Christian MP Andrew Selous has encouraged Christians, and particularly church leaders, to invite their MP for breakfast on Friday 25th June.
The National Parliamentary Prayer breakfast is normally held in the Houses of Parliament and is a chance for MPs and Peers to recognise the positive impact of Christians in UK life. This year, former Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom will host the event and theologian NT Wright will speak on the theme of ‘Life Beyond Covid: A Renewed Hope’.
It will be held at 8:00-8:45am on Zoom because of Covid restrictions but organisers are suggesting that church leaders in every constituency should meet up with their MP and watch it somewhere together. They suggest then discussing afterwards how they can all serve their community together.
Andrew Selous, who represents the Church of England in parliament as the Second Church Estates Commissioner, told Premier's A Mucky Business podcast: "Write to your MP and ask her or him to have breakfast. At the moment we can have six people together inside...the weather is getting nicer at the moment, you could possibly have up to 30 outside couldn't you? So why don't you get to know your MP?"
Events can be registered online and you can find out if one has already been registered in your area here.
Andrew Selous MP
Mr Selous said church leaders may have more in common with their local politician than they think: "Actually I always think that pastors, church leaders, priests and MPs are very much in the same business - pastoral care for constituents / parishioners is at the heart of what we do."
The Conservative MP for South West Bedfordshire added that it is good to have a good working relationship with your local MP: "Then you can pray for them and support them in their work, raise issues of concern with them. You're not signing up to the political allegiance of your MP, you're just respecting the fact that they've been democratically elected and have a mandate for that position. So, I think that will be a wonderful thing to do."
