the Edict of Worms was reinstated and yet again Luther’s writings were banned and he was described once again a heretic. Bishop Arthur wrote: “Yet in spite of the apparent failure in 1530 Luther regarded the events of the Diet as ‘a great miracle’”. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of this “miracle” Christians from all over Europe and North America gathered in Barfusser Church, Augsburg in 1930. The Alliance’s general secretary Martyn H Gooch spoke at the gathering to deliver the Alliance’s message of “...joy in the historic Confession of Faith which first set out the great protestant doctrines in clear language that all might understand.”
Spring Harvest Local Line-up includes:
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Harrogate, Preston, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Macclesfield, Stafford, Bristol, Bournemouth, Plymouth, St Albans, Peterborough, Southampton, South Wales Lou Fellingham
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IN THE THICK OF IT
Claire Smith and Hazel Southam, freelance journalists
The word on the street Thanks to the Reformation we now have the Bible in our own language. But around the world, an estimated 1.5 billion people don’t have that luxury. Claire Smith and Hazel Southam find out how two Evangelical Alliance member organisations are working to change that. High up in the mountains of southern China, in a village church with peeling, sun-faded walls and plastic flowers on the altar, a community of people are celebrating. They’re giving thanks for something they thought they’d never have: the Bible in their language. “It’s a miracle,” said 75-year-old Zhang Xiuzhu, who has been a Christian for nearly 40 years. “I was fearful that I would never have a Bible in my own language but I hoped that, before I died, I would have the chance to see it.” Xiuzhu is a member of the Black Yi community, one of China’s 55 recognised ethnic minorities. Christianity has been in her community since 1904, and the New Testament was translated into their
language in 1948. But they had to wait until the end of 2016 – through the Cultural Revolution and then a long process of approval – for their first ever full Bible. This was one of 61 communities to receive scripture in their language in 2016, thanks to Bible Societies’ work. Of these, 17 communities received their first full Bible and six had their first New Testament. It means that, according to figures released by United Bible Societies recently, 648 languages spoken by over 5.1 billion people now have a complete Bible. A further 1,432 languages spoken by 657 million people have a New Testament. There remains a need – around 253 million people have not a single word of the Bible in their language and 1.5 billion don’t have the whole Bible
– but today there’s more translation work happening than ever before. Neil Rees, a translation expert working with Bible Society, said, “There’s a high demand for the Bible; the Church is growing all over the world, and education is improving so more people can read. Advancements in technology also mean it’s easier to translate the Bible. And there’s a big effort from mission agencies to put the Bible into the world’s languages.” This motivation to translate the Bible can be traced, in part, back to the Reformation. A couple of key translations pre-date the Reformation, but as Christians in western Europe demanded services in their own language rather than Latin – and with the Great Bible authorised in England by Henry VIII in 1539 – Bible translation was accelerated across Europe. “The Reformation was a stepping stone which led to new translations in English, German, Spanish Portuguese and Italian,” said Neil. “Then, Europeans started to colonize countries towards the end of the 1500s and took Bibles with them. Later, the Evangelical Revival led to the foundation of organisations like Bible Society – and missionaries began to go to communities to translate Scripture.” These days, Bible translators are setting their sights on new targets. There’s not a single completed sign language Bible in the world, for example, but around 500 sign languages exist. Bible Society is currently involved in 16 sign language translations, which could reach more than 12 million deaf people.
Photo: Zeke du Plessis
Meanwhile, back in China’s Yunnan province, Xiuzhu and others in her village are exploring God’s word. One Black Yi pastor is overseeing the building of a bigger church, in anticipation of all the people who will come to faith through reading the Black Yi Bible. “Each time I hold this Bible in my hands I thank God,” added Xiuzhu, “and everyone to helped to get us to this stage.” Translation: this man in Botswana is listening to the Bible. It is now available in more than 1,000 languages. IDEA MAGAZINE / 24
Translating and printing the Bible is just part of the story of how organisations are helping
Photo: Bible Society/Clare Kendall
IN THE THICK OF IT
75-year-old Zhang Xiuzhu (right), part of China’s Black Yi community, who received the full Bible in their language in 2016
to open the scriptures to people today.. But what happens if you can’t read? Or, if you come from a culture with an oral tradition, rather than a written one? Mali is one of more than 1,000 languages in which there are now audio Bibles. Wycliffe Bible Translators, Bible Society and Faith Comes By Hearing are working together to bring the Bible to life for people who don’t read. Ndeere, a woman living in Mali, has been listening to an audio Bible. She said, “Romans 12:20 says if you do good to your enemy it is as though you are placing burning coals on their head. “I heard this passage and then I applied it to the case of a woman who lives in the same courtyard as me who doesn’t like me at all. She used to say to her friends that she didn’t even want to see me. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
“It is our custom that if women are heading out to work in the fields, the younger women carry the baskets of the older ones. But this woman, such a nasty person as she is, nobody would carry her basket for her.
Richard Margetts works for Wycliffe in Mali, promoting scripture engagement. Here solar-powered audio players and phone apps are being used to pass the Bible on orally.
“When I heard the part in Romans on the audio player I started to carry her basket each time we went to the fields. Some of my friends told me not to do that. But I carried on. At last the nasty lady said to me that she was afraid of me because I respect her so much. And in the end she stopped hating me.
He said, “As well as giving access to nonreaders, audio scriptures have other advantages over the printed page.
“What is more,” Ndeere added, “I have to say that listening to the Bible has made me more patient. There was a time when, if someone would criticise me I wouldn’t feel at ease unless I attacked them back. Now, everyone is surprised at the change in my behaviour.
“It can be a lot easier to listen to large portions of scriptures, rather than read them, especially for hesitant readers. “Most of the world’s population rely on, or prefer, oral communication. So it makes sense to find ways of communicating the scriptures orally.” Five hundred years on from the Reformation more people can access the Bible than ever before. But the work begun all those years ago is far from over.
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BIG INTERVIEW
Peter Lynas Northern Ireland director
Austen Ivereigh Austen Ivereigh is a Catholic journalist, author and commentator who previously worked as director of public affairs for Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor. He founded Catholic Voices in 2010 aiming to give the Church a voice on contentious issues. Peter Lynas asked him about the Reformation, ecumenical relations and the challenges facing the Church today.
Q Tell us a little about your work with Catholic Voices
Church of England is very diffuse and it’s hard to have a single Anglican view.
A Catholic Voices (CV) was founded in 2010 around the visit of Pope Benedict to the UK and has now grown to 26 countries.
Within the Catholic Church we fight with each other like cats and dogs, and have deep disagreements but we don’t ultimately dispute what is Catholic teaching because that is defined by the magisterium and the catechism. And that makes the task of communication much easier - because one of the essentials to communication is to have a clear univocal message.
The great learning from 2010 is that the media doesn’t exclude the voice of the Church, it’s just that contemporary society tends to make a series of assumptions about the Christian voice, which means that before a Christian opens his or her mouth, there are a set of assumptions that they will either reinforce and dig themselves into a deeper hole or they have to step outside. CV teaches this process of reframing, and if you can demonstrate that the prejudice against the Church is derived itself from a distorted Christian value, then you can open up a discussion and change the way people think about the Church and actually the interview then becomes quite exciting and interesting and you get asked back, which is the key thing in media. Q How do you find relationships between Protestants and Catholics in the public square? A It is very important that all Christians raise their voice. There is a distinctive in the Catholic Church in offering a unified voice that wouldn’t be possible for example for Anglicans as teaching authority in the
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So, in a sense the Catholic Church has an advantage in contemporary communications. Evangelicals have a much greater understanding of truth as being one, because of your understanding of biblical truth, but who is the Church, who are you speaking on behalf of? I do wonder sometimes whether Catholic Voices is transferable across the Reformation divide I’m not sure. Q Has there been a change in the working relationship between Protestant and Catholics in recent years? A Unquestionably in my lifetime there has been a major shift in relations between Christians. It has been brought about by secularisation. It has been brought about by diminishing numbers and the collapse of support for Christianity in law and culture which has been dramatic.
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BIG INTERVIEW
Ecumenism: Pope Benedict “embodies” ecumenism according to Ivereigh (right)
We have also, at a deeper level, all become less ideological. For a long time, you knew you were a Catholic because you weren’t a Protestant and vice-versa. That kind of ideological tribalism has effectively collapsed. We have moved to a place of celebrating the gifts that the Spirit has
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poured out on other churches. Pope Francis really embodies that - he is a charismatic ecumenist. He has little confidence in institutional dialogue but he says let’s witness together, work together and let’s care for the poor together.
If you profess Jesus Christ and are open to the Holy Spirit - that’s the only basis you need to be together. The rest of the differences which remain, and are massive, will be resolved over time but it won’t be our work, so much as the work of the Holy Spirit. …continued
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BIG INTERVIEW
Austen Ivereigh …continued
the same in order to be one. We can all be who we are and still come together - the Holy Spirit creates unity in diversity. What is stopping us uniting to care for the poor and so on? If we answer that question by pointing to differences in the Eucharist then we are admitting that we are ideological and not Christian. Q How important is the current Pope to the way the Reformation is being marked?
Hopes: we must have “greater trust” in the Holy Spirit, says Ivereigh.
Q What are your thoughts on religious freedom, particularly in the political arena in light of the Tim Farron episode? A It was appalling that Tim Farron should’ve been hounded in that way over his personal religious convictions when he had made perfectly clear that his public policy convictions were completely in line with the liberal party and indeed liberalism. The handling of Farron made clear it is no longer acceptable to hold Christian views even privately. Because equality has become a kind of civil religion and if you are perceived to be against equality you are perceived to be a heretic. This is really a secular theocracy - in the sense that there is no distinction between public and private, civil and religious. Really what the Farron incident showed us was that you have to affirm the new orthodoxy, not just in terms of your policies, but you have to believe it in your heart. It is reminiscent of the worst of medieval theocracy or what one might call Islamic theocracy at the moment - but we don’t see it as such, because the values are considered to be good. Democracy depends on the fact that we all have very different private convictions but we come together in the public sphere and we agree to respect each other in order IDEA MAGAZINE / 28
to negotiate what is in the best interests of society. Once you start to say that your public and private convictions must be the same, then we really are undermining the basis of Western democracy. Q How is the Reformation seen in the Catholic Church? A I accompanied Pope Francis for an extraordinary day of celebration with the Lutherans this time last year. Francis also recently hosted many evangelical leaders in Rome to celebrate Pentecost. In 2014, he visited an evangelical pastor at his church in Italy and apologised for Catholic support of discrimination against evangelicals. These gestures are very significant. They mark a growing charismatic ecumenism. They remind us that the Church intended by Jesus Christ is one, but it is taking us along time to get there and it can only become one when we realise the Holy Spirit has not restricted its activity to one Church or another. The Reformation anniversary will have little impact on many Catholics, but it has furthered these kind of meetings and furthered that journey. Pope Francis talks about ‘reconciled diversity’. It means that we don’t have to be
A There has been a missing element has been with the evangelicals and Pentecostals - practically, we didn’t know who to talk to. Francis has smashed through all that by meeting directly with evangelical leaders in his own residence and recently inviting them to Pentecost event Rome. I have interviewed evangelical leaders for my book and they say Pope Francis is filled with the Holy Spirit and he has said ‘yes’ to Jesus. And Francis takes a similar view. But we are a long way a way on the ground from doing what Francis is doing with these evangelical leaders. Q Are there sections of the Catholic Church that remain as hesitant to dialogue as some parts of the Protestant Church? A Yes of course. When you engage in this charismatic ecumenism, it is deeply threatening to members of our churches. For those who are much happier with an ideology, an ‘us and them’ tribal mentality which gives them security and they feel saved and they feel righteous. You are not going to get much thanks for it, but that is not what God promised us. The people who recognise what Pope Francis is doing are often outside the Church whereas those inside are often huffing and puffing. Q And 500 years on from the Reformation what are your hopes and fears for the future of the Church as a whole? A My hope is that we come to depend evermore on the free creative promptings of the Holy Spirit and that we open up spaces for that Spirit to work and not take refuge in our tribal ideologies, our distorted history and our sense of grievance. We must have greater trust in the Holy Spirit and deliberately create new spaces for the Spirit to work. My hope is that we find those spaces.
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IDEA MAGAZINE / 29
CULTURE
Rosie Dawson is a senior producer for BBC Religion (Radio).
Singing in the changes
©BBC Radio 3
The Reformation wasn’t only about the written word, but it was also about song, as the BBC’s Rosie Dawson found out.
Two eager Americans approached me outside the Marienkirche in Wittenberg, inviting me to sing Luther’s most famous hymn in the church in which he preached. I duly entered with 20 or so others and sang lustily about God’s victory over the Prince of Darkness. Another box to tick off on the Reformation trail. I was in Germany this year for BBC Radio 3’s Reformation season, re-acquainting myself with the Reformation timeline of my A level studies. I photographed the door of the Castle church on which Luther nailed his 95 Theses. I bought a pair of the famous Luther socks with “here I stand” on them – words he spoke before the Emperor at the Diet of Worms. I peered at the wall in the Wartburg castle, trying to make out the stain from when he hurled his inkpot at the devil. Scholars now question whether any of these events actually took place, but it doesn’t really matter. Myth or reality, they all point to Luther as a man who, through uncompromising word and action, turned Europe upside down. But one aspect of this Reformation was overlooked in my sixth form studies. At the level of the people the Reformation was a singing revolution. Without music it’s unlikely that Luther’s novel ideas and practices could ever have taken hold. “Next to the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world,” wrote Luther. “It drives out the devil and makes the people cheerful.” As a choirboy in Eisenach and an Augustinian friar Luther would have been immersed in Catholic liturgy and music. But it was sung by the choir, not the people. The distinctive hallmark of the German Reformation was the introduction of congregational singing and, although there was some resistance to this innovation, within 50 years the change that had taken place was summed up in a famous phrase Saxonia cantate - “all of Saxony sings”. The small group of Reformers who met in Wittenberg throughout the 1520s included Johann Walther. He compiled the earliest IDEA MAGAZINE / 30
Lutheran hymnbook with Luther, published in 1524. Together they wrote the German Messe. Walther was the court musician in nearby Torgau and a school teacher. Four hours of music were taught in Lutheran schools every week. Their choirs practiced hymns and motets for Sunday services. And so music was embedded in the lives of a new generation. The preface to a hymn book published in Frankfurt in the late 16th century speaks of Saxony as “a land of milk and honey in its music making – here young and old folks, educated and simple, rich and poor come together to sing together in praise of the Lord”. Luther’s own hymns are with us still. They come to us most famously in the magnificent chorales of J S Bach. It’s no coincidence that Bach’s musical genius – like that of Pachabel, Telemann and Handel – flourished in the corner of Germany where the Reformation was born, and where it took root because Martin Luther realised the potential of music to speak to the deepest spiritual longings and experience of the heart as it still does today. The Radio 3 documentary A Square Dance In Heaven is available on BBC iplayer. Our mission is simple: to transform the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. Since 1846, we have remained committed to working for a Church that is united in its mission and confident and effective in its voice. Are you a supporter of the Alliance? When you support the Alliance, you’re adding your voice to the largest and oldest body serving the evangelical Church in the UK through advocacy, unity and mission. Play your part in making the UK Church confident in voice and mission. Supporting the Evangelical Alliance is easy. For as little as £3 a month, you become part of us; and enable us to achieve great things through our campaigns. Thank you.
CULTURE
BOOKS
REFORMATION MYTHS
REDISCOVERING JOY;
by Rodney Stark
by Tim Chester
SPCK, £9.99
IVP: £6.99
The premise of Rodney Stark’s book Reformation Myths is that we know less about the Reformation than we think we do, and by the end of it it’s hard to argue. The Reformation has accumulated a lot of historical baggage, and Stark believes there’s a lot we can ditch. That makes him, as one colleague said, the ‘skunk at the picnic’ – but, he says philosophically, so be it.
Rediscovering Joy is a conversation between key Reformation ideas, themes within the book of Galatians, and their relevance to today’s context.
It’s a fascinating read. Who knew that the churches were largely empty in the 16th century, with ordinary people entirely ignorant of the gospel? The Reformers were no friends of religious liberty and created repressive state Churches. The Reformation helped create warring nation states out of a generally harmonious Christendom. There is no Protestant work ethic. Luther didn’t cause the rise of Western individualism, and he didn’t cause the famous ‘disenchantment of the world’, either. This book is for people interested in ideas. It’s essential Reformation reading. Rev Mark Woods is a Baptist minister and managing editor of Christian Today
It doesn’t seek to be a historical treatise, nor an in-depth biblical study, but neatly presents interweaving themes to form practical applications that will stretch and provoke the Christian disciple towards the joy of the Christian faith. Tim Chester writes with the heart of a pastor and the mind of a teacher. His ability to answer ‘what does this mean today?’ is both informative, and appreciates the challenges of today’s culture, and his reflection questions at the end of each chapter are well worth engaging with. If you are looking for an introduction to some of the key Reformation ideas, without wanting to get stuck in the intricacies of the arguments, and if you are seeking a challenge to internalise and outwork some of the key ideas from the book of Galatians, Rediscovering Joy will be a great starting point. Andy Wooldridge
A NEARLY INFALLIBLE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION: COMMEMORATING 500 YEARS OF POPES, PROTESTANTS, REFORMERS, RADICALS AND OTHER ASSORTED IRRITANTS By Nick Page Hodder & Stoughton; £18.14 This is a witty and informative book, as Nick Page brings characters of the Reformation closer to the 21st century than ever before, giving us juicy secrets and hard facts about the beginnings of a crucial time in history. Much like Page’s other works for example, A Nearly Infallible History of Christianity (2013), this book contains detailed descriptions and many intricate researched accounts of events. One of my personal favourites was finding out how foul Luther’s language was, something I would not have known if not for this book. However, Page also breaks down various complex and quite serious areas of the Christian faith and puts them together again in a simpler, jigsaw version of the Reformation. Paired with risqué humour, extensive examinations and innovative illustrations, Page finds a balance between funny and fact, making the Reformation of the 16th century more appealing to today’s modern Christian. Adassa Mwangi is a student at London South Bank University
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THE UNQUENCHABLE FLAME by Michael Reeves IVP, £9.99 The Unquenchable Flame was first published in 2009 and has been reissued for Reformation 500. It’s a very Protestant history, with plenty of digs at Catholicism – and there is, to be fair, plenty to object to in the pre-Reformation Catholic Church. Reeves wears his heart on his sleeve where the Reformers are concerned. Luther is a hero with very few flaws, for instance – he deals with his dreadful antisemitism briefly and unconvincingly. The book is full of stories, and this helps it rattle along. As well as Zwingli’s theology, we learn about his grisly death in battle. The Anabaptists Jacob Hutter and Michael Sattler both came to sorry ends. Calvin is dealt with thoroughly, as is the Reformation in Britain. The book concludes with a chapter entitled, ‘Is the Reformation over?’ No, says Reeves – the same questions still divide Catholics and Protestants. Well, perhaps. This is a well-told story that covers the familiar ground engagingly and rapidly. Rev Mark Woods is a Baptist minister and managing editor of Christian Today IDEA MAGAZINE / 31
POLITICS
by Daniel Webster, advocacy and media manager at the Evangelical Alliance
Sola fides iustificat – Only trust makes things right In each of the last three years, in the early hours of a Friday morning, I have found myself watching the TV as the result of an election becomes apparent. As an Alliance, we work hard to be impartial between political parties, and likewise in the EU referendum we did not back one side. But following the vote, my mind turns to what the response of evangelical Christians might be to this collective decision that the country has taken. While we recognise that some may be elated and others disappointed, our position is to look to the future and ask how we should respond in a changing, or unchanged, context. Often a cornerstone of our response to any significant news is to remember that we trust in a God who created the universe and holds the world in His hands. While we may be troubled by change, He is not fazed. When it may seem like the world is moving too fast, we can hold fast to the knowledge that God is sovereign. This is both absolutely true and also runs the risk of sounding trite and like a cop-out. After a surprise general election campaign, and for most a surprising outcome, the Conservative party formed a government but without the majority they had before the vote was called, and further away from the commanding lead they had hoped for. Governing therefore required a deal with the DUP, and this was only agreed after the Queen’s Speech in which many of the party’s manifesto pledges were abandoned for a slimmed down programme focused on the laws needed to leave the EU. In this year, 500 years on from Luther’s publication of his 95 Theses sparking the Reformation across Europe, the centrality of God’s sovereignty is rightly being
IDEA MAGAZINE / 32
remembered. We trust in God and not in our own actions. Amid the uncertainty in politics, in the wake of terrorist attacks, this is a welcome reassurance. But there is a danger that we step away from a world with difficulties and complexities and say that it’s for God to sort out and not us. We forget another key lesson of the Reformation, that all believers are members of a royal priesthood. We are all created in God’s image and commissioned to do God’s work in the world he made. This means that we step up to engage in society rather than walking away. God is in charge, but he chooses to use us to do His work in this world. It requires that in each generation, in each new political context we ask fresh questions of what our beliefs mean, and how they answer the questions people across society are asking. After Luther came Calvin who was committed to not only reforming the Church and preaching the gospel in Geneva, but also improving the city, from founding the university to developing a sewage system. The spirituality of Christian belief should never be disconnected from the society we live in. Belief is personal, but it is never private. It is for the good of all of society. In times of political uncertainty and change we remember that God is sovereign, and we step up to play our part. But we also have our eyes wide open that
opposition is never likely to be far away. There is always a task to ensure that we are clear in what we are saying, and considerate in how we communicate it, but opposition is not just down to misunderstanding, or poor communication. There are fundamentally differing worldviews in society and Christianity is no longer the dominant narrative and for Christians seeking to hold to the truth of the Bible and articulate values based on this in public life, opposition is to be expected. As Christians step up to engage in public life, especially in politics, there is an even greater need to trust and be confident in what the Bible teaches, and in what they believe. We need to not be thrown when opposition arrives. Our trust in what we believe, in turn promotes a more trusting, more truthful society as a whole. Following the Grenfell Tower fire Graham Tomlin, Bishop of Kensington, wrote that we need a restoration of trust. He concluded by saying: “One of Martin Luther’s catchphrases was sola fides iustificat, which can be translated as ‘only trust makes things right’. Societies thrive with trust: they are destroyed by mistrust.” We need to trust in God who is sovereign above all things. We need to be people of trust as we step up and lead in a society that needs people with integrity to speak truth. And we place our trust in God and not in the approval of society when our beliefs and actions are challenged.
LETTERS: HAVE YOUR SAY
In your words We love hearing from you, so have your say on any of the issues raised in idea or make any comments about the Evangelical Alliance by emailing idea@eauk.org LIBRARY LEGACY
THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
I enjoyed reading the interview with Krish Kandiah in the July/August issue and will look forward to attending his Books for Life Live event in Cheltenham on 10 October.
I was disappointed that in an issue much concerned with truth, that your feature on knife crime skated so carefully around the truth. In talking about the problem, the writer said “the community most affected have been the black community” which included victims so it avoided saying that most offenders are black.
Books for Life Live coincides with this year’s Libraries Week (9-14 October 2017), an opportunity to celebrate the place that books and libraries have in our national life. Christians have always been known as “people of the book” and Krish is surely right in emphasising the role that reading can play in the Christian life. The religious sections in our public libraries can be good, bad, or indifferent, but Christians can play a role in improving the quality of the collections. Librarians have to be responsive to public demand, and a steady stream of requests for Christian books is an excellent way of bringing the demand for such books to the notice of library staff. Christian bookshops and bookstalls deserve our support, but don’t forget the role of your local library as a source of Christian reading. Best wishes, Graham Hedges Secretary, Christians in Library and Information Services
Everyone involved in this issue knows that the highest proportion of gang and knife offenders are black. This is not prejudice but simple, documented, statistical truth and it is impossible to solve a problem without being able to discuss it openly. Stop and Search fell into disrepute because officers were searching a disproportionate number of non-whites, but if you know the majority of the crime comes from a particular group that is where you must concentrate your effort. The root of the problem is that young black men see themselves as a selfcontained community, so, if they have a problem, they get a knife and deal with the offender in their own way. I am sure that Pastor Obunge is a good man, but let us please speak openly and not sound like a politician who uses words to muddle rather than to bring clarity. Austin Maple
Guest editor: Peter Lynas – p.lynas@eauk.org Contributing authors Steve Clifford, Rosie Dawson, Peter Lynas, Adassa Mwangi, Calvin Samuel, Claire Smith, Hazel Southam, Kim Walker, Daniel Webster, Sarah Williams, Rev Mark Woods, Andy Wooldridge Advertising manager Candy O’Donovan c.odonovan@eauk.org Design & Print Cliffe Enterprise
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
idea is published bi-monthly and sent free of charge to members of the Evangelical Alliance. Formed in 1846, the Alliance’s mission is to unite evangelicals to present Christ credibly as good news for spiritual and social transformation. There are around two million evangelical Christians in the UK, according to a 2007 Tearfund survey. idea is published in accordance with the Alliance’s Basis of Faith, although it is impossible in every article to articulate each detail and nuance of belief held by Alliance members. Articles in idea may therefore express views on which there is a divergence of opinion or understanding among evangelicals.
HEARD IN TWEETS
Baptists Together @baptistuniongb Good to see Woolwich Central Baptist Church profiled by @EAUKnews Lots going on! ChristiansinPolitics @CiPolitics @EAUKnews asks what a ‘hope-filled vision for society can look like’? A good question for us all RT: Evangelical Alliance @EAUKnews From the new edition of @idea_mag : @ danny_webster asks what kind of society do we want? #EAsociety ow.ly/pYmQ30daGdr Open Doors UK ? @OpenDoorsUK Please pray as we take #Hope4ME to the National Assembly for Wales with @ EAUKnews - pray that Assembly Members will be moved to act Rachel Phillips @RacheP2410 A great time @EAUKnews Board Meeting again yesterday. Much to be thankful for & much to pray for as we develop our next strategic plan! Solas CPC @SolasCpc “Green shoots of church growth everywhere!” — @andygbannister interview with @EAUKnews magazine buff.ly/2tk0Iyk Gavin Calver @GavCalver Looking forward to two days of @EAUKnews leadership team meetings. We’re strategising about the next four years. Please pray for us! UCB News Team @UCBNewsTeam Evangelical Alliance encourages prayer for the Government following the Queen’s speech today: bit.ly/2sAjFdZ @EAUKnews @ UCBMedia Amaris Cole @AmarisCole This was the last @idea_mag I edited before leaving the Alliance! I really will miss working on this. RT: idea magazine @idea_mag idea Magazine: July / August 2017 - digital magazine eauk.co/2tsULjB
• Yemi Adedeji, director of the Alliance’s One People Commission replies: “Gun and knife crime, especially its effect on young people across all ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds, is a huge issue for society.” A future edition of idea will allow more space to be given to this important topic. Letters and story ideas from members are welcome, and will be considered by the editorial board, which reserves the right to edit letters and stories for length and style. We regret that we are unable to engage in personal correspondence. Unsolicited material will only be returned if accompanied by a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. idea accepts advertisements and inserts to offset printing costs. Advertising in idea does not imply editorial endorsement. The Alliance reserves the right to accept or refuse advertisements at its discretion. Articles may be reproduced only with permission from the editor.
IDEA MAGAZINE / 33
LAST WORD
Steve Clifford the general director, writes…
Why we must be a light in the darkness I had visited Latymer Community Church in West London many times in the past, but this was unlike anything I had previously experienced. Here we were, just four days after the fire, standing looking up at the charred remains of Grenfell Tower.
As I stood there with members of the Church across North Kensington and local residents, many of whom had been directly affected by the fire, I began to reflect on all that had taken place over the last few months and what an extraordinary time we are living in. Their very names speak for themselves Manchester Arena, Westminster, London Bridge, Finsbury Park Mosque. These attacks, terrible as they are, are part of a wider picture. At the time of writing, 24 people under the age of 25 have been fatally stabbed in London alone this year (10 of them teenagers). In the political arena, both internationally and across the UK, uncertainty seems to be the order of the day. We have now triggered Article 50, and so the process of negotiating our exit from the EU has begun. An election which was supposed to result in a stronger, more stable government has, against most predictions, delivered a minority government with an uncertain future. In the midst of the election, the Christian leader of one of the UKs major political parties (Tim Farron) was subject to the most disgraceful and sustained attack by members of the British press, challenging him regarding his beliefs, resulting in his post-election resignation. So, what’s going on? What’s God doing? And what’s our response? It’s at times like this I’m often asked, “Shouldn’t we call the Church to pray?” My response is, “We need to pray! Let’s IDEA MAGAZINE / 34
Photo: Clare Kendall
The image took my breath away. How on earth had this happened? This is 21st century United Kingdom, with all its sophistication, its building regulations and health and safety precautions. Yet here we were, still not sure how many have died.
Mission: as at Grenfell Tower, our churches should be “lights shining bright at a dark time.
pray! Let’s pray more!” But also, let’s take note – I don’t know a church that isn’t praying. There’s lots of prayer going on - so many prayer networks encouraging and supporting prayer, nights of prayer, weeks of prayer, seasons of prayer, 24/7 prayer, great prayer events, small group prayer and of course the recent, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ prayer. I’m sure there are still battles to be won in prayer – so we mustn’t stop praying.
At times like this, the temptation for us as a Christian community is two extremes. We could either retreat into our safe and secure Christian communities, pull up the drawbridge and look to keep the world at a distance. Or we go with the social, political and cultural flow, we don’t rock the boat, we don’t speak out, we don’t challenge those in power or indeed live another way. As light bearers, neither of the options will do.
But perhaps, as we pray we might begin to recognise the answers to our prayer might be unexpected. Perhaps as darkness intensifies and insecurities and fears increase, the children of light will shine more brightly and darkness will be seen for what it is. Jesus instructed his followers that they were, “To be the light of the world” (Matthew 5). Eugene Peterson in his Message translation put it like this:
We’re called to be in the world, yet not of the world, loving the world as God loves the world, loving people and responding to their deepest needs, yet at the same time facing as Jesus faced, the hatred and at times rejection of the world.
“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you lightbearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16).
This was the experience of the early Church. It’s the experience of the Church is so many parts of the world, often in places where the Church is seeing spectacular growth. Could this be the experience of the Church in the UK in the coming years? Perhaps, at this time of extraordinary uncertainty, fresh opportunities will arise to make Jesus known through both our words and our actions. That’s certainly been true of the churches in North Kensington. They’ve stood out as lights shining bright at a dark time in a dark place. Let’s ask God that wherever he has placed us, that in the mission field he’s given us, we might shine bright.
95% of children and young people in England & Wales aren’t in church.
So we need to take the good news to them!
THE
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