Tag: persecuted Christians

Bishop of Manchester asks about training for asylum adjudicators

The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on training on religious literacy for adjudicators of asylum claims on 29th June 2026 during a discussion on the possibility of replacing immigration judges with adjudicators:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, picking up on the point about training, can the Minister tell us what support will be available and what training will be offered to the adjudicators around religious literacy? Decisions regarding people’s cases often hinge on claims of religious persecution and involve people who have deeply traumatic pasts. They must, therefore, be well-informed and accurate.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about protection of Christian communities in Israel and Palestine

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 19th June 2026:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government: 

  • what assessment they have made of freedom of religion or belief in Israel and Palestine.
  • what assessment they have made of the report from the Rossing Centre for Education and Dialogue, Attacks on Christians in Israel and East Jerusalem, published in 2025; and what discussions they have had with government of Israel about protecting Christian communities in Israel and East Jerusalem from harassment and violence.
  • what discussions they have had with the government of Israel regarding actions on 15 June on land and property in Silwan owned by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
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Church Commissioners Written Questions: Palestinian Christians, Disability, Cost of Living, Roman Catholic Church, Community Relations

Christianity: Palestine

Adam Jogee MP (Lab, Newcastle-under Lyme): To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent steps the Church of England has taken to help support Christians living in Palestine.

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church of England and the Anglican Communion continue to support the ministry of the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem and the Diocese of Jerusalem alongside the Anglican Mission agencies operating in the region who largely provide healthcare and education to all living in the local communities in the West Bank and Gaza. The Archbishop of Canterbury is currently on a pilgrimage to the region, where she is learning and witnessing the work of these agencies

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Church Commissioners Questions: Disabled Access to Churches, Cost of Living, Places of Worship Renewal Fund, Support for Christians in Palestine

On 18th June 2026, in the House of Commons, the Second Church Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:

Churches: Disabled Access

Daniel Francis MP (Lab, Bexleyheath and Crayford) asked: 3. What steps the Church of England is taking to ensure that churches are accessible for disabled people.

Marsha De Cordova (Lab, Battersea): The Church of England is committed to improving accessibility, so that all who wish to attend churches, whether for worship or community activities, are able to do so. Parishes may apply to the parish accessibility fund for up to £50,000 or a small grant of up to £5,000 for project proposals to improve accessibility features, such as the installation of an accessible toilet, step-free access and production of large-print materials.

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Bishop of Manchester speaks in debate on atrocity crimes, raising issue of methods of responding to regimes and governments complicit in atrocities

The Bishop of Manchester spoke in a debate on evaluating the risk of atrocity crimes and identifying risks of genocide on 20th January 2026, raising the question of how the government might respond to such crimes and the added complication of regimes and governments that are complicit in atrocities:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Alton, for securing this debate and his deep and long-standing commitment to these issues, which serves as a great example to us all in this House.

In one of my unpaid personal roles I chair USPG, a global Anglican mission agency. We are celebrating our 325th birthday this year. We have been operating for a long time, and we operate across much of the globe. It is in that capacity in particular that I have become aware, through the contact we have with people in various jurisdictions, of places not only where atrocities are regularly committed against religious and ethnic minorities—sometimes Christians, but not exclusively—but where the security or the political situation is edging towards a greater risk of atrocity crimes and crimes against humanity in the future.

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Church Commissioners Questions: Persecuted Christians, Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, End-of-life Ministry, Safeguarding

On 15th January 2026, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs in the House of Commons:

Persecuted Christians Abroad

Matt Turmaine MP (Lab, Watford) asked: 1. What steps the Church of England is taking to help support persecuted Christians in other countries. (907298)

Andrew Rosindell MP (Con, Romford) asked: 3. What steps the Church of England is taking to help tackle the persecution of Christians in other countries.

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Church Commissioners Questions: National Church Governance Measure, Identity Sexuality Relationships and Marriage, Support for Christians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Vicars (Rural Parishes), Solar Power (Churches)

On 27th November 2025, the Leader of the House of Commons, Sir Alan Campbell MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:

National Church Governance Measure

Danny Kruger MP (Reform, East Wiltshire) asked: 2. What guidance the Church Commissioners have received from the Charity Commission on changes proposed under the draft National Church Governance Measure.

Sir Alan Campbell MP (Lab, Tynemouth): I am sorry that the Second Church Estates Commissioner, my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Marsha De Cordova), is unwell; we wish her a swift recovery. She will be listening, and if my answers fall short, I am sure that she will follow up on them with Members.

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Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: Bishop of London supports amendments on freedom of religion and modern slavery

During a debate on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on 11th November 2025, the Bishop of London spoke in opposition to two amendments aimed at potentially restricting claims of asylum for reasons of freedom of religion and modern slavery, pointing out the lack of evidence of any abuse of the baptism process by asylum seekers and the need to protect the safety of those under threat from religious discrimination:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I resist Amendment 79D. This amendment and Amendment 79E in the next group are both motivated by reports that asylum seekers are choosing to convert to Christianity upon arrival in the UK in order to support their claim for asylum on the grounds of religious persecution. Amendment 79E is of deep concern. I will address this in the next group.

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Church Commissioners Questions: Persecuted Christians, Supporting Freedom of Religion and Belief Abroad, Small Churches in Rural Constituencies, Community Relations, Archbishop of Canterbury

In the House of Commons, the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Marsha De Cordova MP, gave the following answers to questions from MPs:

Persecuted Christians

Brian Mathew MP (LD, Melksham and Devizes) asked: 1. What steps the Church of England is taking to help support persecuted Christians in other countries.

Marsha De Cordova MP (Lab, Battersea): The Church of England supports efforts to defend international religious freedoms for Christians or whichever religious group faces persecution. The Church has created parliamentary caucuses involving religious leaders in east and west Africa, and in south-east Asia to support legislation to protect religious freedoms.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about threats against Christians in Syria

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 18th July 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked His Majesty’s Government, in the light of the suicide bombing at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias on 22 June, what support they have given to the new government of Syria to help to protect the Christian population against attack.

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