Church Unlocked: Church and secular authorities

Over the coming weeks, we’re reflecting on what it means to be the Church unlocked, coming out of the pandemic and approaching some uncertain months ahead.

We’ll be live on YouTube and also on our Facebook page.

About this event

What are the challenges and opportunities or relating to local government, police and parliament? How can the Church recognise the state’s authority properly – and where that authority ends? Our fifth Church Unlocked livestream will feature Regan King (Angel Church, London), Rev. Daniel Mateola (Kingdom Faith Ministries International Church) and Peter Naylor (Immanuel Presbyterian Church)  discussing how Church-government relations have been strained through lockdowns, with various governments asserting their supposed right to stop gathered worship and other Christian ministry. But at the same time it has relied on churches through social action projects and in supporting vaccine take-up. Where does all of that really leave the Church?

What is Church Unlocked?

As we emerge from lockdown, reopen our doors and resume our rhythms of gathered worship, we also have a unique opportunity. This is a moment to reflect again on what it means to be the people of God in 2021. We’ll be asking what church life could look like as we approach the uncertain months ahead. We’ll take time to reflect on the lessons we’ve learnt during lockdown, and look back at how we’ve fought to protect vital freedoms during a time when churches have found themselves locked from the outside. We’ll celebrate churches and leaders across the UK who have continued to faithfully share the hope of Jesus with their communities – often finding innovative new ways to do so. How can we embrace new technologies for God’s glory, and what lessons do we need to retrieve from the history of the church? How much do we really value gathered worship? How can we renew our mission to be salt and light in our communities, and see the hope of Jesus released across our nation?

Visit our Church Unlocked resource page for more information.

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