QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA
CHURCH GOES SOFT AS RULES ON CUSHIONS ARE OVERTURNED Churchgoers could finally be granted respite from sore bottoms and chilly toes and will be helping to save the planet at the same time, thanks to a change in church rules. The Church of England has set out plans to cut red tape to make it easier for parishes to install cushions on uncomfortable wooden pews and to lay down rugs between rows of seats. The changes to church laws have been drawn up with both comfort and climate in mind. The use of soft furnishings in churches … retain heat and reduce the need to crank up the heating in draughty church buildings. A raft of amendments has been proposed to church laws to reduce bureaucracy for parishes wanting to make eco-friendly alterations, including the addition of electric vehicle charging points, solar panels, green boilers, new insulation, draught proofing or ‘soft furnishings’… Previously, a parish required court permission to introduce cushions if they might ‘result in a change to the overall appearance of the church’. The Times
MORE ETHNIC MINORITY CLERGY TO ATTEND MEETINGS OF SENIOR BISHOPS IN ‘CATALYST FOR CHANGE’ FOR CHURCH OF ENGLAND New plans have been agreed for more clergy from minority ethnic backgrounds to attend meetings of senior bishops in the Church of England. The House of Bishops, which is made up of the most senior clerics in the Church, has agreed that from the spring there should be at least 10 members from UK minority ethnic or global majority heritage backgrounds represented. At present, only 4 out of 53 positions in the House of Bishops are filled by minority ethnic clergy. It’s hoped the new rules will be a catalyst for ... making the Church of England more representative... The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, said: ‘This may seem like a small step to some, but it ensures that a diversity of voices and experiences enriches the discussions of the House of Bishops as we seek to be a Church that truly embraces people of global majority heritage at every level of its life.’
Afghanistan has topped the Open Doors 2022 World Watch List (WWL) of the 50 countries where Christians face the worst persecution. North Korea was number one on the list for 20 years but the ... Taliban takeover has pushed Afghanistan to the top spot. Open Doors warned of Christian men ‘facing almost certain death’ if their faith is discovered. For women and girls, the price of their faith is being married to young Taliban fighters as the ‘spoils of war’, or being trafficked… Much of the tiny, hidden Christian population of Afghanistan has now fled to rural regions or refugee camps in neighbouring countries, according to the human rights group, but many of these countries are also hostile to Christians… Open Doors also expressed continued concern about the plight of Christians in North Korea, where it said persecution reached record levels this year despite the country falling from the top of the WWL.
Premier
Christian Today
THOUSANDS OF STUDENT GAMBLING ADDICTS ‘SPENDING £30 A WEEK ON HABIT’ Thousands of [students with a gambling addiction] are spending an average of £30 a week on betting, racking up debts and missing out on university life to fund their habit, research has found. In a survey of 2,000 students, 80 per cent said they gambled, with 35 per cent of those who did admitting using their student loan, bank overdrafts, borrowing from friends or taking out payday loans. Of those who gambled, 41 per cent said it had led to them missing lectures, assignment deadlines or social activities. There are about 2.5 million students in the UK, indicating that hundreds of thousands are suffering financial or social harm due to gambling. The Guardian
SALVATIONIST salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist Issue No 1844
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AFGHANISTAN REPLACES NORTH KOREA AS MOST DANGEROUS PLACE TO BE A CHRISTIAN
Salvationist 5 February 2022
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