The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has spoken of the ‘enormous contribution Christianity has made’ to Britain. In an Easter message, he said that the season ‘reminds us all to follow our conscience and ask not what we are entitled to, but what we can do for others. It teaches us about charity, compassion, responsibility, and forgiveness. No matter what faiths we follow, these are values which speak to us all,’ Mr Cameron added. His words came ahead of a meeting on Wednesday with senior Christian leaders in Downing Street for an Easter celebration. Wednesday's No 10 meeting included representatives from various denominations and is being touted as an endorsement of Britain's Christian heritage and identity. It is the most explicit outreach to Christian groups by the British Government in recent times. Prior state-led engagement with religion has focused almost exclusively on Muslims and the Islamic faith.

Pray: that those in the public eye would continue to acknowledge our Christian heritage. (Mt.10:32)

More: http://www.ionainstitute.ie/index.php?id=1427

Celestina Mba, 58, from south London was forced to leave her job after refusing to work Sundays. She told Merton Council she was unable to work Sundays before accepting a job but she was later told she would have to work full weekend shifts, so she resigned. Merton Council said it required carers who were ‘available to provide round the clock care over the weekend’. Ms Mba hopes to overturn an employment tribunal ruling which said she was not constructively dismissed. Ahead of the hearing she said, ‘I gave my life to Jesus when I was 19 and that was my commitment and I've lived it. To start changing my faith to line up with what the employer wants is not possible because my faith is who I am and I'm not prepared to compromise on that.’ She told the tribunal she was prepared to work night and Saturday shifts, or to have accepted less pay, to be able to observe Sunday as a day of rest.

Pray: that Ms Mba would be able to explain clearly to the Court of Appeal that an employer has a duty to ‘reasonably accommodate’ the beliefs of a Christian employee. (Gen.2.2)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-24609584

Local Christian Danny Stupple announced this week that he is standing in the Eastleigh by-election. He has launched a campaign with a strong emphasis on authentic marriage. In a press release he said: ‘I think a lot of people feel let down, not only by our former local MP but by the whole political system. The complete disregard for proper process in the redefinition of marriage vote is indicative of the contempt for ordinary voters. Something as profound as marriage requires far more care than Mr Cameron or his Government have shown it. Real democracy is about representing the people who vote for you, not toeing the party line and certainly not forcing through legislation without any mandate’. Listen to a BBC local radio interview with Danny http://www.christianconcern.com/media/bbc-radio-solent-interview-with-independent-eastleigh-candidate-dannystupple The Conservative candidate Maria Hutchings is also a strong marriage supporter and strongly pro-life. The people of Eastleigh will go to the ballot box on 28th February.

Pray: for the election result - that it will send a message to the Prime Minister that people care about marriage and are disappointed by the way in which he is attempting to redefine it without any mandate. (Heb.13:4)

More: www.christianconcern.com

A Christian street preacher was arrested in Perth on Wednesday for ‘breach of the peace’. The Reverend Josh Williamson, pastor of Craigie Reformed Baptist Church, is the third Christian street preacher to be arrested in the UK since July. The Christian Legal Centre, which reported his arrest, said the trend pointed to ‘an increasing hostility towards Christianity’. Mr Williamson, who regularly takes to the streets to hand out Christian flyers and engage in open air preaching, was arrested whilst addressing a crowd on one of the main streets in Perth. The arresting police officer told him he was breaking the law by being in ‘breach of the peace’. When asked to explain further, the officer contended that the MP3 recorder Mr Williamson was using was too loud. A second man, who spoke up in defence of Mr Williamson's right to preach was also arrested at the scene. (See Prayer Alert 28-2013, 31-2013, 37-2023)

Pray: that the authorities will issue clear guidance over freedom of speech. (Ps.58:1)

More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.street.preacher.arrested.in.scotland/34071.htm

A church minister in Scotland has been arrested for the second time in a week while street preaching. The Rev Josh Williamson was arrested last week for ‘breach of the peace’ and again on Saturday in relation to the same charge. Both arrests occurred while he was preaching on Perth High Street. After his arrest on Saturday, he was to be held in custody until Monday but was instead released at 9.30pm on Saturday evening after being held for over five hours in the cells. Mr Williamson said that although he had been released, he was unsure as to whether this was the end of police action against him. ‘It is hard to tell you what is going to happen as we don't know,’ he told ChristianToday.com. ‘At this stage I have been released while the police assess if they will charge me. I just have to wait to see what happens.’ (See also Prayer Alert 39; 37; 31 & 28-2013)

Pray:    for Mr Williamson and other street preachers that they will continue to stand up against pressure from the authorities. (1Cor.9:18)

More:    http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.street.preacher.arrested.again.in.scotland/34157.htm

A Christian worker who was dismissed from her job at Heathrow Airport has been granted permission to challenge a ruling by an employment tribunal which left her without any rights under employment law. Last year, an Employment Tribunal found that Nohad Halawi was not technically employed, so she had no protection under employment law, despite the fact she had worked at Heathrow for 13 years. But the Employment Appeal Tribunal in London has allowed this decision to be appealed. Mrs Halawi worked at a duty free shop at Heathrow Terminal 3. But management took away her ‘airside pass’ – meaning she was unable to continue working at the airport – after Muslim colleagues made unsubstantiated complaints about her conduct. Mrs Halawi had stood up for a Christian colleague who was being harassed by Islamist staff and complained to management over personal abuse and harassment from Islamist staff members over her Christian faith.

Pray: for Mrs. Halawi and that at her next hearing the Employment Appeal Tribunal will agree that she was employed and deserves the protection of the law. . (Ps.145:18)

More: http://www.christianconcern.com/our-concerns/employment/christian-woman-sacked-after-islamist-harassment-granted-application-to-appe

Margaret Forrester discussed the booklet with family planning staff at the health centre where she worked because she felt that the NHS was failing to give patients information about the risks and other options to terminating a pregnancy. But after a six-month disciplinary process, during which Ms Forrester had to fight her own case and became ill, she was found guilty of ‘gross professional misconduct’ and fired. She has spoken out over the ‘scandal’ of the pro-abortion culture in the medical profession and claimed that Christians were ‘an easy target’ for ‘politically correct’ bureaucrats in the NHS. ‘The NHS has a pro-abortion stance which comes from a secular religion. It is a belief system which is aggressively anti-Christian,’ she said. Ms Forrester’s difficulties began on Nov 2 last year, when she had an informal conversation with a colleague in her role as a psychological wellbeing practitioner in Westminster, central London.

Pray: for Margaret and that those in the NHS who have responsibility for advising those seeking an abortion will adopt a more balanced view. (Dt.30:19)

More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8569283/Christian-sacked-after-abortion-leaflet-row.html

A Christian radio station has been given the go-ahead to appeal a court decision which upheld a ban on an advert asking Christians whether they are being sidelined at work. In its decision to grant the appeal, the court said the radio station’s case is ‘Arguable and important’. Premier Christian Radio had criticised the decision in April this year as ‘reminiscent of a totalitarian state’. The Radio Advertising Clearance Centre (RACC) stopped it from being aired, claiming that it was ‘directed to a political end’. But lawyers for Premier said: ‘The advertisement was not a political message but a request for information which could then be used as part of the normal democratic process, where ideas and views are expressed in public discussion, contradicted, answered and debated.’ The ad quoted surveys showing that 60 per cent of active Christians were being increasingly marginalised at work.

Pray: for this case when it is heard at the Appeal Court as it underlines the erosion of free speech of faith groups. (2Co.10:5)

More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/christian-radio-ad-ban-decision-can-be-appealed/