
Press release from Churches Together in England
Tens of thousands of Christians across Britain united to pray as part
of the National Day of Prayer and Action on Sunday 22nd March 2020,
responding to the call made by Presidents of Churches Together in
England (CTE).
Amid the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, candles were lit in
thousands of homes across Britain at 7pm on Mothering Sunday,
symbolising the light of Christ shining into the darkness.
Even those living in ‘social isolation’ were able to unite in this act
of prayer, standing together in solidarity and faith at this time of
global crisis.
Social media was flooded with images as people shared their #candleofhope. So many photos were shared that the hashtag #candleofhope became Twitter’s second most trending hashtag in the UK during the evening.
More than 71,500 people viewed the online call to prayer from CTE’s Presidents,
where church communities were called to pray and to “light a candle in
the windows of your homes as a visible symbol of the light of life,
Jesus Christ, our source and hope in prayer.”
Christians across the globe also took part, with photos shared from Malta, Canada and the USA.
Christians are encouraged to continue to pray #prayersofhope and to
show acts of kindness to those around them, whilst ensuring they abide
by all government health advice.
In sharing his thanks to all who took part in the day of prayer,
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, one of CTE’s Presidents,
encouraged Christians to “Please commit to praying each day, as well as
taking action to look out for your neighbours.”
Churches Together in England is the national ecumenical body which
supports and encourages churches to work together in unity at a
national, county and local level. In fact, CTE unites the widest range
of church traditions in Europe, including Catholic, Anglican, Reformed,
Free Church, Orthodox and Pentecostal churches.
Revd Dr Paul Goodliff, General Secretary of CTE, says of the day of
prayer: “The heart of Churches Together in England is to see churches
working and worshipping together. How significant to see thousands of
Christians uniting as one by praying and lighting their #candleofhope,
symbolising Christ’s light shining into the darkness.”
The call to prayer, issued by CTE’s Presidents on Tuesday 17th March,
encouraged churches: “Whether you are continuing to worship as
congregations or not, we have the great privilege and freedom to be able
to call upon God, wherever we are, individually and corporately, for
healing in our nation.”
It was later that day, 17th March, that churches across the UK were advised to cease gathering in person
until further notice, due to the rising number of coronavirus cases.
But despite church buildings and gatherings having to close, the
overwhelming response to this national call to prayer shows that the
church is still very much alive.
Revd Paul Goodliff adds: “The church has certainly not closed. Although
we are not able to gather together in person at this time, we as the
diverse range of churches across England are seeking creative ways to
continue to serve our communities, to support one another and to worship
and pray together. The sheer number of churches sharing prayers,
messages and services online this Sunday are testament to this.”
“The family of fifty churches in CTE agree with the Archbishops of
Canterbury and York; ‘We urge you sisters and brothers to become a
different sort of church in these coming months: hopeful and rooted in
the offering of prayer and praise and overflowing in service to the
world.’”
This call to prayer was supported by CTE’s 50 Member Churches as well as Christian bodies across Britain, including the Evangelical Alliance, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, Cytûn, and churches across Scotland.
Presidents of Churches Together in England who issued this call to prayer are:Archbishop Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster
Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, The Free Churches Moderator
Archbishop Angaelos of London, Archbishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of London and CTE President for the Orthodox Churches
Pastor Agu Irukwu, head of RCCG UK and CTE Pentecostal President
As churches continue to respond to government advice, you can find
links to guidance from a number of our Member Churches, as well as
further prayer resources, at www.cte.org.uk/coronavirusguidance

https://cte.org.uk/Articles/570363/Home/News/Latest_news/Thousands_light_a.aspx