Church

Pastor with disabled child has seven pleas for his fellow pastors
Including people with disabilities means more than having wider bathroom stalls, says Pastor Anthony Kidd.

Coptic Christians mourn father and son killed by police officer
Coptic Christians Imad Kamal Sadeq, 49, and his son David, 21, were shot by Robi Mustapha Khalifa, who was stationed as a security guard at the Nahded-al-Qadasa church in Minya, Upper Egypt.

Ukraine church council names new leader in decisive split from Moscow
Ukraine chose the head of a new national Orthodox church on Saturday, marking an historic split from Russia which its leaders see as vital to the country's security and independence.

Luke's Gospel: Good news for down and outs
Today we consider the nativity story according to Luke's Gospel. It's a reminder that Christmas is indeed for the 'down and outs' and spiritually that means all of us.

New academic centre to 'recover confidence' in the Old Testament
A new academic centre has been set up at Bristol Baptist College to promote research into the relationship between the Bible and violence.
EU citizens feel 'unwelcome' and 'threatened' in the UK
EU citizens living in the UK no longer feel welcome after the Brexit vote, the Catholic Church in England and Wales has said.
Franklin Graham: We need to be 'very, very careful' before we change Lord's Prayer
Italian bishops are mulling a change to the Lord's Prayer from 'lead us not into temptation' to 'abandon us not when in temptation'
'Lead us not into temptation': Should the wording of the Lord's Prayer be changed?
Pope Francis last year said it was wrong to imagine God could tempt people to do wrong

Persecution is a blessing, Chinese elder told church before his arrest
He wrote to the church in a post shared on Facebook that the persecution they were facing was a 'reward', and that those who had been taken before him were 'within the gracious, sovereign providence of the Lord.

GAFCON chairman tells orthodox Anglicans to have courage
Archbishop Nicholas Okoh said the need for courage 'has become greater as the number of provinces rejecting the authority of Scripture grows'

Church of England bishops publish guidance on welcoming transgender people
Church of England bishops have published guidance for parishes planning services to help transgender people mark their transition.

Scottish Government should raise Child Benefit, says Church moderator
The Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly wants to see child benefit raised by £5 a week.

Monk, hermit and mystic: 7 quotes from Thomas Merton
Merton's spirituality drew not just on Christian traditions but on Eastern religions as well, though he was an orthodox Christian.

Iran arrests 100 Christians ahead of Christmas
More than 100 Iranian Christians were arrested last week in another sign of increasing pressure on Iran's believers.

Bishop of Oxford warns parliamentarians against 4 Brexit 'temptations'
The Bishop of Oxford has challenged parliamentarians to put aside the 'four temptations' of self-interest, pursuit of short term power, nostalgia and idealism as they approach tomorrow's crucial Brexit vote.

Church night shelters expand to meet demands of rising homelessness
Night shelters supported by churches are reporting increases in capacity with some adding extra beds and others opening for longer during the week.