Affinity's Submission to the Government Consultation on the Public Order Act

In recent years the Public Order Act 1986 has been used by the police in ways which have unjustifiably hindered the legitimate freedoms of Christian street-preachers and others involved in evangelistic projects.  

Affinity therefore welcomes the government's current review of the wording of Section 5 of the existing Act, including the public Consultation, which closed on 13 January, over whether the use of "insulting" words and behaviour should continue to be a criminal offence.   

Affinity, convinced that the ministry of street preachers and others is well outside the legal definition intended by the word "insulting" in the 1986 Act, has responded to this Consultation, contending that the word should be removed from the Act.  This would leave the police with far fewer grounds for intervention, and preserve a Christian freedom which existed in practice, uncontroversially, for more than 250 years prior to the high profile incidents of the last 10 years.

Affinity Submission to the Government Consultation on the Public Order Act 1986

Posted 19th January 2012 | Comments 0

January Prayer Calendar

The January Prayer Calendar is now available to download.

Prayer Calendar - January 2012

Posted 22nd December 2011 | Comments 0

Foundations - Issue 61 now available online

The second online edition of Foundations is now available in both pdf and html formats.This is the first time Foundations has been published in html format.

This issue of Foundations offers a range of articles and reviews which will be of interest to our readers. Dan Strange’s article is the substance of the paper that he gave at the Affinity Theological Studies Conference in February 2011. John Legg provides a provocative exegesis of the parable of The Good Samaritan. Thorsten Prill identifies key issues in world mission today and challenges churches, missions and missionaries to be caught up in a missionary movement with God. Ralph Cunnington provides a critique of the views of Francis Turretin on the authority of Scripture. Eryl Davies provides a detailed review of a number of recent books dealing with the doctrine of the Trinity. There are also a number of other book reviews.

Foundations - Issue 61

Posted 12th December 2011 | Comments 0

A Personal Tribute to Roland Lamb - former General Secretary of the BEC

The Revd the Hon Roland Lamb died on 23 November aged 94.  The son of Lord Rochester, he trained for the Methodist ministry after graduating from Cambridge University. He served as a chaplain in the Middle East during World War 2 and afterwards in churches in South Shields, Walton-on-Naze, Aberystwyth and Cornwall.  During the 1950’s he was seconded to IVF (now UCCF) for several years as a travelling secretary amongst student Christian Unions.

In 1967, deeply troubled by the denomination’s increasing departure from fundamental Gospel truths, he seceded from Methodism. He and his family moved to St Albans to be part-time Associate Pastor of Spicer Street Independent Chapel and part-time General Secretary of the British Evangelical Council. The BEC had been in existence for about 20 years; but following Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones’ passionate appeal, at a famous meeting in Westminster Central Hall, to evangelicals to come together in a new unity with each other, the BEC assumed a much more important role. Its work grew rapidly and two years later Roland Lamb became full time in his role as Gen Sec, but continued as Moderator of the church at Spicer Street.. Following the appointment of a new pastor there he remained as a highly valued and much loved elder until his retirement from the BEC in 1982.

His BEC role was not an easy one and there were doubtless many discouragements and disappointments.  A great deal of time had to be given to organisational and administrative matters and he had no secretarial help. But his preaching around the country was greatly valued as was his great gift of personal friendship.  He was a people person and unlike a good many ministers he was a good and patient listener! These qualities, together with his own painful and costly experience of leaving Methodism, fitted him admirably to be a counsellor and encourager of those who were facing, or had already faced, a similar decision.

Someone who knew him well has described his preaching as always expository, always faithful to what the Bible says, always clear, always well applied, always warm and passionate, and always Christ glorifying.  In the Autumn of 1972, at very short notice, he had to give the final address at the BEC Annual Conference in Cardiff in place of Dr Lloyd-Jones, who had been taken ill. He preached on 2 Chronicles 20 verse12, part of Jehoshaphat’s prayer when he was facing a major attack from his enemies: We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. That text, and his exposition of it, summed up his own deeply held convictions about the state of evangelicalism then (and doubtless now) about the unique sufficiency, grace and power of God to transform apparently hopeless situations, and thus also about the priority of prayer.     

Many have much cause to thank God for Roland Lamb’s ministry as a pastor, preacher, Christian leader and faithful praying friend. He is survived by his wife Jill.

Peter Seccombe

1 December 2012

Posted 8th December 2011 | Comments 0

Latest issue of The Bulletin

The latest issue of The Bulletin is now available.

The Bulletin - November 2011

The articles in this issue include:

An Affinity statement affirming the Uniqueness of Marriage

Rod Badams on the The Police and the Public Order Act

Peter Fearnley on Sex Education in schools

Gerald Tanner on Ministry to the Mentally Distressed

Dr John Ling with an Update on Life Issues

Rod Badams with an update on Significant Individual Cases

Posted 5th December 2011 | Comments 0