Two Men In Custody For Murder Of Church Organist

Two men have been arrested on suspicion for the murder of a church organist.

Mr Greaves, 68, was on his way to midnight mass when he was fatally attacked just 200 hundreds away from St Saviour’s Church in High Green, Sheffield on Christmas eve.

Alan Greaves left behind a wife and four children (Photo: PA)

The deceased was found with extreme head injuries lying by a kerbside.

South Yorkshire Police revealed that motives for the killing are unclear but two men, one in his 20’s and another in his 40’s are currently in custody.

The Telegraph reported that the Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Steven Croft is asking for prayers for Mr Greaves and his family in the wake of this sudden tragedy.

 

Lap Dancing Club Application Rejected

A London Council’s decision to reject a lap dancing club application has been supported by a Christian organisation.

The Christian Legal Centre backed a local resident who lives in Brixton, South London that had concerns about the venue.

Lambeth Council heard in a meeting that there were worries about the  nature of the building which if approved, would have been situated in the busy town of Brixton.

The Christian Legal Centre’s Chief Executive, Andrea Williams expressed her joy in the result of the proposal. Williams also offered support to members of the public who were facing the same issues in their community.

“If you wish to resist a sex establishment application, please contact the Christian Legal Centre. We will support you. After achieving many victories this year, we are confident that more successes are possible.”

Ooberfuse Release A Song Dedicated To Persecuted Christians

London based electro-pop band Ooberfuse has released a brand new cover of “O Holy Night”.

The group, made up of trio Cherrie, Hal and Nico recorded the song to capture the spirit of Christmas.

Speaking to Christian Today, lead singer Cherrie Anderson empathised with the world’s persecuted Christians, saying that in the Western world “we take our religious freedom so much for granted”.

Please watch the Youtube video of Ooberfuse’s rendition of “O Holy Night”.

Catholic Leader Labels Gay Marriage Plans A “Shambles”

Archbishop Vincent Nichols has attacked the government’s plans to support and legalise same-sex marriages.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols accused the Prime Minister of “shallow thinking”. (Photo credit: Martin Argles for the Guardian)

The Roman Catholic head of England and Wales took freedom of speech very seriously this Christmas morning in an interview with the BBC.

The Archbishop complained that the plans were “undemocratic,” as they have come as a surprise, and no mention was made of the propositions in party manifesto’s, or even a green paper.

Although the coalition government have reassured that no religious institution would be forced to conduct any ceremonies, the Catholic Leader still branded the process as “shambolic”.

The importance of traditional marriage was also reiterated during the clergyman’s Christmas Eve sermon last night.

David Cameron Delivers An Unexpected Christmas Message

After a long year of debate on topics between the Christian community and the government, Prime Minister David Cameron has given the most faith driven Christmas message the public have ever seen from him.

Cameron, describing Jesus as “the light of all mankind,” made many references to scriptures in the Bible during his speech.

He said, “The Gospel of John tells us that in this man was life, and that His life was the light of all mankind, and that He came with grace, truth and love.”

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s words, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, mentioned that Mr Cameron should be applauded for having “nailed his colours to the mast”.

It appears our country’s leader has been renewed in faith, after explaining in 2008 in a Guardian interview that his Anglicanism “sort of comes and goes.”

This comes after months of political debate regarding the controversial issues of same-sex marriages in the UK.

Vicars Raise £1,000 For Water Diet

A pair of Anglican vicars from Stockton on Tees have raised over £1,000 after going on a water diet.

Reverend Dan Pierce and Reverend Jan Bell who are both vicars at St John the
Baptist and St James church decided to abstain from drinking anything but water for five weeks.

This was in a bid to raise money for deprived communities who are not able to even get one glass.

This good act has received massive support, Rev Pierce told Christian Today. “We are already considering repeating the exercise next year.”

Church of England Cathedrals To Be Revamped

Church of England cathedrals will be receiving up to one million pounds for maintenance and enhancements on their buildings.

It has been reported that 17 buildings will be receiving treatment on their architecture, most of which have been standing as pinnacles of England for centuries.

Organisations such as the Wolfson Foundation, the Pilgrim Trust, Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England (CFCE) and Cathedral Fabric Repair Fund donate money to 21 Church of England building with no aid of funds from the government.

Worcester Cathedral receives around 260,000 visitors a year(Image from www.worcestershiretouristguide.com)

An estimated £10 million is spent on the upkeep of Cathedrals each year. This grant is essential to magnificent buildings such as Worcester Cathedral, who will be using the fund for mandatory stonework repairs.

 

The 2013 Bible Challenge

In Wales, Archbishop Dr. Barry Morgan has empowered Christians to read the whole Bible in 2013 as a New Year’s resolution.

How much of the Bible have you read? How often do you read it? Because of the latest technology, a lot of us have a Bible app downloaded to iPhones or Android handsets.

As impossible as this seems at first thought, it is entirely doable. After all, there are 365 days in a year and 66 books in the Bible (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament).

Set yourself a goal for the new year. Dr Morgan suggests taking 20 minutes out of your day to day life to read the Bible. Maybe on your train journey, between classes, when you get bored of studying and need a break or even before bed are good times to read a few pages in the Holy Book. Let us all be encouraged!

The Number of Atheists in The UK Rises, As Christians Fall

It has been revealed in figures from the 2011 Census that the number of people who identify themselves as Atheists has risen by over 6 million.

 

The number of admitted Christians in England and Wales has fallen dramatically in the past decade by 4 million. According to Religion News Service reports, the figures of self proclaiming Christians stood at 33 million last year.

 

This alarming news should concern our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in the UK where there has been such a serious decline.

 

Christian Appeals After Being Forced To Work Sundays

Have you been forced to work on Sundays? Most of us adhere to our employers wishes and go into work instead of attending Church on a Sunday. Celestina Mba however, made a stand and resigned from her job at Brightwell Children’s Home in Morden, London.

 

After making a formal complaint, the case has been brought to an Employment Appeal Tribunal. This Christian in particular had previously omitted working on Sundays but when management changed hands at the Home, she was forced to go work instead.

 

In February this year, Mrs Mba already lost her appeal at a hearing when a judge concluded it was acceptable to work on Sundays. Although she has already been knocked back, this woman is still fighting for her beliefs.