House of Commons - Culture, Media and Sport

Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport Minutes of Evidence

APPENDIX 12

Memorandum submitted by the Lambeth Group

1.1 The "Lambeth Group" is more correctly called the "Churches and Other Faiths sub-group" of the Government's Millennium Co-ordinating Group (MCG). It was brought into being after the Archbishop of Canterbury's representative on MCG suggested that there would be a need for a body that could advise Government and major Millennium players on the religious sensitivities of the forthcoming Millennium celebrations. It therefore provides a sounding-board for Government, the Millennium Commission, the Royal Households, the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), the Churches, and other faith communities.

1.2 Although the group meets at Lambeth Palace, it is not a Church of England body: the members are drawn from the main Christian Churches of the whole United Kingdom. On the Group also sit members of the Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities and a representative of the Inter Faith Network for the UK. The Archbishop of Canterbury's Chaplain, the Revd Canon Colin Fletcher, acts as co-chair with a senior member of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport: formerly Mr Hayden Phillips, Permanent Secretary, currently Mr David Chesterton, head of the Sport, Tourism, Millennium and NLCB/NOF Group within the Department.

1.3 The Group has no budget or formal powers; its purpose is simply to assist communication between the main bodies working on public events and projects to mark the Millennium which have a religious dimension. It also acts as a conduit for advice and suggestions from the Churches and other faiths on such matters as the contents of the "Spirit Zone" of the Dome.

1.4 The Group has met nine times since its formation in September 1996. On 23 January 1997, the then Secretary of State for National Heritage, the Rt Hon Virginia Bottomley MP attended; on 18 September 1997, the present Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt Hon Chris Smith MP, attended and, on 23 February 1998, the Minister Without Portfolio, Mr Peter Mandelson MP, attended. Ms Jennifer Page, Chief Executive of NMEC, and senior members of her staff regularly attend, as do senior staff from the Millennium Commission and staff from the Royal Households.

1.5 The Group meets three or four times a year. The religious organisation members meet together for the first half of the meeting. They are then joined for the second half by Government and external body members. This process allows the Group to act as a place of shared discussion for the Churches and other faith bodies, as well as being a locus for agreed input to the external bodies.

2. WORK DONE BY THE GROUP

2.1 An early contribution the Group made to a sharing of information about the Millennium was the compilation of "Values for the Greenwich Exhibition", which was presented to NMEC in July 1997 and a copy was also given by DCMS to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. This guidance for NMEC was offered on a confidential basis and combined hoped would be taken into account at the Dome, together with some specific pointers to how they hoped explicitly religious content would be handled. In particular, the Group stated:

"The faith communities should not be marginalised in terms of the content of the New Millennium Experience. We would, for example, look to see creative explanatory and interpretative material covering aspects of faith and time:

How did the Christian calendar develop and what is the significance of the Millennium?

What calendars are used by members of other faith communities in the UK? How are festival dates determined in them? (For example, lunar calendars, anniversaries of significant events)

How are these festivals celebrated by the faith communities, and what is their meaning?

What are the beliefs and practices of the world religious traditions represented in the United Kingdom today?

Why are the life and teachings of Jesus, whose birth is marked at this Millennium, important in world history and for millions of Christians?

We would expect NMEC to consult with representatives of faith communities about the religious content of the Dome, and about the detail of any worship and prayer space.

The details of chaplaincy and worship on site are important. As far as the churches are concerned, there could be opportunities for major national worship events and regular worship for visitors. Many faith communities might wish to hold large-scale events (perhaps for young people or families) which would bring large numbers to the Dome and make a statement about the place of faith in the year 2000.

We are grateful that the idea of a Christian chapel is receiving careful consideration. We would also expect to see an appropriate space where those of other faiths could go to pray (both in terms of their daily obligation and on special occasions). This is a complex and sensitive matter, and NMEC will need to take advice on how this can be done.

We would also expect NMEC to ensure that invitations to hold events at the Dome were extended to all sections of the community."

The full document was made public in February 1998 in response to requests from the media and other bodies. It represents the Group's early thinking, and as NMEC's plans have evolved, the Group has been able to continue discussion as the formal design process (see section 3 below) has moved forward.

2.3 During 1997, the Group produced a document "Marking the Millennium in a Multi-Faith Society" which was published on its behalf by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in association with the Inter Faith Network for the UK. The document went through many drafts to ensure that it would be acceptable to both the Christian Churches and the other faiths. Smaller faiths without direct representation on the Group (Baha'i, Buddhist, Jain and Zoroastrian) were consulted through the Inter Faith Network. The guidelines open with the explanation that:

A significant dimension of life in Britain at the end of the twentieth century is the presence of communities of the world's major religious traditions: Baha'i; Buddhist; Christian; Hindu; Jain; Jewish; Muslim; Sikh; and Zoroastrian; as well as a number of smaller religious groups.

The Millennium marks a key event in Christian history: 2,000 years, according to traditional dating, since the birth of Jesus. Christian Churches around the world will be marking this with many different forms of worship and commemoration. In countries such as the UK, where the Christian tradition has been rooted for many centuries and has had such a formative influence, many national and civic celebrations will have a specifically Christian framework.

At the same time, in our multi faith society, there will also be shared celebrations and 2000 will be an opportunity for people of all faiths to draw on the spiritual heritages of their own traditions to think together about the values that underpin our society and to reflect on the future of our society and our environment for ourselves, our children and generations to come. It can be a time, as well, to think about the importance of building good relationships between the faith communities and pledging to avoid repetition of past conflicts.

Local authorities and other organisations planning events, projects, and civic opportunities for shared celebration, thanksgiving, reflection or worship will need to bear in mind the importance of making these as inclusive as possible in terms of multi-faith and multi-cultural participation. The following guidelines are designed to assist in planning Millennium related events and projects in multi-faith contexts. They are not exhaustive, and users may wish to contact the range of organisations listed below for further advice or assistance.

3,000 copies were originally printed, and the DCMS has had to reprint twice because of high demand. The document was given to all delegates invited to the eight regional Millennium Conferences held early in 1998 (see 2.8 below). The guidelines were designed to help specifically in multi-faith areas and contexts, and to supplement the resources being offered by the Churches for specifically Christian events and projects.

2.4 The Churches have their own programmes for marking the Millennium as a Christian anniversary and the Lambeth Group has been a helpful forum for the churches to explain and develop them while taking into account the views of those of other faith traditions. In England, plans have been taken forward by Churches Together in England on behalf of all the mainstream denominations. In Scotland, Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) have a three-year programme of preparation. In Wales, CYTUN (the equivalent ecumenical body) is co-ordinating planning, as is the Irish Council of Churches for Northern Ireland. For example, Churches Together in England originated plans for marking the Millennium Moment with a national moment of shared reflection just before midnight on Thursday 31st December 1999.This will involve the distribution, by churches, of small candles for people to light, together with the invitation to join in a "Millennium Affirmation". This plan is being supported by Churches in Wales and Scotland. The views of members of the Group have significantly affected the way this initiative has been developed.

2.5 Members of the Group have been involved in consultations on a number of detailed matters, and have themselves raised concerns with the appropriate Millennium bodies.

For example, there is concern amongst some Christian groupings, and also in the Muslim community, about the use of Lottery money. Religious views on the unacceptability of gambling and using money from gambling-related sources prevent, for some, the possibility of tapping the large resources of the Millennium Commission. The Churches and other faiths on the Lambeth Group have consistently raised this issue at Group meetings, most recently with particular reference to the Millennium Festival. The Festival budget of £100m is split, with 80% being Lottery funding, and 20% coming from NMEC sponsors—the latter evidently cannot be ring-fenced (see section 4.3 below). The Group have urged the Government to find ways to ensure that some non-lottery source money be made available for participation in the Millennium Festival.

2.6 The Group has been involved in discussions about the most appropriate form and timing of National Services to mark the Millennium in the four nations of the UK.

2.7 At its February 1998 meeting the Group endorsed a proposal to explore a "faith communities celebration of the Millennium" which would bring faiths together to affirm shared values and draw on their traditions to celebrate entry into a new Millennium, while avoiding "multi-faith worship". Such an event would be likely to have a particular emphasis on youth and hopes for the future.

2.8 In early 1998, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport mounted a series of regional presentations about Millennium plans, working with the Local Government Association and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Offices. Members of the Lambeth Group were asked to assist in providing platform speakers at each venue, so that in every case, there was someone to explain how the Christian Churches saw the year, and another speaker giving a perspective on behalf of other faiths.

3. WORK ON THE DOME

3.1 Following on from the document described in 2.1 above, NMEC have engaged in a process of detailed consultation with the Group about the content of the "Spirit Zone". A sub-group of the Lambeth Group met with NMEC in November 1997 and March 1998 to assist in formulating a design brief for the Zone. Further consultation was carried out by mail with the wider Group. From February 1998, DCMS have paid for one day per week of the time of the Revd Stephen Lynas to liaise between the Lambeth Group and NMEC. Mr Lynas is the Archbishop's Officer for the Millennium and Churches Together in England Millennium Officer, and a member of the Group.

3.2 A design brief was agreed in April 1998, and the Group is now gathering for NMEC the names of suitable experts from the major faith traditions who can advise on particular matters that may arise in the course of creating the Zone.

3.3 The Group has consistently expressed the view that religion and faith cannot be confined to a single zone, since matters of religious belief affect the whole of life. They have therefore offered to make advice available on any of the other zones. This might take the form of helping the Company to avoid giving unintentional religious offence, or assisting with input into matters on which religious communities have important perspectives.

3.4 The question of a chapel on the site is not yet fully resolved, although the Group has welcomed the statements made by NMEC staff and Ministers that a chapel should be provided on site. We anticipate that this matter will progress rapidly in the near future.

3.5 The Group has made the point to NMEC that it would be desirable to have within the Dome both a chapel and a meditation/prayer area for all faiths. There is also a need for an area for the obligatory Muslim prayer with nearby washing facilities; this is important both for British Muslims and also for the many Muslims who will be visiting the Dome from other parts of the world.

4. THE MILLENNIUM FESTIVAL

4.1 The early consultation on the form of the Millennium Festival (January 1997) drew a large response from religious groups although they were not supportive of the scheme then outlined. Objections were chiefly to do with the small sum of money then envisaged (£20m in total), and the geographical spread of events proposed.

4.2 The Group has had a presentation on the broad scope of the finalised Festival scheme, which now has a bigger budget. NMEC staff have made it clear that they hope all the faith communities will take advantage of the opportunity the Festival Fund presents. The split into large and small grant schemes, with the smaller bids being made in 1999, offers opportunities for smaller local groups to take part. This will enable many many religious groups to participate in a way which will be appropriate to their own communities, and is to be welcomed.

4.3 The invitations to apply specify a number of areas that the Festival is intended to support, including, for the first time in official Millennium schemes, "religious faith". This, together with the intention to work inclusively, and set in the context of the other "bullet points" on the Festival brochure, is something the Group would welcome. However, there is a particular problem for some, given the source of most of the funding (see 2.4 above), and it is not clear how this can be resolved. The Inter Faith Network and Churches Together in England have been seeking clarification from the Millennium Commission as to how those who cannot accept Lottery funding may still apply for the scheme, and the Lambeth Group will pursue that concern.

5. THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME (THE CHALLENGE)

5.1 The Group (at the time of writing) has not had a full briefing on the Challenge programme, and how it might affect faith communities.