Public square before Assembly

Mr Kane said,

“This morning we meet in the shadow of a very troubling few days in and nights of violence and civil unrest, not unlike this time last year in Ballymena. As a Council we condemn the attack that happened in Belfast on Monday night and we offer our prayers to the victim and his family – and everyone who has been affected by the very upsetting scenes of violence, especially those forced from their homes.

"We urge that protests remain peaceful as we believe that there is never any excuse for violence, as we continue to pray for the peace of this city, neighbouring towns and our land at this concerning time.”

In his proposing speech to the Report of the Council for Public Affairs, Mr Kane said,

“We all know that life works best when it’s lived God’s way and we give thanks for opportunities to articulate this deeply held conviction as we endeavour to ensure that the values of a Christian worldview are clearly articulated and heard at decision-making tables up and down our land…[and] the vision of the Council continues to be graciously confident Gospel engagement in the public square. 

“We’re good news people and this report is a good news story as we seek to model a different kind of political engagement – that is one marked by humility and grace. We’re so grateful to God for His wisdom and strength navigating the Council through the horrendously difficult recent turmoil.”

On Assisted Suicide, the former minister of West Church Presbyterian in Ballymena said,

“We thank God that Scottish MSPs got the message that they simply couldn’t pass their flawed Bill…And we give thanks for the fall of The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill at the end of April, when it ran out of parliamentary time during its passage through the House of Lords.

“As a positive and constructive contribution by the Church, we will continue to advocate strongly for equitable and sustainable statutory funding for Hospice and Specialist Palliative Care services through the NHS and Health and Social Care systems, recognising that access to high quality palliative care should not be a postcode lottery nor depend primarily upon charitable fundraising.”

Also speaking to the General Assembly, Dr Rebecca Stevenson, PCI’s Public Affairs said,

“In a society that is continuing to question the role and influence of Christians and the church in public policy issues the Council has a vital missional role to ensure that gospel truths remain ingrained in our society.  “One area where this influence remains of vital importance is education. To those of you who are involved in education, whether as a teacher, class room assistant, a governor, volunteer or in another role, we express our sincere thanks.” 

“This review is still in its early stages and we are grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to be part of the Churches Consultative group. Additionally, I would like to thank any members of the denomination who applied to be part of the RE Core Syllabus Drafting Group. I understand the court’s ruling may have come as a disappointment, but we trust that with Gods help and the valuable contribution of others that this will result in the production of a robust RE curriculum.”

“We hope that this could be a missional resource that will inspire others to be as passionate about speaking Christian truths into real world issues as we are…So far, episodes have included issues such as: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls.”    Text  Dr Stevenson also commended to the General Assembly ‘Considering Lament: Psalms of Protest, Pain and Hope’, which the Council launched in March.”

Quote  “This marks the end of a two-year process of reading God’s word, prayer and listening to others. We are exceptionally grateful to Rev Dr Karen Campbell and her husband Rev David Campbell, for composing the hymns, to the Department of Foreign Affairs for funding and those who were willing to share their experiences.

“It builds on the work of Considering Grace and was expanded to reflect the experiences of the nationalist community and young people growing up in the shadow of the Troubles during the peace process…The launch was a night of honest reflection and vulnerability, and it is our hope that these psalms of lament will facilitate collective lament, helping others to process their pain and bring it to God rather than passing it on to the next generation.”