The Evangelical Fellowship
for Lesbian and Gay Christians

Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance (EA), was appointed as an Equality and Human Rights Commissioner last autumn.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission `champions equality and human rights for all, working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society’

How will he address the rights and responsibilities of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, given the negative and often judgmental position of the Evangelical Alliance?  He was after all General Director when Courage was forced to leave the EA following a change of direction to support rather than re-orient gay Christians.

Recently the EA’s Head of Public Policy Don Horrocks, in an item about homophobic hate crime, said on BBC Radio 4 that the rap lyrics advocating murder of gay men, and that they would burn in hell, was Biblical, and there should be no restriction on quoting the Bible. I would have hoped that Revd Joel as General Director would have distanced the EA from such inflammatory remarks.

He said on his appointment that it is a formidable task to balance rights with responsibilities. We have a duty to support him in our prayers.

Brenda Harrison
Dated 9 February 2008