"There is a big difference between the perception of what you do, which is out there in the public domain and the media coverage, and actually what you do. For example, a lot of the discussion about religion will be about declining attendance at church or whatever. But there will be relatively little coverage of the enormous work that is done in local communities up and down the country. This is something that you have to be more confident in proclaiming.”
During his speech to over 400 church leaders, community activists and representatives from other faiths at the church.co.uk centre, Waterloo (formerly Christ Church & Upton), the Prime Minister called on churches and faith groups to partner Government in education, welfare and supporting society’s most vulnerable members. He said:
“I would like to see you play a bigger not a lesser role in the future. I say this because of the visible, tangible difference you are making for the better in our society for so many people. That is the proof of your faith in action in the service of others.”
Tony Blair’s comments came after Michael Howard had claimed, during his Faithworks Lecture on February 23, that faith communities had become Britain’s ‘forgotten majority.’ During his Faithworks Lecture on February 3, Charles Kennedy said ‘there is a special role for those with a faith.’
The Prime Minister’s lecture, which was simultaneously webcast live from www.faithworks.info, also featured a question and answer session chaired by the Rev Steve Chalke. During this part of the event the Prime Minister was outspoken in his support for faith schools, hailing their approach as ‘liberating’ and not ‘narrow or bigoted at all.’ He said there was ‘no inconsistent message in supporting faith schools and still wanting a strong sense of community cohesion.’
The Prime Minister’s address was the result of an invitation by the Rev Steve Chalke MBE, the founder of Faithworks, who was eager to give the PM the opportunity to set out his vision for the role of churches and faith groups in building a more united and trusting society.
“The fact that Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy have all addressed the Church about its role in building a stronger, more trusting society is an incredible endorsement of the role so many churches play at the heart of their communities. We want to seize the opportunity to say to our political leaders that we want to partner with them in transforming communities, while recognising the need to tackle spiritual poverty as well as material poverty in this country.”
Rev Steve Chalke MBE, Founder of Faithworks
The three Faithworks Lectures will be available for viewing from www.faithworks.info until the end of August, with local churches being encouraged to host political ‘parties’ to watch the webcasts and hear what the three party leaders have to say to them before they cast their vote on polling day.
The Faithworks Lectures are part of the Faithworks Building Trust campaign, which aims to encourage churches, Christians and Christian organisations to model trustworthy behaviour in their local community. The campaign, launched in September 2004, features a nationwide tour of local churches along with a book by Steve Chalke, entitled Trust: A Radical Manifesto.
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