Ephesians 4.
4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2) Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6) one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
NIV.
There are shedloads of solicitors and barristers currently working against this nation's best interests by pleading, what are almost certainly, dubious cases, for illegal migrants.
Christian aid organisations mobilise emergency Ebola response in Democratic Republic of Congo
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More private school scholarships go to the richest families.
‘We’ve had nothing like this’ - over 30,000 attend historic Franklin Graham evangelical gathering in Belarus.
Christians in Belarus called it a ‘miracle’ as Franklin Graham preached to record-breaking crowds of nearly 31,000 . (Photo: BGEA)Thousands of Christians packed a major sports arena in Minsk over the weekend for what organisers described as the largest evangelical outreach event ever held in Belarus, with attendance records broken on both nights of the gathering.
The two-day “Festival of Hope”, organised by Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), drew almost 31,000 people to Chizhovka Arena in the Belarusian capital.
Church leaders in the country said the scale of the event was unprecedented for Belarus’s evangelical community, which represents less than 2% of the population.
The wife of a pastor in Minsk, Alyona Lazuta, said: “It really is a miracle. We’ve prayed for something like this for many years.”
The outreach was organised in partnership with almost 700 evangelical churches from across Belarus, marking what church leaders said was the first nationally coordinated evangelical event of its kind in the country.
Leonid Mikhovich, general secretary of the Belarus Baptist Union and one of the event coordinators, said evangelical churches in Belarus had historically faced severe limitations on the size and visibility of public gatherings.
He explained: “We used to maybe be allowed to have 1,000 people come for something. But to have more than 10,000? No, we've had nothing like this. The status of this arena is also important. It's one of the largest hockey arenas in the country. We could never ever dream to even rent such a building.”
Over 15,200 people attended the opening night on Saturday, with organisers reporting that both the main arena and overflow areas reached capacity. Crowds even reportedly gathered outside to listen to the preaching and worship as the venue was full.
The attendance rose again to around 15,500 on the second evening, prompting officials to make another level of the arena available and add extra seating.
Preaching during the event, Graham urged people to place their faith in Jesus Christ.
“Jesus didn’t come to condemn you, He came to save you,” he told the crowd. “He [God] made you and He loves you, but the only way to be forgiven of your sins and have a personal relationship with Him is through His Son, Jesus Christ.”
Christians across Belarus prepared for the outreach through prayer, fasting and personally inviting others to hear the Gospel.
A 1,300-member choir made up of believers from 43 cities and villages also took part in the event.
According to the BGEA, over 2,000 Bibles were distributed to people who accepted the Gospel message over the weekend.
Among them was a man who reportedly told volunteers he had attempted to take his own life earlier in the week before attending the festival and deciding to become a Christian.
A deaf student named Aleksandr said he experienced a sense of freedom after hearing the message.
“I was so tired of my sinful life,” he said. “Now … I feel in my soul it's easier for me, there's no weight. Something that was holding me let go.”
The festival also carried political significance in a country where public religious activity is closely monitored.
Ahead of the gathering, Graham met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov at the Palace of Independence in Minsk, where he thanked the authorities for allowing the event to proceed.
“We have come to deliver our message to all Belarusians, and this message is from the Lord God,” Graham said following the meeting. “I pray that our presence here would help, not just for today, but for future generations.”
Belarusian state media aired an interview with Graham discussing faith, spiritual diplomacy and the war in Ukraine.
Speaking with anchor and deputy director general of First Informational TV, Viktoryia Senkevich, Graham said Christians should “bring people together” and act as “ambassadors for God.”
Asked whether US President Donald Trump and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko could help cease the conflict in Ukraine, Graham said he believed both leaders wanted peace and urged people to pray for a resolution.
He added: “I would like to see them come together and meet.”
Reflecting on the weekend, Mikhovich said the event had strengthened relationships between evangelical churches and government authorities at what he described as an important moment for Christians in Belarus.
He said: “The evangelical church here has had different periods of history. This is a good time. We don't know what will happen tomorrow, but we will hold onto this, and I hope we will have some opportunities in the future.” CT.
Survey puts family at top of Jamaican values; clergy point to church influence.
Family ranked as the most important value among Jamaicans in a new nationwide survey, and two prominent clergymen say the Christian church deserves much of the credit for that result — even though religion and spirituality came in fourth on the same list. CD.
Thousands of people joined Saturday’s non-sectarian “March for Jesus” event in Belfast.
"The atmosphere was full of joy, faith and the presence of God," said organisers.
"It was more than just a march — it was a declaration that Jesus is Lord over this city.
"Every song sung, every step taken and every banner raised was for Jesus Christ alone."
Speaking to the BBC, Deborah McCracken from Ballymena said she had attended last year’s event and was keen to join again this year.
"It was an incredible time seeing churches and Christians from across the nation come together. We're all here in unity to celebrate Jesus and to let people know that he is the hope of the world," she said. CT.
Church of Scotland issues slavery apology.
(Photo: Church of Scotland)The Church of Scotland on Saturday issued a formal apology for historical links to chattel slavery, saying it was “grieved beyond telling” for the suffering inflicted, and pledging to take forward work on reparative next steps.
The apology, adopted at the Church’s General Assembly meeting in Edinburgh, said that the institution had both directly and indirectly benefited from slavery and that some of its members had previously offered theological justifications for the system before abolition in the British Empire in the 1830s.
“We repent, committing ourselves to changing course and bearing fruit worthy of repentance,” the apology stated.
The Church plans to establish a new working group in partnership with communities still apparently affected by the legacies of slavery. The group will be tasked with recommending next steps.
Presenting the apology to the Assembly, the Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton described the move as “a humbling moment” and “a gracious opportunity to say we are sorry”.
"The history we consider today continues to shape our world in ways we cannot ignore. Its consequences touch communities near and far, influencing the structures, attitudes and inequalities that persist around us," she said.
"The legacy of slavery stretches like a shadow over our local, national and global landscape.
"Naming that is not about blame, but about faithfulness – about recognizing that healing begins where truth is spoken."
The apology said the Church of Scotland was "grieved beyond telling by the extraordinary suffering we have inflicted – through our actions and our inaction – on our brothers and sisters".
The Church said it believed that the effects of slavery continue to shape racial inequality and lived experience today.
Delegates from Africa and the Caribbean were present during the Assembly debate and responded to the apology, offering both support and calls for concrete action.
Rose Wedderburn, General Secretary of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, praised the Church for its “courage” in acknowledging its past.
"For many in the Church of Scotland, this report has been an eye opener," she said.
"While the process has understandably evoked deep emotions – the effort invested in truth-telling and honest engagement is worthwhile. And we pray it will continue to bear fruit in greater understanding, healing, justice and reconciliation."
Rev Dr Victor Okoe of Abbey Trinity Presbyterian Church in Ghana said, “I pray the Church and its members will be bold and continue to be committed to walk the talk and implement the demands of its apology,."
His Eminence Dr Ekpenyong Akpanika, Prelate and Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, gave a cautious welcome to the direction of travel.
"Real acknowledgement should lead to real repair and better relationships," he said.
"For this to happen churches in the global north and the global south need to move past all patterns of control and build a partnership of respect, shared leadership, justice and equality. True reconciliation takes more than just words."
The apology and report followed consultations with church members, ministers, and people of African heritage, as well as international engagement including a pilgrimage to Jamaica and dialogue with partner churches in the Caribbean.
The Church said the process had informed its understanding of how slavery’s legacy continues to influence institutions, attitudes and inequality in modern society.
The General Assembly said the new working group would engage with affected communities to identify appropriate forms of response and action in the coming period.
Ministers may raise age of criminal responsibility above ten.
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2) Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6) one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
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