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Committee Members

Convener: Ms Gabrielle Cox Secretary: Dr Andrew Bradstock Administrator: Ms Wendy Cooper Dr Sue Brisley, Revd Kenneth Cox, Mr George Morton, Revd Raymond Singh, Mrs Helen Warmington, Ms Catriona Waterson nominated by Youth and Children’s Work Committee: Revd Kathryn Price attending by invitation: Mrs Sandra Ackroyd (Acting Multi-Racial Multi-Cultural Development Worker), Mr Graham Handscomb (Free Churches Council Education Committee), Mrs Anne Martin (Commitment for Life Co-ordinator), Revd Alan Paterson (National Synod of Scotland)

1 Summary

1.1 A commitment to challenging ‘unjust structures’ has always informed the Church and Society agenda, and this year has been no exception. The most glaring example of such structures in our own day are those which maintain the burden of unpayable debt on the poorest nations, which allow children, women and men to suffer and die for want of essential services as vast sums flow to the richest countries in interest repayments. In its short life the Jubilee 2000 coalition achieved much, but much still remains to be done in terms of debt cancellation; and facing this challenge has again been at the heart of our work.

1.2 As its name implied, Jubilee 2000 disbanded in December last year, though in its wake emerged three separate, though complementary, initiatives: the Jubilee Debt Campaign (UK), a new coalition of national and local agencies which will seek to maintain the momentum built up by that original movement; Drop the Debt, a short-term initiative with the particular aim of securing progress on debt cancellation at the G7 summit in Genoa in July 2001; and Jubilee Plus, which has a particular remit to research the origins and causes of the debt crisis. We have expressed our tangible support for all three, and will play a particular role in the new coalition, which we helped to bring into being and to whose board we have been elected.

1.3 As Growing Up recognized, however, removing debt is ‘only one stride on the longer journey to end world poverty’ (10.1). Changing the rules governing international trade would be another, as Christian Aid has recognized by launching its ‘Trade for Life’ campaign this year. Yet arguably only a concerted and multi-faceted effort by governments, financial institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), faith groups and developing countries themselves will ultimately stand any chance of combating poverty, and perhaps it was with this in mind that the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Development last year launched an anti-poverty campaign with a particular focus on children, International Action Against Child Poverty. This has the aim of halving child poverty by the year 2015, and with other faith groups and NGOs the United Reformed Church has welcomed this initiative and begun to explore how we can most effectively respond to it.

1.4 Given these opportunities it would not be difficult to concentrate all our efforts on global issues and ignore the challenges confronting us nearer to home: it has been well said that churches find it less discomforting to tackle poverty when it is out of sight than when it is on their doorstep, and we need always to be aware of this danger. The research we have been undertaking into the type and quality of work on offer to people who are unemployed, the subject of our resolution this year, is one expression of our concern for justice in our own context, as is our ongoing support for the work of Church Action on Poverty and a host of agencies working in areas such as housing, drug abuse, racial integration and prison reform. We continue also to fight for justice for refugees and asylum seekers. As in previous election years we have joined with our ecumenical partners in helping churches organise meetings with parliamentary candidates in their constituency, and in January we participated in the Christian Socialist Movement’s ‘Faith in Politics’ programme. This set out to discover how churches and faith groups viewed the present government’s first term in office and what they would like to see result from a second term, and its findings were presented at a large gathering in London in March addressed by the Prime Minister. The many other dimensions of our work are summarised under various headings later in this report.

2 Following up 2000 Assembly

2.1.1 Resolution 19 invited Church and Society to gather a working group to examine a range of issues associated with the end of life, and this work has now begun in earnest. A survey conducted shortly after Assembly alerted us to the issues of particular concern to the churches, and a wish to respond to these issues, to see churches and ministers better resourced to deal with a wide range of end of life matters, and to contribute to the wider debate about care for the sick and dying, will inform the work of the group. As instructed by the Resolution, the group will make a full report at Assembly 2002.

2.2.1 Resolution 20 both welcomed the growth in the number of local churches participating in Commitment for Life and urged those not yet on board to sign up. It is good to report that many have, and with 551 participating churches as at the end of March, Commitment for Life is now part of the mainstream life and mission of the Church. It is slowly becoming the norm rather than the exception to participate. Growing Up has helped us as a church to see our mission in terms of the Five Marks, and the Commitment for Life programme as integral to helping us fulfil that mission. The Resolution paid tribute to the Co-ordinator and the team of 50 Advocates, and the importance of their role in servicing participating churches and encouraging others to join up cannot be overstated.

2.2.2 As more churches join Commitment for Life so more income is generated for our work with our partners overseas. The income for 2000, including Millennium Gift Aid, was £445,000, up from £379,000 in 1999. Commitment for Life is the recommended way for United Reformed churches to support Christian Aid, and hence its Director has challenged us to meet a target of £500,000 this year. ‘It is a significant and demanding challenge’, he has said, ‘but with so many more churches joining the programme, with the increased benefits of Gift Aid and with your continuing efforts I feel that it is possible.’

2.2.3 Commitment for Life continues enthusiastically to promote Fairtrade Fortnight (held every March) and ensures a ‘fairtrade’ presence at all Synods that month. Buying an ever widening range of products which carry the Fairtrade label remains the starting point for practically expressing our concern for producers in poor countries. As affirmed by Resolution 20, we continue to work closely with Christian Aid and the World Development Movement, supporting both the Trade for Life campaign initiated by the former, and the latter’s parallel campaign to highlight the inequities in the proposed General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). This seeks to extend trade rules to cover essential services such as water in all countries in the World Trade Organisation.

2.2.4 The news we have received from our partners, through Christian Aid, has been very disturbing. The Palestinian situation deteriorates significantly as the economic blockade bites and the prospect of peace diminishes. Against this background the work of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) becomes ever harder. PARC is the largest agricultural NGO in the territories, and is trying to achieve food security for the people. The start of the Intifada coincided with the visit to the UK by two staff members from PARC last October, and several churches and three Synod meetings had the opportunity to hear first hand the struggle of the Palestinian people. There is also a real concern for the people of Zimbabwe and for the staff at Silveira House, who have not escaped the victimisation and violence, and the fuel and power shortages. The scale of the disaster of arsenic poisoning in the water supply in Bangladesh is now becoming apparent, and our partner the Christian Commission for Development (CCDB) works in coalition with others to alleviate the misery which is affecting some 85 million people in the country.

2.2.5 News from our partners in Jamaica is, fortunately, less dire. We are pleased that a group of Advocates visited with them in late May, and that in October two partners will come to the UK and visit Northern Synod and churches in Mersey. This exchange comes under the ‘Belonging to the World Church’ programme. During their time in Jamaica the Advocates visited a Council for World Mission member church in Jamaica.

2.2.6 The CforL Website has been developed as a medium for circulating information other than through regular mailing. In addition, a visual display on our partners, using songs, video, artefacts, food, smells and so on has been present at a number of Synod, District and special gatherings, notably the 1to4 FURY event.

3 Associated Groups

3.1.1 The Church and Society Committee set up a group in 1997 to look at environmental issues, particularly supporting the work of the Revd Dr David Pickering, a part-time consultant to the Committee. Dr Pickering’s principal work for the Committee resulted in the pack Roots and Branches which was published in 1998. After the 1999 General Assembly, the group was asked to consider the church’s position on genetic modification, and to enable informed discussion a series of articles on genetic engineering was commissioned from knowledgeable writers with varied opinions. These articles appeared in Reform between November 2000 and February 2001. The main forum for Christian discussion of environmental issues in the UK is the Environmental Issues Network (EIN) of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, on which the United Reformed Church is represented. The work of EIN has been strengthened by the appointment of David Pickering as Churches Environmental Project Officer for the Government-sponsored environmental organisation ‘Going for Green’. An important outcome of this appointment has been ‘Eco-Congregation’, a programme to assist local churches to consider issues and their own practices.

3.2.1 Although the Fellowship has been in existence barely two years, membership is already over the 100 mark. Four newsletters have been produced, and a number of eminent members of the denomination have been approached to become Patrons. The Journal of the Council for World Mission noted the Fellowship’s emergence by running a whole page article headed ‘The birth of a peace group’. A press release on Britain’s role in the US star wars shield project was issued, and the World Council of Churches’ main news agency ran a sympathetic item on the topic. The Fellowship is represented on the Churches Peace Forum, and its current concern is to get peace issues into churches and equip people to take action. It also sees as urgent the need to persuade the Church’s trust funds to relinquish their investments in companies involved - in however limited a way - in the production of arms. Following the success of the first Annual Conference another is planned for 2001.

3.3.1 The HIV/Aids Working Group has worked on three parities during the year. It produced worship material for World Aids Day in December and intends to do so for this year also. Second, it has consulted in order to promote the availability of training and issues relating to HIV and Aids for ministers through Continuing Ministerial Education. Third, it has continued to value and support the work of LEAT, the London Ecumenical Aids Trust. The group recognises the need to re-evaluate its priorities. The group no longer has the responsibility of supporting the person dedicated to ministry amongst people affected by and organisations concerned with HIV and Aids. The group have asked its convener to consider how its meeting only three times a year can be useful to the Church’s mission. The group also needs to re-evaluate its role in the light of the changed context, particularly the global impact of AIDS. The group intends to produce more extensive worship material for Spring 2002 which can be used at times other than World Aids Day. The group recognises a need to develop an awareness of those who are working with people affected by HIV and Aids outside London and would be grateful to hear of such groups through the Secretary for Church and Society.

4 Updates

4.1.1 This past year has seen a great deal of change in the world of education, and alongside this in the Free Churches Council Education Committee and Education Executive; the Churches Joint Education Policy Committee (CJEPC); and the Meeting of Representatives of Faith Committees who are Providers of Schools in the State System. The last group was formed as a sub group of the CJEPC which felt there was benefit to be gained by representatives of different faith communities meeting to consider a whole range of educational issues. The group has met about three times and among the issues it has discussed has been the need to network the experience of faith representatives applying for Government Voluntary Aided status for their schools. The development of faith schools which have the same status and Government support as Church of England and Roman Catholic schools is a significant development and a cause for reflection among the churches. The CJEPC itself, chaired by the Bishop of Blackburn, continues to explore many educational developments and to exercise pressure and influence on national government.

4.1.2 Major developments have taken place regarding the future of the Free Churches Council Education Committee. Following extensive consultation the Free Churches Council has entered into a series of joint working arrangements in which, for a whole range of activity, they have agreed to have a representative covering the interests of both groups. With regard to education the collaboration has resulted in an agreement to set up a new Free Churches Education Unit. The new arrangements ensure that the distinctive and effective Free Church voice and influence not only continues to be exercised but will actually increase and be made more effective. The United Reformed Church had valued the work of the Free Churches Education Committee, and will continue to have confidence in, and actively support the work of, the new Free Church Unit.

4.2.1 In 1992 Assembly passed a resolution alerting Synods, District Councils and local churches to the Baby Milk Action Coalition. It encouraged them to boycott the purchase of Nescafe and other Nestlé products and to write to the Managing Director of the Nestlé Company expressing deep concern at their policy in providing free baby food to mothers in Third World countries.

4.2.2 The case against Nestlé is basically that it contributes to the unnecessary death and suffering of infants by aggressively marketing breastmilk substitutes in ways that violate the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and subsequent relevant resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly. Promoting baby milk to mothers, it is argued, undermines breastfeeding by hindering the establishment of the mother’s own milk which provides the nutrients necessary for infant growth as well as unique anti-infective properties which protect the baby against common childhood illnesses. Even in wealthy countries the use of baby milk can deny babies the best start in life, but where water is unsafe an artificially-fed child is up to 25 times more likely to die as a result of diarrhoea than a breastfed child. According to UNICEF, reversing the decline in breastfeeding could save the lives of 1.5 million infants around the world every year. It is difficult not to see Nestlé’s approach as a naked ‘profits before health’ one. There are, of course, many other companies producing and marketing breastmilk substitutes, but Nestlé is particularly targeted because it controls about 40% of the world market in these products and uses its influence to undermine controls on marketing activities.

4.2.3 Church and Society continues to support Baby Milk Action, and in fact increased significantly its donation towards its work this year. Because the boycott has been running so long – more than twenty years – it has not always attracted as much publicity as other ‘one-off’ campaigns (like that in 2000 on fuel), but it is in fact supported in the UK by over 100 church, health and consumer groups, more than 90 businesses, 80 student unions, and many local authorities, trade unions and individual politicians and celebrities. Thousands more organisations and individuals in 18 other countries also play a part. In the spirit of the 1992 resolution Church and Society encourages the Church to continue to express practically its feelings about Nestlé’s practice of prioritising its own interests before the health and lives of babies in the developing world.

notes with concern that surveys of Jobcentres undertaken by local churches show that significant proportions of jobs available to unemployed people around the country pay below the National Insurance Lower Earnings Level, below the Income Support rate for a couple with two young children, and below the threshold for access to a Stakeholder Pension.

affirms:

a) the concept of social insurance as an important mechanism for providing people with security in unemployment, illness and old age and as a means of expressing the church’s commitment to ‘the common good’;

b) the view of the Churches’ Enquiry on Unemployment and the Future of Work that it is possible to provide ‘enough good work for all’ and that government should make this
a key policy aim.

General Assembly calls upon local churches to work with the Church and Society Committee to raise these issues at local and national level.

1.1 In September and October 2000 over forty United Reformed churches participated in a survey of Jobcentre vacancies in their areas. Members of the churches visited the local Jobcentre and took down details of all the jobs registered there. This included the kind of job, the rates of pay, the hours of work, and whether the jobs were temporary or permanent. Since that time the Greater Manchester Low Pay Unit has been funded to analyse all the data and produce a report for each church which took part in the survey. As well as the report, each church receives a list of questions to discuss and possible actions to undertake. In the autumn the Church and Society Committee will be publishing a major report giving the results of all the surveys nation-wide.

1.2 It is clear from the preliminary results that many of the jobs on offer are of very poor quality. Despite the minimum wage, the amount of weekly income produced by some jobs is extremely low. A significant proportion of jobs do not pay enough for the worker to qualify for National Insurance benefits - such as statutory sick or maternity pay, contributory Jobseeker’s Allowance, or a state pension. This means that if they fall ill or become unemployed they will have to rely on means-tested benefits. Many workers, particularly women, find they are not entitled to a state pension when they retire because they have not made the necessary National Insurance contributions. This means poverty in old age as well as poverty whilst working. The government has introduced Stakeholder Pensions for people on low incomes, but a large number of jobs in the survey paid below the threshold for these new pensions.

1.3 Income Support is usually seen as the minimum amount that a family needs to live on - although there are numerous studies which suggest that this amount is not actually enough to properly feed and clothe a family. The survey showed numerous jobs which paid less per week than a family with two young children would get in Income Support (even before taking into account housing costs). Although such a family could claim Working Families Tax Credit to top up low wages, many people feel that their inability to provide for their own families is humiliating. It is hard to discover that even working full-time you cannot earn a living wage.

1.4 Successive governments have moved away from providing support through social insurance, and increasingly concentrate on means-tested benefits. This traps people in poverty. A quarter of all people living in the UK are in poverty, compared to much lower levels in continental Europe where social insurance is more generous. Yet the concept of all of us contributing to an insurance scheme so that those who fall on hard times can take from it is an important one: it is the basis of much of the thinking behind the welfare state, and a practical expression of the Christian notion of ‘the common good’. Unless churches protest about the move to more and more means-testing and the erosion of social insurance we may well find that welfare becomes almost entirely means-tested and for the poorest, with the better off being expected to pay into private schemes.

1.5 The Churches’ Enquiry on Unemployment and the Future of Work made clear that it is perfectly possibly not only to provide work for all those who needed it, but also that this could be ‘good work’. This means work which is worth doing, gives dignity, is not exploitative, and which pays a living wage. There is plenty of work which needs doing in communities and in society as a whole - the only question is whether we are prepared to pay for it to be done. The challenge to the churches remains - how to continue to align ourselves with those who have suffered from poverty and unemployment over the years, to ensure that they are not pushed into poor quality jobs. Unemployment may be falling, but this does not mean that everyone is now in good work.

1.6 Local churches can play an important part in bringing this debate to the attention of policy makers and opinion formers in their own area, as well as supporting the Church and Society Committee when it publishes its report in the autumn.