MPs praise work of Christian groups in benefitting society

MPs praise work of Christian groups in benefitting society in the House of Commons

A debate was held today in the House of Commons to discuss the "contribution of faith organisations to the voluntary sector in local communities".

MPs praise work of Christian groups in benefitting society in the House of Commons

A debate was held today in the House of Commons to discuss the "contribution of faith organisations to the voluntary sector in local communities".

The debate was an opportunity to raise awareness of the many ways in which Christian and other faith groups positively benefit society across a wide range of social initiatives.

During the debate, Conservative MP Fiona Bruce highlighted the huge involvement of Christian organisations in all aspects of society, which have been measured through various audits.

She mentioned a range of activities that took place within her own constituency of Congleton and beyond, including street pastors who care for those out at night, help for those struggling with addiction, support for trafficking victims, and setting up job clubs to help the unemployed get a job.

Fiona exemplified how Christian groups provide valuable and significant support, often without any public funding, such as marriage counselling for couples, care for the elderly easing the burden on social services, and debt counselling to families.

She particularly praised the work of Christians Against Poverty (CAP), which has helped hundreds of thousands of people a year to escape debt.

"Political parties will come and go in terms of their authority in our communities, but the churches will be there, enduring this century as they did last century and centuries before that, and that is why it is so important that we support them in the way that we do," she said.

Religious liberty and accommodation

Fiona also said that there needs to be a greater understanding of the role of faith groups in society, and of religious literacy and accommodation.

Rather than the effective privatisation of the Christian faith, she said, Christians who work for faith-based groups need to be allowed the freedom to express their beliefs within that context: "It is, after all, their faith that motivates religious people to work in the first place."

Fiona then highlighted the importance of religious liberty for all Christians and the concerns that this is being increasingly threatened.

Criticism of proposals to inspect faith groups

She then spoke about the government proposals to inspect church groups that operate for over 6 hours a week.

Echoing concerns raised by Christian Concern and other Christian groups, she criticised the lack of clarity around the term 'British values' and the negative implications of its subjective interpretation.

She pointed to the positive actions she earlier listed.

"Could any of the activities I have described to you today be described as extremist?" she asked rhetorically.

She continued:

"Actually, perhaps, yes. Extremist in their love, care and concern for the most vulnerable in society."

Professor Julian Rivers had earlier this week told the Joint Commission on Human Rights (JCHR) that the registration of these groups would "restrict the free exercise of religion".

'Growing and immensely positive benefit'

Labour MP Stephen Timms also spoke of the benefit of faith groups to society, saying that he believes there is a "new movement of faith-based social activism” and said that this movement is making a “growing and immensely positive contribution to society".

48 million beneficiaries of faith-based social action

Fiona Bruce mentioned two audits during the debate that have measured the value of faith groups.

A 2015 faith action audit by the Cinnamon Network found that out of 4,440 local churches and other faith groups who were approached across the UK, just under half responded saying that they were actively working to support their local community.

The Cinnamon Network estimates that around 80% of UK citizens are beneficiaries of Christian social action groups and the time given by churches and other faith groups into their communities through social action projects valued at over £3 billion a year.

The National Church and Social Action Survey 2014 showed that between 1.1 - 1.4 million volunteers participated in church-based social action in the UK in 2014.

'Unsung heroes'

Social action group Jubilee+ has commented on the findings of the National Church and Social Action Survey, describing the church volunteers as "unsung heroes".

"Church members across the UK have not only continued to serve the needs in their communities but have increased their efforts. They continue to play a crucial role in building and maintaining 'social capital', social inclusion and social cohesion," the organisation says on its website.

"They engender a sense of community through initiatives such as parents and toddlers. They care for those in distress e.g. the bereaved. They help those in crisis e.g. distributing food. They help educate and develop values e.g. school assemblies.

"For the most part, they are unsung heroes who finance their own efforts, increasingly taking on more initiatives and getting a great deal of encouragement from their communities and the results of their efforts."

'We are called to be salt and light'

Christian Concern’s Chief Executive, Andrea Williams, commented:

"As the church we are called to be salt and light wherever we are placed. At Christian Concern we advocate for many social issues in the government, in the media and in law. But we need the church to continue taking action on the ground, and we are grateful for the many groups that do so.

"We need to be an active voice in our society promoting marriage and the family unit, for example, and a Christian voice in education through schools and youth groups.

"We need to stand up and fight for the freedom to continue not only the work but to express our motivation, which is the life-giving message of the gospel."