John Coleby
John began working at the Evangelical Alliance in 2016, focusing on issues of debate in parliament that are relevant to evangelical Christians in the UK. Before this he worked as a research assistant for the Church of England Bishop of Coventry, supporting his work in the House of Lords and his focus on freedom of religion or belief and global reconciliation. He holds a BA in Theology and an MPhil in Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman world, and he remains very interested in biblical studies and inter-religious dialogue. He also teaches English to speakers of other languages at a class run by his church.
Voting for the voiceless
9 December 2019The Bible commands us to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” (Proverbs 31:8). As we prepare to cast our vote we should remember these groups in particular.
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Losing our words and finding our voice
18 November 2019From imagining a “special place in Hell” for Brexiteers to celebrating a great Brexodus, great biblical themes of salvation and deliverance are being mined for slogans. Even the words of our Lord Jesus, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do”, have been used as a political rallying cry. Our political leaders may not share our faith, but they seem to have a lot of faith in the power of Christian language and allusion. When I see this happen, I’m reminded of the passage in Acts 19, where…
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The Queen’s Speech: What’s there, what’s not and why it matters
18 October 2019A major focus for the speech was the criminal justice system. Legislation was promised that will lengthen prison sentences and introduce measures to improve conditions in prisons and support ex-offenders. As many churches commemorate Prisons Week, it will be important for Christian organisations working in prisons and with ex-offenders to be able to share their perspectives. Other legislation includes new obligations for public bodies to share information around serious violence and increase…
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New government envoy appointed for freedom of religion and belief
3 October 2019Speaking about his appointment last month, Mr Chishti said: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the PM’s Special Envoy. I have championed freedom of religion and belief for much of my life. I shall use the UK Government’s global network to take real action to support those persecuted for their faith or belief and promote greater understanding and respect between faiths.”Mr Chishti himself has a strong record of campaigning on freedom of religion or belief as an MP. For example, it was…
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Breaking down barriers
29 August 2019But, what if someone cannot access courts or advice and the protection they may offer? In this case, access to justice becomes as much an issue as the laws themselves. Bearing this in mind, how have Christians, children of a just God, approached this issue of access to justice and the problems people may face? And what can we all do to help bring down the barriers? In 2015, after changes to the provision of financial assistance with legal issues (legal aid), the report Speaking Up – Defending…
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Syria, hope and forgiveness
15 August 2019The Independent reports that at least 30 British children are living with their mothers in refugee camps in northern Syria, often in poor conditions. The Government’s decision follows controversy around Shamima Begum, which I wrote about here This fresh decision has reopened the debate. No one wants to see children left in such conditions. However, for some the refusal to take back these families will seem wise. It is difficult and dangerous to rescue people from a warzone, and arguably we…
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Free to disagree
1 July 2019So, as we explore freedom in this edition, and I, more specifically, consider freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, I’d like us to revisit this hot topic and think about how discussion of these values has informed policy in the past few years, where these discussions might be going wrong, and how Evangelicals can continue to contribute to improving them. But, to start, we have to take a trip back to 2011. For that was the year the Government made a list of fundamental British values…
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Heading to the hills?
23 May 2019After a frenzied campaigning period, polling day itself is rather strange. Generally, electoral rules prohibit broadcasters and other media outlets from reporting on an election campaign or predictions until the polls close. Our plethora of political pundits, who are used to making predictions and giving us their “take” on what comes next, are often reduced to awkward descriptions of leaders casting their votes and lists of interesting dogs outside polling stations. For the church, there is a…
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Two steps forward, one step back? Asylum and religious freedom
28 March 2019Following the Home Office’s refusal of asylum to an Iranian Christian convert, our country’s response to those fleeing persecution for their faith is again under scrutiny. As the discussion continues, we look at the progress we’ve made on this in the past, and how we can still improve. According to immigration case-worker Nathan Stevens, an Iranian convert to Christianity recently had their asylum claim rejected by the Home Office. In a letter seeking to justify this decision, the Home Office…
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Love and justice after terror
21 February 2019Now, with the movement largely defeated, Begum was discovered by a Times journalist in a refugee camp, pregnant with her third child (having lost two other children during her time in Syria). In an interview with Anthony Lloyd, she said that she wanted to return to the UK. On Tuesday it was revealed that Home Secretary Sajid Javid had decided to remove Begum’s British citizenship, on the grounds that this would be for the public good and that, as her mother is a Bangladeshi national, she could…
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Prayer amid political disagreement
14 February 2019Some would say that the road to unity is apathy; if our political, or indeed theological, differences are trivial, then working together is easy. But this is an unreal response to the real world: cheap unity like cheap grace. Significant political decisions have a real impact, particularly on the poorest and most vulnerable. To unite around the irrelevance of these decisions is to unite around our ability to insulate ourselves from their consequences, rather than around Christ. The letter of…
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