Christian Institute founder John Burns dies
Nicola Laver, Christian Institute
Christian Institute (CI) founder John Burn has died aged 86 following a long illness. His death on 25 October comes eight months after the sudden death of CI director Colin Hart in March.
Originally a science teacher, John’s work in improving standards in schools brought him an OBE for services to education. While a lay reader in the Diocese of Newcastle at Jesmond Parish Church, John was invited to be a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Urban Priority Areas.
Foster appeal
Nicola Laver, Christian Institute
The only evangelical Christian fostering and
adopting agency in England has appealed a
ruling that not accepting same-sex couples
as foster carers was discriminatory.
Last July, the High Court said Cornerstone
cannot
require
carers
to
abide
by
its
Christian beliefs on sexual conduct. Ofsted
had downgraded Cornerstone’s official status
of ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ because
of its position.
Gay prayer
consultation
Nicola Laver, Christian Institute
A statutory ban on so-called conversion
therapy in the UK is edging closer, following
news that a government consultation is to
be published.
Announcing
a
consultation,
the
government
acknowledged
that
some
forms of conversion
therapy are already
prohibited under existing criminal
laws,
such as physical abuse. However, this leaves
Christians wondering what further activities
are set to be criminalised.