West Midlands Region Churches Forum

Local Election Briefing May 2014

JPIT, European Elections, May 2014

European Elections Christian Aid Briefing

A message from Bishop David Urquhart:

On behalf of the West Midlands Region Churches Forum I commend a briefing to help prepare for the Local Elections taking place across the West Midlands on Thursday 22 May. May I encourage Christians across the West Midlands to contact prospective candidates standing for election to discuss the possibility of holding a Husting to meet candidates in their place of worship.

This year European Parliament elections are being held on the same day and I commend to you also briefings prepared by the Joint Public Issues Team and Christian Aid. Although opinion may be divided about the benefits of being a part of the European Union (EU), our daily lives are affected by the decisions taken there and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are key to this process. These briefings outline some of the issues for the election, why it is important to us, and what we can do.

Yours ever,
+David
Rt Revd David Urquhart, Anglican Bishop of Birmingham

Bringing Together the Churches’ Voices in the West Midlands Region

The Forum has two aims

• To provide Churches the opportunity to network with each other across the Region
• To interface with local, regional or national bodies who present government policy that will affect life in the West Midlands and bringing Christian perspectives to bear on such issues of policy.

It seeks to fulfil these aims by:

• Working in partnership with others to hold Forums in different parts of the region
• Liaising with the West Midlands Faith Forum and other faith-based agencies in the region, for example, the West Midlands Industrial Mission Association
• Employing a part-time Secretary to coordinate the work of the Forum in conjunction with a management committee and liaising with senior Church leaders in the Region.
• Contributing to regional and national policy consultations that affect life in the West Midlands.

Recently the Forum has held workshop/seminars on Mission in Disadvantaged Communities.

Lead Church Leader
Rt Revd David Urquhart, Church of England’s Bishop of Birmingham

Forum Management Committee
Secretary: Revd. Dr. Colin Marsh
Treasurer: Mr Patrick Kelly

Forum Membership

• Anglican Dioceses of Birmingham, Hereford, Worcester, Coventry and Lichfield
• Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, Diocese of Shrewsbury and Hereford Deanery (Diocese of Cardiff)
• Methodist Districts of Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury, Chester and Stoke-on-Trent
• West Midlands Synod of the United Reformed Church
• Heart of England Baptist Association
• West Midland Division of the Salvation Army
• Warwickshire Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends

• Birmingham Churches Together (Colin Marsh, Ecumenical Development Officer)
• Black Country Churches Engaged (Robert Mountford, Ecumenical Mission Officer)
• Churches Together in Coventry and Warwickshire
• Churches Together in Herefordshire (Anna Nugent, Ecumenical Development Officer)
• Churches Together in Shropshire (Chris Densham, Ecumenical Mission Enabler)
• Churches Linked Across Staffordshire and the Potteries (CLASP), (Robert Mountford, Ecumenical Mission Officer)
• Churches Together in Worcestershire (David Ryan, Ecumenical contact)
• Telford Christian Council (Chris Densham, Ecumenical Mission Enabler)