15 July 2016
Press release
An open letter to our new prime minister
Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance, has today sent the following letter to Prime Minister Theresa May:
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Dear Prime Minister,
First, let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on taking on this role as our prime minister at this key moment in British history.
The Bible calls for Christians to "pray for all who have authority, that we may live peaceful lives" (1 Timothy) – and so we at the Evangelical Alliance have been praying for you and your new Cabinet and will continue to do so, as will many across the evangelical community we represent.
In the wake of the political change that our nation has experienced – and pockets of previously unexpressed fear, resentment and prejudice revealed - we pray that you will have the wisdom, vision and courage to build a government of unity.
Churches up and down the UK will continue to work tirelessly for the good of their communities – some of which are bruised from a deep sense of having been left behind, not having been heard or having been powerless to influence decisions made by politicians in both Brussels and Westminster.
Indeed, we hope and pray that as we forge a new place for ourselves in the world, this government will be marked by compassion, hospitality, peace and the unity of which you spoke in your first speech as prime minister. Also, it is heartening that you have stated your commitment to see a fair deal for all.
As the representative body for the growing and diverse evangelical community in the UK, we are committed to playing our part in supporting the work of the government to heal the divisions in our nations, as we have been doing since 1846.
In our 170th year and beyond, we want to see a plural public square in which freedom of religion and belief for all is respected and celebrated - and a society in which the vulnerable are protected and supported.
May God bless you and guide you in your premiership, and may your faith and trust in Jesus deepen.
Yours,
Steve Clifford, general director, Evangelical Alliance
Media Enquiries
Danny Webster
Tel: 07766 444 650
Email: info@eauk.org
Notes to Editors
The Evangelical Alliance
We are the largest and oldest body representing the UK’s two million evangelical Christians. For more than 165 years, we have been bringing Christians together and helping them listen to, and be heard by, the government, media and society. We’re here to connect people for a shared mission, whether it’s celebrating the Bible, making a difference in our communities or lobbying the government for a better society. From Skye to Southampton, from Coleraine to Cardiff, we work across 79 denominations, 3,500 churches, 750 organisations and thousands of individual members. And we're not just uniting Christians within the UK – we are a founding member of the World Evangelical Alliance, a global network of more than 600 million evangelical Christians. For more information, go to www.eauk.org.
