West Craven Baptist Fellowship

Baptist Church Features on Pendle Councils Steam and Stream Audio Trail.

Church Secretary Keith Whipp talks about the Baptist Church in Barnoldswick and the rogue donkey that caused problems for the Baptists in Barnoldswick's past!

The management group of the West Craven Baptist Fellowship agreed to  support the initiative taken by church leaders.

At the West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council gathering yesterday, we as church leaders issued a very important public statement on the European elections and the risk of the British National Party gaining a seat. Below is the statement.

West Yorkshire Church Leaders' Joint Statement on Political Extremism, Fulneck, 22 April 2009

Seventy years ago, the Fulneck Moravian Settlement became home for Jewish children and families fleeing from the terror of the far right in Europe. As leaders of different churches in West Yorkshire, meeting at Fulneck, we affirm the values of unity, tolerance, hospitality and mutual respect, which have always helped people from different backgrounds to live together.

•      We are deeply concerned at the views and activities of the British National
Party which is using people's fears to stir up racial and religious hate.

•      We assert that all human beings are created equally in the image of God, that
racism is a sin, and that such extremist groups do not speak for Christians.

•      In particular, we are called to love our neighbours as ourselves; and so we
abhor any rejection of our neighbours of other faiths as an affront to all our
beliefs and a danger to the unity of the whole community.

On 4 June, the people of Yorkshire and the Humber will choose our representatives in the European parliament. The regional voting system means that every vote counts. A high turnout will enhance democracy and prevent candidates on extremist platforms from winning seats. We urge all Christian people to use their cross on 4 June, and, by exercising their right to vote, to defeat the advocates of extremism and hatred.

Can I please encourage you to share this statement as widely as possible.  It can also be found on the WYEC web site at  http://www.wyec.co.uk/

There's a Messy Church at Kids Club Celebration All the folk from Barnoldswick, Earby and Salterforth Baptist Churches converged on Earby recently to celebrate their work with and for young people. The service was led by Julie Bryan and Andy and Helen Sellers.  Young and old joined in making windmills, streamers, posters and decorated cakes.  Some even dipped their feet in paint to create a giant poster of footprints. The theme of the service was Pentecost.