Update on asylum issues

Earlier this month I went to an Independent Asylum Commission Briefing for the Churches' Refugee Network. Today they published their interim findings. These can be found online at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/27_03_08asyluminterimfindings.pdf

The Independent Asylum Commission was convened at the start of 2007. During that year it heard evidence in public and in private, and received briefings from a wide range of groups and individuals.

The Commission has had no Government funding - all its costs are met from voluntary support and other groups.

Asylum and Refugee issues are key areas of work and mission for many churches and the work of the Commission is important as it considers three key areas of:

How we decide who needs sanctuary

How we treat people seeking sanctuary and

What happens when we refuse people sanctuary

Real food for thought.

Asylum issues and living in a Spiritual age

On Thursday I attended a briefing on asylum issues for Church representatives. It was led by Revd Doctor Nick Sagovsky, Canon Theologian at Westminster Abbey. Plenty of food for thought as we await the final report of the Independent Asylum Commission of which Nick is a member. There is a report about to be published by our Public Issues team which works across the Baptist, Methodist and URC churches. It was good to know how seriously the various Churches are taking these matters. We all need to be ensuring that we keep these issues on the agandas both locally and nationally.

I then went straight to the Diaconal Order Convocation at Swanwick. What an amazing group of people our Deacons are and it was good to have the opportunity to share with them in one of the sessions and over meals and discussions into the night. I was able to be present for one of the sessions run by Rev Steve Hollinghurst on "Mission in our Spiritual Age" and that was very informative about how people think about God and spirituality and describe spiritual experiences in a whole range of ways. This led into thinking how we can share our faith with those who use quite different language to explain their beliefs. Martyn presided and preached at the final worship which included an Act of rededication. As I left there were a number of things which stay with me and people who are being held in my prayers. Thank you to all of those there for their work and their welcome. Now Martyn has gone hot foot to Europe and I will be up at the crack of dawn to the East Anglia District. Busy but upheld by the prayers and good wishes of those we meet.