Affinity supports C4M and its campaign and encourages Christians and others to sign the petition.

C4M is an umbrella group of individuals and organisations in the UK and is backed by politicians, lawyers, academics and religious leaders. It reaches out to people of all faiths and none who believe that marriage is the most successful partnership in history and should not be redefined.

C4M draws upon a substantial body of evidence showing that marriage - as it has been understood for thousands of years - is beneficial to society, and that changing its definition would undermine that benefit.

C4M's petition demonstrates that there is broad public opposition to redefining marriage. C4M is committed to a reasoned and courteous debate on this issue.

For more information about C4M and to sign the petition go to www.c4m.org.uk

Mike Frith is the Director of OSCAR, which is based at Redcliffe College in Gloucester. OSCAR provides a gateway for those involved or interested in mission or Christian work around the world. You will find a wealth of useful information, advice and resources on their website - www.oscar.org.uk

Here are the first two issues of Mission Matters.

Mission Matters 2012.1 - Contextualisation, Context and Compromise

Mission Matters 2012.2 - Affinity Churches and World Mission

Prayer Calendar - February 2012

Ian Williamson is the Director of this ministry which is based in Middlesborough. The name of the ministry is taken from Psalm 68, verse 5, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”

Ian works as a Community Chaplain and, together with his team, seeks to encourage and support lone parent families, and to promote the vital role of fathers in a community, where many children and young people are being drawn into criminal activities.

You can find out more about SixtyEightFive at www.sixtyeightfive.co.uk

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

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

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

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

Prayer Calendar - December 2011

In Touch Newsletter - Autumn 2011

The latest target is the institution of marriage. The Prime Minister has announced that a consultation process will take place in 2012, with a view to redefining marriage by 2015. The implications of redefining marriage are far-reaching and potentially disastrous for our nation.

The Social Issues Team has prepared a statement on Marriage. We hope the statement will be helpful to churches and Christians as they make representations to their MPs.

Statement on Marriage

Lostock Christian Fellowship
Website: www.lostockcf.org.uk

Prayer Calendar - November 2011

Emmanuel Church, Canterbury
Website: www.emmanuelcanterbury.org.uk

Table Talk Issue 2 2011

Every edition considers current social and legal issues which evangelical Christians and churches need to be aware of and address.

The latest edition of The Bulletin carries an article by Rod Badams in which he traces the history of the campaign to promote Gay Marriage and ways in which evangelical Christians should respond.

The Road to Gay Marriage

The Bulletin - July 2011

The articles in this issue include:

Dr John Ling on the current Assisted Dying/Suicide debate and an Update on Life Issues

Ian Fry on Parenting Our Children

Dr John Hayward on Co-habitation: the effects of leaving the knot untied

Rod Badams on The Road to Gay Marriage

Statement on Assisted Dying/Suicide