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 To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the 1859 Revival, we have added some pages containing articles on the Revival.  Please take some time to read through these excellent accounts of the events of the Year of Grace.

 

CALEB DELEGATION MEETS BBC Belfast

Wednesday 25th November.

A Caleb delegation met with BBC Radio Ulster this morning to raise a number of issues of importance to the Evangelical Community.  The delegation discussed the forthcoming anniversary of the AV, and the recent contributors to Thought for the day.  We strongly expressed our disappointment at the attitude of Sunday Sequence in relation to presenting discussions with evangelical contributors, and a perceived pro-homosexual and anti-Creation bias.

CALEB DELEGATION MEETS MINISTER SAMMY WILSON

Thursday 12th November.

A delegation from the Caleb Foundation, representing a number of churches, met with the Minister foir Finance and Personnel, Mr Sammy Wilson, MP, MLA, to discuss the Dormant Accounts Scheme.  The delegation specifically discussed the plight of evangelical churches who were disadvantaged in obtaining funding, because the ethos of biblical Christianity excludes seeking money fron the National Lottery, - sourced from gambling.  It was suggested to the minister that the Dormant Accounts Scheme might be way for the government to address this discrimination in funding.

Mr Wilson listened carefully to the point of view expressed by the delegation, and promised to give the matters raised some consideration.

 

CALEB "OPINION" PIECE IN THE NEWS LETTER Mon 12 October 2009

A Stormont motion calling on Culture Minister Nelson McCausland to withdraw his statement that he will not attend a service in a Roman Catholic Church is a sinister attack on Evangelical Christians, says DAVID McCONAGHIE from The Caleb Foundation.

IMAGINE if one of the parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive tabled a motion for debate where they claimed that some of the core, basic, tenets of the Jewish religion were toxic, injurious to good community relations, or detrimental to the good of society.

Imagine if they tabled a similar motion about Islam. Suppose they included in that motion a claim that those who held to such beliefs rendered themselves unfit for public office. What would be the reaction?

They would be pilloried right across society. The Community Relations Council would issue dire warnings about such intolerance. The Human Rights Commission would immediately denounce it. The Equality Commission would get into a state of extreme agitation at the suggestion a person's religion should disqualify them in that way. The BBC would go into meltdown - The Nolan Show would bang the table; Talkback would throb with indignation; Sunday Sequence would give those responsible a stern and public grilling, demanding that they justify their extreme prejudice.

But something dangerously similar will take place today at the Assembly. The following motion, tabled by three Sinn Fein MLAs, will be debated:

"That this Assembly calls on the Minister of Culture Arts and Leisure to withdraw his statement that he will 'not attend a service in a Catholic Church'; further calls on the minister to recognise that such a refusal to attend a Catholic Church service from an Executive Minister has no place in an inclusive society, and that as an Executive Minister he has a duty to serve, respect and engage with all sections of society regardless of their religious background."

The general implication and intent of this sinister motion could not be clearer. It is that if you are a mainstream Evangelical Christian - one who holds to traditional evangelical beliefs and core values - and in consequence you remain apart from the ecumenical movement, you are deemed unable, because of your faith, to serve, respect and engage with all sections of society, and thus unfit to hold certain jobs.

The motion's wording is explicit and clear. To Sinn Fein, evangelical beliefs and those who hold them have "no place in an inclusive society". To them, "inclusion", it seems, is for everyone except mainstream Evangelical Christians.

This raises many serious questions for many people.

Why can one community and one faith group be attacked like this with impunity? Why, after all these years and expending many millions of pounds of public money, has the Community Relations Council so signally failed to achieve any level of understanding of, or tolerance towards, the mainstream Evangelical Christian community, and how does it intend to address this glaring and dangerous gap? Why has there been not a single word of complaint from the Human Rights Commission defending the right to freedom of conscience and religion? Why the total silence from the Equality Commission instead of a robust defence of a person's right to hold to their faith without that turning them into undesirables?

Why is institutionalised intolerance unacceptable against every community with one exception? Why is it that every community can expect to be defended by the CRC, NIHRC and Equality Commission, etc with one exception?

Today at the Assembly, for the first time, an entire community, as represented by the Culture Minister, are to be the subject of political debate in which their adherence to their faith is regarded as the determining factor that makes them a poisonous people.

The time has come for the defenders of human rights in our Province to respond to such a sinister development. Why the silence?

Caleb Appoints New Chairman

The Council of Reference of the evangelical pressure group, the Caleb Foundation, has elected Mr Wallace Thompson as its new chairman. Since the untimely passing of Caleb's founding chairman, Mr George Dawson MLA, in May 2007, Rev William Park had fulfilled the role of acting chairman with the support of a steering group.  Mr Thompson has been treasurer of Caleb since the organisation was founded in 1998.

A history graduate and former career civil servant, Mr Thompson was special adviser to DUP Minister, Mr Nigel Dodds MP MLA, from May 2007 until June 2009. Married with three grown up children, he is also secretary of the Evangelical Protestant Society and editor of its magazine, the Ulster Bulwark.

Mr Thompson has a wealth of experience in public administration, politics and media, and is well-respected as an articulate and able campaigner for the evangelical Protestant cause.

Speaking after his election, Mr Thompson said:

"I feel honoured and privileged to have been appointed chairman of the Caleb Foundation, and I wish to pay tribute to Rev William Park for all his work on behalf of Caleb since the untimely passing of our esteemed friend and colleague, George Dawson.

"There is much work for us to do. Even in the two years since George's passing, Ulster society has become increasingly secular, and opposition to the historic evangelical faith is more open, militant and vocal. In that sense, our cause is probably more marginalized than ever, but it is vital that we do not shrink from the challenge. As believers, we are called upon to earnestly contend for the faith, no matter what the prevailing circumstances are or how we will be regarded. That is what the Caleb Foundation was established to do, and, by the grace of God, we will now do with renewed vigour and determination.

"We intend to lobby government and media as intensively as we can in coming weeks on a range of issues, and we have already sought meetings with three Executive Ministers at Stormont.

"I am also keen to increase our profile among, and communication with, the various Protestant denominations, congregations and organizations that are associated with Caleb, and to offer encouragement to them in these days. I will be looking at ways in which this can be done".

The Caleb Foundation was established in October 1998 to bring together a range of evangelicals and to promote the fundamentals of the historic evangelical Protestant faith.

It encourages evangelical co-operation in order to promote a moral and social framework in our society based on Christian principles and ideals. Its methods include lobbying, education, and the promotion of debate and discussion across the community.

The Foundation's officers report to the Council of Reference which meets in plenary session several times a year.

Parades Commission Chariman Biased on Gay Pride.

Rena Shepherd has only been chair of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission for a few weeks and already she has openly displayed a bias which casts serious doubt over her suitability for this office.  In announcing that the Commission would place no restrictions on the Gay Pride parade planned for Belfast city centre on 1 August, Ms Shepherd said that the Commission respected the views of those who are organising the Pride parade and those who wish to express their opposition. Fair enough. But, significantly, she went on to say that is was "very clear" that the Belfast Pride parade was a "welcome addition to the city and it is a colourful and positive celebration of all lifestyles which co-exist in Belfast". In other words, whilst she might say that she respects both sides, it is clear that she has greater respect for one viewpoint than the other.  She is openly supporting a parade which many people regard as highly offensive.  Imagine the outcry if Ms Shepherd or any other member of the Parades Commission were to make similar positive comments about a parade by the loyal orders.  Ms Shepherd has failed to act in an impartial manner and, in one fell stroke, she has completely lost any confidence the evangelical community might have had in her. The Caleb Foundation calls upon her to unreservedly apologise for her subjective and offensive comments, and if she does not do so, then she must resign or be removed.

  

Statement by the Council of Reference on

Caleb and Stormont Power-Sharing 

From time to time, the question of the stance of the Caleb Foundation towards the present power-sharing arrangements at Stormont has been raised, both enquiringly and critically.

While many individual members of the Council of Caleb Foundation have decided views on this subject (and these would vary one from another), Caleb as an organisation does not. The reason for this is that the purpose of Caleb is not to comment on who occupies positions of government and whether or not they should do so. Rather, its purpose is to lobby the powers that be, whoever they may be, on matters of policy which relate to Biblical doctrine and ethics and which are of concern to all evangelical Christians. It seeks to ensure that the convictions of the evangelical community are represented to the relevant political bodies. 

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