One of the largest Christian festivals in the UK has been accused of distancing itself from a local pro-life display.
The display was erected near the Keswick Convention and featured an image of a nine-week-old baby in the womb. It was organised by Brephos, the church-facing arm of pro-life group CBR UK.
Keswick Convention is the longest-running Christian event in the UK, having taken place in the Cumbrian town of Keswick since 1875.
The convention has previously hosted pro-life talks and confirmed to Premier that it has "always believed in the sanctity of human life, believing life begins at conception".
But the festival noted that it was "saddened by an approach which we believe is likely to disengage more people than it wins to this beautiful truth".
Brephos leader Dave Brennan said the group had experienced “extremely positive interactions with Conventioners".
"Many thanked us for what we are doing," he said. "It is the leadership of the Convention that – frankly – is more concerned about reputational damage and people being offended in the local area than the shedding of innocent blood.”
In a previous statement on 24th July, the Keswick Convention said they had been made aware of the planned display and were working closely with the police.
"We would like to emphasise that this group has no affiliation with Keswick Ministries," they stated at the time.
"As soon as we were aware that this activity might be a possibility, we contacted the organisers and requested they not use their public display in Keswick.
"Keswick Ministries are delighted to work closely with the police who are aware of the situation."
Christian pro-lifers expressed disappointment at the Convention’s comments. “If it is a truly Christian organisation it should truly welcome the presence of Brephos and the proclamation of the authentic pro life message,” Dr Dermot Kearney, a UK-based cardiologist and former head of the Catholic Medical Association, told Premier.
“The statement suggests a degree of fear and timidity and that is very unfortunate for anybody professing to proclaim the Gospel of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To follow him demands courage and fearless defence of what is true.”
Conservative evangelical Aaron Edwards, wrote on X: “Keswick Convention is the oldest and most prestigious evangelical conference in the UK. I know many who have contributed to and benefited from it.
“Sadly, like many institutions today, it is now ‘saddened’ not by heinous evil but by potential loss of its own reputation before the world. Note the pitiful contrast of emotions here. They are ‘saddened’ by brothers and sisters boldly standing for truth and justice; and they are ‘delighted’ to work with the police who oppose such Christians as though they’re bad for society.”
The annual festival is free to attend and takes place over three weeks in various venues within the small town of Keswick, which had just 5,203 inhabitants in the 2021 Census, but hosts up to 15,000 visitors during the Convention.
The festival featured a pro-life talk last year by Celia Wyatt. She used the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 to argue that Christians should balance “grace and truth”.
“It’s equally possible to…show so much compassion that we step outside the boundaries of God’s truth,” said Wyatt in a handout on the talk.
“We do need to respond to abortion but in a way that doesn’t leave women who’ve made that choice or are contemplating it feeling judged and condemned. We should speak with sadness, not hate, in our voices, with compassionate understanding not judgemental superiority.”
Heather Tomlinson is a freelance journalist.