The owner of a Christian T-shirt designer and printer business recently won an appeal case after he objected to printing a pro-LGBT message on an order of T-shirts. Blaine Adamson, managing owner of Hands On Originals, said he and his staff never refuse to do business with someone based on their personal beliefs, but he felt compelled in 2012 to decline to print a message for a gay pride event because it went against his convictions. The Gay and Lesbian Services Organisation promoting the event then filed a discrimination lawsuit against Adamson and his company. The legal action that followed went on for five years. During that time Adamson and his staff remained committed to trusting that God would honour their decision to stand by their convictions. Adamson’s lawyer said after the victorious court case that the law can't force people to express a message in conflict with their deepest convictions.
Ashers Baking Company, a Christian bakery in Belfast which was sued by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and found guilty of discrimination by refusing to bake a cake supporting same-sex marriage, has reported record profits. These topped £1.5 million last year, an annual increase of more than £170,000. In 2014, the McArthur family who own and run Ashers turned down the cake order because they said the slogan on the cake conflicted with their Christian belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. The Equality Commission sued them, and the bakery lost the legal fight a year later. According to the Christian Institute, which is backing the company, the McArthur family is in the process of appealing to the UK Supreme Court.
Friday Focus: being an effective witness
19 May 2017
We’re constantly witnessing to hundreds of things as important to us (iPhones, Ford cars, Levi’s, etc). How much more, though, do we witness to Jesus as the heart of all we are? The question isn’t ‘Shall we witness?’, but ‘are we going to be good witnesses?’. If Jesus rose from the dead, every part of our lives should be different!
(written by Barry Hill, Rector of Market Harborough)
Thy Kingdom Come - ten days of prayer
19 May 2017
From 25 May to 4 June individuals and churches around the nation will join in a global ‘wave of prayer’ for the ten days leading up to Pentecost. There is a rich variety of activities taking place, and it is exciting to see many ways in which we can engage with God in praying for our communities and nations. Below are some of the events for which we can intercede in advance:- Ask God that many will attend city-wide praise/prayer events, and that events being held in public locations will draw many shoppers into the God-filled space. Pray for prayer breakfasts to be filled with spiritual tastes of Kingdom. Pray that the 24/7 prayer chains organised by church communities will have all slots filled, creating a mighty canopy of prayer over their communities. May those setting up prayer rooms be blessed with God-inspired fresh ideas that draw people closer to Him.
Election and Thy Kingdom Come
19 May 2017
There are three weeks to go to the election: campaigning, slogans, soundbites, personal attacks, and sensational headlines rather than policies and manifesto commitments. However, Hebrews 12:1b-2a says, ‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.’ We need to persevere in prayer for our communities, for our nations, for those who seek election as MPs, and for the new UK Government - especially at this crucial time in our history. When the dates for ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ 2017 were announced, nobody knew there would be an election a few days after Pentecost. Many churches will be praying in a more focussed way just before the election. This would not have happened if this call to prayer had not been issued.
Bringing the good news of Jesus to the election
19 May 2017
There are certain critical issues that quickly reveal whether a society recognises or rejects the reality that we are made in God’s image and pursue God’s values. It is vital that Christians speak out on them, even if others want to bury them. Politicians may want to tell us that the big issue in this election is the economy, the NHS, or immigration. They are not unimportant but none is the most fundamental. In fact, some of the challenges we face in those areas are simply symptoms of a deeper problem. The biggest issue isn't Brexit. It's a moral, relational and spiritual challenge; freedom, family, life and Christianity. Pray for the result of this election to cause our nations to turn and walk the ancient paths of our Christian heritage. Pray for a new confidence in the value and relevance of Christianity in our culture.
How did your MP vote?
19 May 2017
engaGE17 has launched a database of MP voting records on key concerns. People just need to type in their postcode to find out how their MP voted on crucial issues relating to life, family and justice in the last parliament. It’s a really quick and easy way for Christians to engage in the General Election on 8th June. The issues featuring in this database are highly likely to be debated again in the next parliament; many are matters of conscience and subject to a free vote. engaGE17 is also encouraging people to use this data to ask questions of their candidates at upcoming hustings and to those out canvassing in the community. They have developed a ‘Questions for Candidates’ booklet and key policy briefings to help people discover where their candidates stand, plus a range of other resources. See also:
The General Election is an excellent opportunity to put the cause of persecuted Christians on the agenda of your election candidates - and ultimately your future MP. You can do this by asking a question about freedom of religion or belief at your local hustings (events where election candidates debate policies and answer questions from potential voters). Hustings are organised by a range of community groups, including many churches. The following are a few suggested questions to use: If you become an MP, how will you engage with issues of international freedom of religion or belief? If your party forms the next government, in which ways will it stand up for freedom of religion or belief around the world? What are your party's plans for protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief in the government’s foreign policy and aid strategy? You can download and print these and other questions at: