As the team winds down for the Christmas break, I can’t help but pause and feel a sense of deep gratitude for how God has been faithful to us this year. God has gifted the team with opportunities to meet influential politicians and share how the gospel is transforming lives and communities.
2024 has been a challenging year for the advocacy team. We have had to navigate an evolving policy agenda along with highly emotive issues, such as end of life care and proposals to legalise assisted dying – yet God has been our refuge and strength throughout.
We have known His encouragement and seen His favour in the many unexpected meetings with senior government officials across policy issues. Doors that were firmly closed in 2023, in 2024 have been opened, and we have been presented with opportunities to share the incredible work of our members within communities and the power of the gospel .
Below are some of our highlights from the year, where God is doing a new thing and changing the attitudes of policymakers towards the church and the role of faith in public life.
Senior Labour leaders show a growing interest in how evangelicals engage in politics
Ahead of the general election the team published the Thinking Faithfully About Politics research report, which found evangelicals do not vote uniformly and vote for political party and policies they believe help those most in need. This report proved a vital tool post-election in engaging and meeting with government ministers and the leader of the Scottish Labour Party.
In November, Gavin Calver our chief executive was invited to attend Sir Keir Starmer’s faith leaders’ roundtable on the role of faith in bringing communities together. He spoke of the incredible work and initiatives from member churches and organisations up and down the country.
Inspired by John 1:45 – 51, where Philip invites Nathanael to “come and see” Jesus, Gavin gave a personal invitation to the prime minister and cabinet ministers to visit evangelical churches and learn more about how faith convictions leads to public witness.
Off the back of this meeting, advocacy colleagues in Scotland were invited by the Scottish Labour Party Leader, Anas Sarwar, to a breakfast event in Glasgow. The team took the opportunity to speak about many Christian-lead addiction recovery support services in Scotland and coalition of Christian organisations working to protect women and girls trafficked into Scotland and to encourage the introduction of laws that support them fleeing sexual exploitation.
Looking ahead to 2025, we are encouraged that Gavin will be meeting with the UK government’s faith minister in January to discuss the importance of defending and strengthening freedom of religion, thought and conscious in a pluralist society and possible opportunities of connecting with evangelical members throughout the year.
Churches and Christian-led organisations in Northern Ireland providing hope in the midst of hardship
According to the Department of Communities in Northern Ireland, approximately 349,000 people live in relative poverty.
In response to rising inequality and poverty in Northern Ireland, an anti-poverty coalition and campaign lead by the team in Belfast launched in February. The network provides varied support services and schemes for children and families living in poverty. Together they are calling on policymakers to formally recognise faith-based charities in the programme for government.
Following the campaign to end to poverty in Northern Ireland the team remain committed to long-term peace and reconciliation. Since the general election and the Labour government repealing the Legacy and Reconciliation Act, the team in Northern Ireland have met with Whitehall officials to share the potential role that churches could play when it comes to reconciliation in Northern Ireland. This will be a priority engagement and focus for the team in 2025.
Prayer must be the cornerstone of the Welsh parliament and public life in Wales
The Evangelical Alliance Wales team led the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast in the Senedd in February.
It was incredible to see the Senedd transformed from a hostile debating chamber into a prayer room where politicians alongside church leaders focused on the Lordship of Jesus and prayed for a fresh outpouring of His love and goodness in Wales. The success from this year has meant that the team have been invited to lead Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast in Spring 2025.
Still looking ahead to 2025, plans are underway to research and survey the state of faith in Wales 17 years on from the first report.
In 2008, the Faith in Wales report demonstrated the tangible difference faith communities made to Welsh society and received widespread support, including from the then first minister Rhodri Morgan. Tim Rowlands, head of Evangelical Wales says, “We’re praying for good engagement with the research process at the beginning of the 2025, and that the final product will be helpful to people involved in all spheres of public life and ministry.”
Scottish evangelicals can make a positive difference to the future of Scotland
At the launch event of What Kind of Nation? the Scottish Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, challenged Christians to “act with confidence to make a difference to the future of Scotland.” The launch successfully demonstrated to policymakers the breadth of issues Christian charities and churches are engaged in and the demonstrable difference they make in communities and for those on the margins.
Forbes’ challenge is a timely encouragement to the team, as its priorities throughout 2025 will be to meet with member churches and leaders to find out the policy concerns the team should amplify ahead of Scottish Parliament elections in 2026.
The team in Glasgow will be hosting country-wide roadshows to find out those concerns they want us to amplify ahead of the election. To find out when we are coming to location near you, make sure you are signed up to Headlines: Scotland.
The fight for improving end of life care continues in 2025
In Wales, Scotland and England proposals to legalise assisted dying/suicide dominated the political discourse and parliamentary time.
We are thankful that Members of the Senedd voted against a motion but incredibly disappointingly Westminster decided to vote in favour of the principle to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.
We expect the Terminally Ill (End of Life) Bill will return to the Commons for a vote on Friday, 25 April 2025, five days after Easter Sunday. This bill presents a gospel opportunity to share with the nation the hope found in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We will remain engaged and update members on our political engagement and opportunities to participate in the new year.
