Pastor's Thought

Thursday 8th March marked International Women’s Day, an event observed in countries around the world. It is a celebration of the progress made in the quest for gender equality for women in all areas of political, social and economic life. We should all expect the Church to be a model of liberation whilst inspiring a hope-filled community. However, a recent …

The UK’s weather conditions were totally disrupted by a two-headed monster when the ‘Beast from the East’ met ‘Storm Emma’ on UK mainland. The Beast from the East saw heavy snow and freezing rain affecting the usual schools, work and homes. It provided opportunities for children off school to have fun in the snow, while commuters faced train delays and …

On Wednesday of this week, US evangelist Billy Graham died aged 99. He was arguably one of the most influential and globally recognised preachers/Evangelist of the 20th Century. It was reported that during his 60 years as an evangelist, it is estimated that he preached to hundreds of millions of people around the world as a true voice in the …

This week, one of the world’s best-known and biggest disaster relief charities, Oxfam, was hit by shocking allegations that its employees exploited children whom they were supposed to help.  It is reported by the Times newspaper that the allegations date back to the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake on the island of Haiti.  Following the earthquake, it was estimated 220,000 …

On February 9th, the world watched as the largest, most diverse Winter Olympics Games PyeongChang 2018 got underway with a spectacular opening ceremony in South Korea. With 92 countries taking part, of which 6 are doing so for the first time and also for the first time featuring women teams such as the Nigerian and Jamaican female bobsled team. Another …

This week 100 years ago following many years of bitter turmoil and struggles, the first section of women in British society were given the opportunity to vote.  For years The Suffragette Movement fought against the system, against men and specifically against politicians who were men only, fighting for equal rights for women. Even when women were given the right to …

Today is Homeless Sunday and an opportunity for Churches and Christian groups to join together in prayer and reflection, in order to plan practical action on homelessness. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for a united Christian voice to be empathetic, stand in solidarity and be a prophetic voice for change. People are homeless for a variety of reasons, including mental …

On Sunday 14 January 2018, the English football mourned the sudden and unexpected passing of footballer Cyrille Regis who died from a heart attack. Regis was an MBE international footballer who played as a forward. His professional football career spanned 19 years (1975 – 1996) with 614 league appearances where he scored 158 league goals and won the FA Cup …

It is the second week of January and so begins the campaign for a new you. The quest for an improved version of you is in full swing. Throughout the week, most TV stations aired programs predominantly focused on the healthiest way to lose weight, from the best diets out there to myth-busting information about food types. Even premiere Gospel …

31 December 2017, marks the end of the year and January marks the beginning. We leave 2017 which for many will be a year of mixed emotions. It was the year wherein we saw changes on a grand scale, socially and politically. We have experienced both the joy of new life and the sorrows of the loss of life yet …

Christmas marks the season when we celebrate the birth of Jesus as the redeemer of the world. Although this is not the date of his birth, it is the date when we recognise Jesus throughout the Western Christendom. Within the gospel nativity, we find various characters that have a sense of commonality and echoes throughout our lives today. The Wise …

The media has been silent about the recent atrocities that are being carried out in Lybia against its own people. Through social media and second-tier news, it has come to knowledge that Lybians are being sold into slavery by their own 150 years after the abolition of slavery. Their images of human flesh huddled together like cattle, publicly displayed, examined …