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E I D S Win a great IN break in Dorset E5 THE SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013 No: 6161 www.churchnewspaper.com PRICE £1.35 1,70j US$2.20 CHURCH OF ENGLAND THE ORIGINAL CHURCH NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHED IN 1828 NEWSPAPER Algeria Christians on the edge By George Conger Communications Minister Mohamed Said stated the militants had demanded the LAST WEEK’S attack by Islamic militants release of jailed comrades and a ransom. Algerian special police unit on a natural gas refinery in the Sahara However, they also planned to “blow up the officers secure the hospital in desert underscores the precarious plight of gas complex and kill all the hostages,” he Ain Amenas, Algeria, Friday, Algeria’s Christian population, church lead- said. Jan. 18, 2013, two days after ers in North Africa tell The Church of Eng- On 19 January Algerian Special Forces the start of the terrorist attack land Newspaper. stormed the plant, ending the four-day at a gas plant. Anti-conversion laws, coupled with the stand-off. The Algerian state news agency after-effects of the civil war between the APS reported that 685 Algerian and 107 for- state and Islamist extremists that left an eign workers had been freed, while 32 ter- estimated 100,000 dead during the 1990s, rorists and 23 hostages died over the have made the public profession of the course of the siege. Seven hostages were Christian faith dangerous. But over the executed by the militants during the final past 25 years the rate of conversions from assault as troops tried to free them. Islam to Christianity has grown sharply, However, the Associated Press reported especially among the Berber people in the the death toll was expected to rise as 25 Kabylie region, sources in North African additional bodies, many burnt beyond report. recognition, had been discovered by sol- No official statistics on the number of diers searching the plant for explosives Christian converts are published by the after the battle. state, however the missionary St Francis The Foreign Office reported that three Magazine in its December 2006 issue esti- Britons had been killed in the siege and mated the numbers being anywhere from three more were missing. Twenty-two 7,000 to 100,000. British oil workers were rescued and have Last week, the “Masked Brigade” a mili- been flown back to the UK, the foreign sec- tant group linked to al-Qaeda founded by retary reported. Algerian terrorist Moktar Belmoktar The family of a Plymouth man, Allen seized the In Amenas refinery in the McCloud, told the BBC they were Sahara desert owned by the state oil com- “relieved” to learn he was safe, but had pany Sonatrach and operated by BP and harsh words for BP and the government Norway’s Statoil. saying they had failed to keep the families Allen McCloud informed. “The lack of information from all Ford told the BBC Mr McCloud’s release the relevant sources was very poor. We was a “fantastic piece of news” but “it has were kept up to date from friends who come at the cost of so much harrowing worked in the oil and gas industry and the experience of those who were also held news.” The Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Rev John Continued on page 7 LETTERS 8 • PETER MULLEN 9 • COMMENT 9 • CLERGY MOVES 12 • ANGLICAN LIFE 13 • SUNDAY 15 • PAUL RICHARDSON 16 2 www.churchnewspaper.com Sunday January 27, 2013 News Inside... Church metal thefts drop dramatically Britain’ s leading evangelical newspaper METAL thefts from churches fell from process for licensing dealers has passed more than 2,600 claims in 2011 to 930 last through the Commons and is now being year, the lowest figure for six years. discussed by the Lords. It could become According to Ecclesiastical, the cost of law before Easter. insurance claims fell from nearly £4.5 mil- A number of scrap metal dealers have lion in 2011, which was the worst year on signed up for a voluntary code in which record, to £1.8 million in 2012. they agree to keep photographic records of In the Diocese of Truro claims fell by 70 those who sell them scrap metal. per cent and in Exeter they fell by 50 per Ecclesiastical underwrites 96 per cent of cent but Ecclesiastical says there are some Britain’s churches. Director John Coates areas where claims are too high. The worst described the 2012 figures for metal theft as affected areas for metal theft are Birming- ‘hugely encouraging’ but said it would be ham, Chichester, Winchester and Chelms- ‘premature’ to predict the problem was News . 1-7 ford Dioceses. over. Your Church . 2 Ecclesiastical is offering its worst-hit cus- Although figures for 2012 are down on UK News . 1-5 tomers a donation to install wireless alarm previous years they are still high compared World News Review . 6-7 protection. It also provides churches with with levels seen in the 1990s and the early SmartWater, which makes it possible to years of this century when there were fewer Comment trace metal to its source. than 10 claims a year. Letters . .8 Falling metal prices have helped to “Even though the figures are pointing in Leader . .9 reduce theft but increased activity by the and had been stealing metal all around the the right direction, it’s going to take a con- Peter Mullen . 9 police has also been important. At the end Midlands. certed effort, for years to come, from busi- of last year a Romanian metal gang was Last year Ecclesiastical launched a nesses, politicians and law-enforcement England on Sunday arrested by British Transport Police and ‘Hands Off Our Churches’ campaign. A pri- agencies to ensure our heritage is safer Rowan Reconsidered . .E1 sentenced to a total of over 20 years in vate-members bill that outlaws cash pay- from these heartless, predatory criminals,” Andrew Carey . .E2 prison. The gang was based in Birmingham ments for scrap metal and introduces a Mr Coates said. Whispering Gallery . .E2 Nigel Nelson . .E3 Judy West . .E3 Bullying tackled . .E4 Air Cadets drop oath requiring a faith in God Win a holiday in Devon . .E5 Arts & Media . .E6 HUMANISTS have scored a victory in their bid to use equalities do not believe in any God and not willing to lie by saying words Books . .E7 legislation to stop organisations from asking members to make they don’t believe.” Catherine Fox . .E8 pledges or take an oath that involves a reference to God. Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association, Andrew Crossword . .E8 The Air Cadet organisation with over 35,000 members aged Copson, claimed that the proportion of young people who were not between 13 and 20 is to offer future cadets the option of a non-reli- religious was growing and that ‘the institutions of our society need The Record gious oath. At present they take an oath that ‘I (full name), hereby to catch up with this demographic fact if they are going to remain Snow gallery . .11 solemnly promise on my honour to serve my Unit loyally and to be relevant and build cohesion between young people of different Classifieds . .10, 11 faithful as a member of the Air Training Corps. I further promise to beliefs’. Clergy Moves . .12 be a good citizen and to do my duty to God and the Queen, my The Scouts and Guides were granted exemption from the Equal- CMS . .13 country and my flag.’ The oath is taken at a ceremony presided ity Act in order to allow them to continue to require members to Hope UK . .14 over by the commanding officer or the padre. take a religious oath. Both organisations are consulting members Spiritual Director . .15 Humanists based their campaign on the argument that the Air on whether to remove religious references from their pledges. Sunday Service . .15 Cadets should comply with national and European legislation and Andrew Copson said the British Humanist Association was contin- Steve Morris . .15 with Ministry of Defence policy on equality and diversity. uing to engage with the Scouts and Guides on his issue and hoped Paul Richardson . .16 Welcoming the news, David Brittain of the UK Armed Forces for a ‘progressive change on every front’. People . .16 Humanist Association said: “According to repeated surveys 65 per The BHA has won another significant victory by forcing the Milestones . .16 cent of teenagers or more say they are not religious, and having Department of Education to publish a list of all groups that have Next week’s news . .16 failed to provide a non-religious path the organisation has exclud- applied to run free schools giving details of their religious affilia- ed significant numbers of young people of good conscience who tion. News from Your Church your diocese Southwell & Nottingham: In celebrating they attended a service in Holy Cross, ing.” The first of four tours throughout the the bicentenary of her most beloved novel, Ramsbury, with the Bishop of Ramsbury year will commence 31 January at 2pm. Jane Austen has been remembered at and later met with the Bishop of Sher- Cost is £5. Tours can be booked at the Southwell Minster. There were readings borne, Dr Graham Kings. During this time cathedral or online at: www.cathedral- from Pride and Prejudice as well as songs of prayer, Dr Kings said: “In responding to shop.com from Austen’s own piano book as a way to the Olympics, we found this emphasis on pay tribute to the classic. Many of Austen’s mission provided a focus for our unity.