When tensions rise in communities, churches can be agents of peace, compassion, sanctuary, solidarity and support. Below we suggest five ways that church leaders can prepare positively – to be ready to lead, respond and care well at times of unrest. It is nearly a year since violent disorder …
Racial Justice
Penalties, Racism and Healing
The chants rose from football fans in England this past weekend. England had reached the finals of the European Championship against Italy, the first time in the final of a major tournament in 55 years. After 120 minutes of regulation and extra time, it came down to this: the fate of a dramatic …
A tale of two spaces
A reflection exploring how we respond when our spaces are disrupted and subverted by people with a different set of values and world views. By Simon Jay. Every time I walk into any space, whether it is a church, restaurant, park etc, I ask the question: Who has constructed this space? Who is …
A Fair Deal
A few years ago, I had the privilege of travelling to India. The cultural and culinary differences between the UK and India are plain to see, but I was struck by the sight of large shopping malls full of familiar, Western brands. The Indian people were buying their own products, made in India, but …
Repentance ground: an authentic lament
We need to be intentional about understanding the reality, the history and facts about racial injustice if we are to address it. By Charmaine Mhlanga. Micah 6:8 (Amplified)He has told you, O man, what is good;And what does the Lord require of youExcept to be just, and to love [and to …
Action Over Exclusion
“If you are from a black Caribbean background, you are three times more likely to be permanently excluded from school than other children.” (Theresa May, 2016) Such was the disparity Prime Minister Theresa May highlighted at her Party Conference speech in 2016. Twenty years of official …
Black Lives Matter Statements
Leaders from JPIT’s four denominations have releaed statements following the brutal murder of George Floyd. The Revd Lynn Green, the General Secretary of Baptists Together, said: "The inhumane and merciless brutality demonstrated towards George Floyd last week was an appalling act of …
Racial injustice highlighted by COVID-19
People from ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK have been disproportionately dying from Coronavirus. Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) at the beginning of May identified that black people in the UK are 4 times more likely to die from the virus than white people. This is a …