Latest news: Bishop’s open letter on general election

Last Updated on Thursday, 23 September 2010 10:58

The letter has gone to all clergy in the hope that its contents will be made known widely in local communities.

In Particular, Dr Croft urges churches with bells to ring them on polling day to remind people of the importance of casting their vote.

Here is a full text of the Open Letter:

Elections are an appropriate time for debate and for raising big questions in church and society and it is vital that as Christians we play our part.

Confidence in politics is at a low ebb. There is a real danger that many people simply will not vote at all.

I hope you will be doing all you can to raise the profile of the General and Local Elections. I am therefore asking as many Anglican churches in the Diocese as possible to ring their church bells on election day as the polling stations open and again in the early evening. The bells are an alarm and a call to prayer which can sound in every community about the importance of cherishing our freedom and our democracy.

Christians in Politics have produced an excellent 6 minute clip on You Tube with the Archbishop of York and the three party leaders all encouraging Christians to vote. It is well worth watching and showing to others: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pew26-dUJhE&feature=player_embedded

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland has worked with church bodies and agencies to create electronic resources to assist us as we approach the election. These include guidance for hustings meetings and a substantial briefing document on a wide range of issues, Faith in Politics, which suggests questions for candidates. The website is at www.churcheselection.org.uk

The Evangelical Alliance has also created an election web page: http://www.eauk.org/public-affairs/elections/index.cfm with various links to Facebook and Twitter.

I have just returned from a two day meeting of the Archbishops with the Diocesan Bishops. Bishop Cyril and I will be doing what we can locally to raise issues in the public domain. I will be writing my own open letter to candidates across the Diocese.

The key themes in the bishops’ discussion of the election would make excellent themes for preaching, teaching and discussion in the coming weeks. They included:

• The need for a compelling political vision for the future of a society rooted in Christian values
• The need to address the rising inequality in Britain
• The need to protect the vulnerable during a time of economic hardship
• The need for responsible stewardship of the environment
• The need to affirm the Millennium Development goals and our global context
• ffirming that men and women are more than consumers with choices and self interest: we are citizens with responsibilities.
• The need to challenge extremism based on racial or ethnic prejudice.

We pray together each day: your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let us pray for one another that we might play our part in this key moment of shaping in our society.

Your servant in Christ

Bishop of Sheffield