Free Churches call on churches to pray, governments to act for peace

The Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church are calling for churches and governments to mark the International Day of Peace (21 September) by praying and working for peace in the Indian State of Orissa and Georgia.

The three denominations, who work closely on national and international issues through the Joint Public Issues Team, are calling on churches to pray for fellow Christians in Orissa who have experienced a wave of persecution and violence in recent weeks from Hindu extremists and for the local authorities in the Indian state to do more to halt the religious attacks.

The Revd Roberta Rominger, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church says, “Our partners report harrowing accounts of the violence in Orissa in which Christians, including priests and nuns, have been killed, raped or tortured. Over 150 churches have been ransacked and over 1,000 homes have been burnt down. We urge the Indian State and national authorities to intervene to prevent any further violence. The state authorities have failed to protect vulnerable people with tragic consequences. People's confidence in the police and justice system needs to be rebuilt. Our thoughts are with those who have fled their homes and those who are living in fear. We also offer our prayers and support to Hindu and Christian leaders who are working to resolve the underlying tensions between communities.”

The denominations are also keen for churches to pray on 21 September for relations between Russia, Georgia and the West following the military dispute in South Ossetia in August. They call on the UK government in particular to work for a just and peaceful resolution of tensions in the region.

Graham Sparkes, Head of the Faith and Unity Department at the Baptist Union of Great Britain, says, “Humanitarian aid has already been sent to our partners in the region. But beyond the immediate need for shelter, clothing and medical assistance, is the deeper need for a just peace that will prevent future conflict. Russian and Georgian Christians plan to meet later this month as a sign of their commitment to seek reconciliation and reject violence. We want to see that same commitment from politicians on all sides.”

The Revd Stephen Poxon, President of the Methodist Conference, believes praying for peace and reconciliation in Orissa and Georgia is living out the gospel message. “Love is at the heart of the Christian gospel. It should be remembered that Jesus’ instruction to “love your neighbour” was given at a time of social conflict and occupation. We see in Orissa, Georgia and elsewhere people of all faiths taking big risks to break down barriers and build understanding. The miracle of the God’s love is its capacity to overcome hatred and adversity. The instruction to “love your neighbour” is given to each and every one of us. On the International Day of Prayer for Peace we pray especially for those engaged in the task of peace and reconciliation in some of the more troubled areas of our world.”

ENDS

Notes
For more information about the Joint Public Issues Team, visit http://www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/.


The Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) is the Baptist family in England and Wales (there is also the Baptist Union of Wales). It is made up of churches, regional associations, the national resource centre and Baptist colleges. The Union works with others in mission locally, regionally and internationally. There are some 150,000 members of Baptist churches associated with the Baptist Union of Great Britain. http://www.baptist.org.uk/.

The Methodist Church has about 295,000 members and 800,000 people are connected with the Church. It has about 5,800 churches in Great Britain, and also maintains links with other Methodist churches totalling a worldwide membership of 70 million. http://www.methodist.org.uk/.

The United Reformed Church comprises one hundred thousand people in 1600 congregations. It has brought together English Presbyterians, English, Welsh and Scottish Congregationalists and members of the Churches of Christ. Worldwide, more than 70 million Christians are members of the Reformed family of churches, the largest Protestant tradition. The name ‘Reformed’ is used because the churches began to emerge with reform movements in the sixteenth century. http://www.urc.org.uk/.



The three denominations are the largest of the Free Churches in Britain.

The Joint Public Issues Team, created in September 2006, combines the expertise of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church in the area of public issues. Through close collaboration, the churches aim to increase the effectiveness of their engagement in public life and parliamentary affairs.



For more information contact Chris Hall.

Chris Hall
Media Relations (Communications Dept)

Baptist Union of Great Britain, Baptist House, PO Box 44, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 8RT

Tel 01235 517756 Fax 01235 517715

Email chall@baptist.org.uk

Amanda Allchorn
Head of Communications

Baptist Union of Great Britain, Baptist House, PO Box 44, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 8RT

Tel 01235 517717 Fax 01235 517715 Mobile/Out of hours 07929 339240

Email aallchorn@baptist.org.uk