Colin Bloom's Independent Faith Engagement review
As you may be aware, Colin Bloom’s Independent Faith Engagement Review: ‘Does government do God?’ has been published today (26th April). You can find a link to the review here, and the press notice issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities here.
The review considers government’s engagement with faith, people of faith and places of worship across a broad range of themes including faith literacy across public services, faith in education, prisons and the probation service, the UK Armed Forces, faith-based extremism, financial and social exploitation, and forced marriage.
More than 21,000 people responded to the public consultation and today Colin Bloom has set 22 recommendations for government to consider. The key messages are that faith is an ‘overriding force for good’ and government needs to improve its engagement with these groups, and that a better understanding of faith will help government tackle systematic issues including forced marriages, child safeguarding and extremism.
It is important to note that this review is independent and does not represent UK government policy. Government will consider the findings and will respond in due course.
Press Statement
21 March 2022
For immediate release
CTE Forum 2022
The Hayes, Swanwick
The
Churches Together in England Forum, the broadest ecumenical gathering
in the country, ended on 16/3/22 with a renewed commitment that the
church is ready to serve a ‘broken world’.
More
than 300 delegates from CTE’s 52 national Member Churches, Bodies in
Association and partner organisations met to discuss the theme
‘Reconciling Hope: A broken church for a broken world’ viewed through
the lenses of racial justice and the climate emergency.
CTE
President, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spoke on
reconciliation in a post-Covid world. He urged the church to embrace its
diversity and, “where we disagree, we must learn to disagree well…look
outwards and respond to the crises that surround us, with the love of
God that is within us, and with the unity that can be reached between
us.”
Tearfund
Global Advocacy and Influencing Director, Canon Dr Ruth Valerio,
addressed the question of reconciliation with the earth. She said facing
the climate emergency is an integral part of the Christian faith: “We
need to get hold of God’s love for the world. In Genesis 1:31 ‘God saw
all that he had made, and it was very good.’”
Professor
Anthony Reddie and Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson spoke on reconciling
communities. Professor Reddie demanded that the church confront its
collusion with the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. Dr
Henry-Robinson challenged individuals to think where they found
themselves - as oppressors or following Jesus’s way of justice, hope and
peace.
Orthodox
theologian Dr Ralph Lee reminded delegates that, “as we seek to
understand one another better, deep listening helps us overcome the
difference in our language and traditions.”
As
Forum drew to a close the new General Secretary of Churches Together in
England, Bishop Mike Royal, was commissioned into his role. He
addressed Forum with his vision for the Church across England:
“We’ve
got to build a bigger table to gather around and listen to the voices
which are often not heard. We need to raise a new generation of
ecumenists. And to be ready to respond practically and relevantly to the
needs in the world that God has called us as church to serve.”
ENDS
