So today the Co-op bank announces a loss of £1.3bn, acknowledges that it will loose more money over the next couple of years and poses a question over whether the Co-op will invest another £120m in the bank or see it’s ownership share slip further. At the same time the wider Co-op group has seen... Continue Reading →
BUGB council meets again – without me :)
The new style BUGB Council meets for the first time today; one of a number of small steps in changing the Union as a result of the ‘Futures’ process. I’m not part of this so have no idea what’s going on, and I suspect that the change of format will mean fewer social media updates... Continue Reading →
Not at Baptist Union Council
Normally I blog about my experiences of BUGB Council which starts today. However, I'm not there this time as I'm teaching in Iquitos; working alongside the Baptist Churches of the Peruvian Baptist Convention here who BMS world mission partner with. I will blog about both when I get the chance. However, internet here is to... Continue Reading →
BUGB Futures: more debate
Phil posted a comment on my previous blog (here) that warrants a proper response. At issue is how we understand the decisions made last week by BUGB Council, so if you find the whole debate a turn off look away now. Phil says I fail to understand what the changes are about, that it is not... Continue Reading →
BUGB Council – potential?
Council was a difficult affair. This ought not to be a surprise given the outcome means some people will loose their jobs; no one should delight in pain. It was also difficult to see where the future might be and where agreement lay.After some disquiet and soul searching Council agreed to the main elements of... Continue Reading →
Futures, Council and #BUGB
Off to BUGB Council again tomorrow; an extra one to progress the conversation about the Futures process. Many people, several of them friends, have invested a lot of work in this yet I go with a heavy heart because I don’t think we have identified the vision and strategy needed. - I don’t see Association... Continue Reading →
BUGB Council – humility is undervalued
BUGB Council meets again. 400 years after the first Baptist church in England we are starkly reminded that our faith should not be placed in institutions, our treasure should not be in investments and our confidence should not be in numbers. As we recall Jesus walking purposefully to Jerusalem we are reminded that he invited... Continue Reading →
BUGB Council – reasons for optimism
OK I’m not sure I feel optimistic yet for this is proving to be a Council like no other. But, as with the Council in which the Union made the ‘Apology’, this suggests that God is at work even if we can’t yet see it. Nevertheless, I think some trends are discernable which might shape... Continue Reading →
BUGB Council – character or decision
So Council draws to a close till later in the year. It has been dominated by questions of pensions, which are going to be a significant issue over the next few months. But for me the highlight has been a presentation by the Younger Leaders Forum; a Baptist 18-30 group who grapple with issues relating... Continue Reading →
Distinct Reflections 