Public Policy and Advocacy
Not in Our Name A group of midwives have written a letter to The Royal College of Midwives, opposing the College's support for the BPAS campaign to legalise abortion for any reason up to birth. If you are a midwife, student midwife or maternity support worker please sign the letter, or if you know anyone who is a midwife and objects to the Royal College's support for this campaign, please point them to the letter and ask them to sign. To view and sign the letter visit: bit.ly/notinournameuk
Down's Syndrome screening petition
CitizenGO have created a petition to urge Jeremy Hunt to prevent the implementation of cfDNA screening for Trisomy 13, 18 and 21 and to ensure that better support is provided for parents who have a child with a disability.
Down's babies and abortion petition
A petition letter to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists seeks to put an end to late term abortions for babies with Down's Syndrome, disputing the classification of Down's as a 'serious handicap'.
New DLS now out
A new edition of the much-loved Doctors' Life Support is now available. There is a Scripture reading and devotional comment for every day of the year (though there is no year dating, so it's not time sensitive). It's a truly international project masterminded by ICMDA with a Canadian editor and much of the print and production done in India. CMF members contributed over a third of the entries, many of them doctors working internationally.
Cost £7.00. Order at www.cmf.org.uk/bookstore
Meet Trudy Simpson
We are delighted to welcome Trudy Simpson to the staff of CMF. Trudy takes over from Cheryl Chin as Researcher in the Public Policy Team. Trudy brings a background in journalism. We put some questions to her.
What prompted you to apply for this role?
A friend of mine who is a CMF member saw the role advertised and told me about it. The moment I saw it, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to apply. I am glad I did. I like being here. I definitely know this is where God wants me to be right now.
Tell us something of your past experience?
I spent more than seven years working in journalism and also served as a volunteer in several Christian organisations before coming to CMF.
Your church? I currently attend Hillsong London. I love the worship and the teaching is good. They meet people where they are on their faith journey.
Family and connections? My immediate family, namely my parents, three sisters and their families, are not in the UK but I have been blessed with having several lovely cousins here.
Impressions having done two months in the job?
I am enjoying my time here. I have learned so much about public policy research, particularly how faith impacts public policy issues and how important it is to ensure that policy makers are exposed to godly perspectives on issues that affect so many lives. I also like meeting with colleagues for devotions in the mornings.
Tom Roberts, Communications Coordinator for the past three years, left at the end of January to join the staff of UCCF, working on Bethinking.org, UCCF's apologetics website.
Cheryl Chin has finished her one year term as Junior Researcher with the CMF Public Policy and Advocacy Team. It's not a complete break. She has taken on CMF speaking engagements and joined the CMF Triple Helix editorial committee.
Andrew Horton who works with the CMF Communications team married Rhiannon Parfitt on 12 March. Our best wishes.
In the steps of Wilberforce
Akey skillset for leaders of movements of Christian doctors is engaging in the public marketplace. Participants at the 2016 Sydenham Conference for international emerging leaders, had a taster of this during the London leg of their training experience. A visit to the Houses of Parliament included hearing at talk by Fiona Bruce MP who is on record as saying that 'defending and fighting for the sanctity of human life' is her priority in Parliament. She showed willingness to stand on controversial causes with her amendment to the Serious Crime Bill 2014 seeking to make abortion on the grounds of the sex of the baby illegal, an amendment rejected by 292 votes to 201.
A day in Cambridge was a further opportunity to trace examples of how Christians shaped the Christian foundations of the UK. There were visits to several Cambridge colleges, but perhaps the most moving was St John's where the contribution of William Wilberforce MP is commemorated.
Most people associate Wilberforce with the anti-slave trade campaign, but his political canvas was much wider. He dedicated himself to what he termed a 'reformation of manners', a campaign supported by King George III.
Refreshing the CMF website
Work is well underway to refresh the CMF website and it should go live in late April. We have produced an attractive, contemporary, homepage with improved navigation. It will be based around CMF's new '2020 Active' vision for the years 2016- 2020 and serving our overall theme, 'Connect & Grow, Speak & Serve'.
