Denominations publish General Election resources
Methodists, Anglicans, URC and Catholics have issued statements and online information and resources about the forthcoming Election
By Dr Ian Watson, County Ecumenical Officer for NWCT, statements and picture taken from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI)
Methodist Statement
On May 23 the Methodist leaders issued the following election call to love, pray and vote from Revd Gill Newton and Deacon Kerry Scarlett, President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference:
"Our hope is that this will be an election campaign where people will be able to discuss and disagree with kindness, where truth will be upheld, and where the needs of people who are vulnerable will be honoured. As Christians, over the weeks ahead we are called to participate actively, ask questions, listen well, seek justice and the common good, and surround the process in prayer.
"There will be all kinds of issues on the agenda during this campaign. But as we seek to follow Jesus’s commandment to love our neighbour, we particularly challenge all who aspire to form the next government to set out what they will do to tackle poverty in the UK."
For the full statement, please see the Methodist Church website .
Anglican Statement
On May 22 the Bishops of the Church of England issued a call to put prayer and participation at the heart of the General Election campaign as the UK prepares to go to the polls. Archbishops Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell have urged people to set aside time amid the heat of the coming campaign to reflect and pray for our nation and our world. They also issue a plea to everyone to put “good grace and a commitment to truth and integrity” at the heart of the campaign.
The Church of England is launching a campaign known as #PrayYourPart – to promote prayer and participation in the life of our nation and communities, both as voters and as citizens.
A series of daily thematic reflections written by bishops, drawn from the Bible and exploring major themes will be published shortly, covering the final three weeks up to polling day.
For more details, see the Church of England website.
URC Statement
On May 22 the United Reformed Church (URC) encouraged all voters to engage in the upcoming General Election and to use it as an opportunity to urge political leaders to end poverty in the UK. The Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, URC General Assembly Moderator 2023-2024, said:
“I am calling for us to actively encourage our communities, staff and congregants to ensure they are registered to vote in the upcoming General Election.
“I make particular reference to those from demographics historically under-represented in the voting process, ie young people, ethnically-minoritised as well as economically disadvantaged communities, renters, recent movers and non-UK nationals who are eligible to vote.
“Our advocacy for them and our participation in elections are a testament to our commitment to shaping a society that is mindful of its responsibilities towards fair representation and justice for all.”
For more details see the URC website.
Catholic Statement
The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales has published a new section on its website to provide information and guidance on key issues of importance to Catholics, to help inform how they vote.
You can find it at CBCEW.org.uk/election24
On April 8 CAFOD and the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) started a campaign to help the Catholic voice be heard in the General Election, and to make sure politicians make tackling poverty a priority. The two organisations are inviting parishes to reach out to their local candidates ahead of the next election, with the intention of "strengthening community participation as a local faith group and practicing the culture of encounter that Pope Francis talks about".
For more details on A Year of Encounter, see the SVP website.