After a turbulent year, Church leaders to see in 2021 with week of prayer

After a turbulent 2020, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Karen Gibson, of Kingdom Choir, will be teaming up to lead a special week of prayer to see in the New Year.

'Declaration' is the initiative of Tearfund and will air on Christian TV channel TBN from 3 to 9 January 2021. 

Other special guests at Declaration include Bishop John Francis, founder of Ruach City Church, 24/7 Prayer co-founder Pete Greig, and Pastor Agu Irukwu, Chair of RCCG UK, who will join Gibson and Archbishop Justin Welby in a televised discussion about race. 

Pastor Irukwu said: "I'm looking forward to being part of a round table debate with the Archbishop and others to explore justice, race and healing.

"I hope all our communities join us for this week of prayer and begin the year renewed and reawakened."

Archbishop Welby said the events of 2020 had brought race issues to the fore. 

"This year longstanding racial injustice has been brought again to our attention as a sin demanding our repentance and urgent action," he said. 

"I'm honoured to be supporting Declaration's week of prayer and I'm looking forward to a courageous discussion exploring how we as the Church can become more deeply transformed into a truly Jesus-shaped community."

'Declaration' coincides with what is traditionally significant time in the black majority Church, when churches would normally come together to ring in the New Year with prayer, worship and celebration followed by a week of corporate prayer and fasting.

Seth Pinnock, head of African and Caribbean engagement at Tearfund said: "I can see no better way to start 2021 than by taking part in Declaration week to give your new year a head start.

"My hope is as people gather in their living rooms over the seven days they'll have something of an upper room encounter, transformed by what they've experienced. Prayer is powerful, prayer changes things."

Declaration will air on TBN at 8-9pm from 3 to 9 January. Each day will have a different theme, from 'Justice and Restoration', to 'Women' and 'Youth'. 

For more information visit https://www.tearfund.org/campaigns/declaration

News
Violence and persecution driving global Christian exodus, report warns
Violence and persecution driving global Christian exodus, report warns

Aid to the Church in Need, which produced the report, called the oppression of Christians "a human rights catastrophe the world refuses to acknowledge".

More than 60 killed in attacks on Ethiopian Christians, Orthodox Church says
More than 60 killed in attacks on Ethiopian Christians, Orthodox Church says

Children were reportedly among the dead as families fled violence in Oromia.

Church mentioned in St Jerome's letters may have been discovered
Church mentioned in St Jerome's letters may have been discovered

Archaeologists in northern Italy have identified the likely site of an early Christian church that St. Jerome described in a letter in A.D. 396, along with a nearby building believed to have been the bishop’s palace in the ancient city of Altino.

Jordan carries out retaliatory strikes in Syria after deadly church attack
Jordan carries out retaliatory strikes in Syria after deadly church attack

Patriarch Theophilos III has visited survivors of the attack in hospital.