Pastors’ briefing on assisted suicide Bill – free webinar for church leaders

UK CHURCH leaders have been invited to join a live webinar on Thursday 24 October to help them equip church members in responding to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, introduced in Parliament last week by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.

The Christian Institute, with 30 years’ experience of engaging with parliamentarians, is offering the free, live, 45-minute pastors’ briefing via Zoom on Thursday 24 October, starting at 1:15pm.

Ciarán Kelly, Director of The Christian Institute, said:

“Details of Kim Leadbeater’s draft Bill are yet to be published, but it’s expected to allow those who are terminally ill and diagnosed with six to 12 months or less to live to get help from doctors to kill themselves. It is the latest in a series of moves across the British Isles to remove end-of-life protections for vulnerable people.

“Many Christian leaders are looking for resources to help church members navigate this latest challenge to the sanctity of life, so we are offering this online discussion as part of the Institute’s ongoing work to equip believers to be a faithful, salt and light influence on our national life.

“Christians have a chance to help their MPs, who will be looking at this bill, to think about the implications. There are important questions about whether it can ever really be ‘compassionate’ to help someone commit suicide, and whether a law allowing doctors to help end the lives of the sick and vulnerable can ever have meaningful safeguards’.

“To consider these and other crucial questions, I will be joined on the livestream by Dave Greatorex, our Head of Policy and Research, Dr Gillian Wright, a former palliative care doctor, and Paul Yeulett, Minister of Grove Chapel Camberwell. We invite all church leaders to join us and to make this resource known to others.”

Church leaders can find a link to the 24 October livestream at Assisted suicide livestream for church leaders.

Kim Leadbeater’s Bill is scheduled for debate in the Commons on 29 November, with MPs expected to be lobbied hard by pro-assisted suicide campaigners. For advice on how to approach MPs on this and other issues, sign up to our mailing list at the.ci/signup

ENDS