Written evidence submitted by the Evangelical
Alliance (LOCO 090)
We had not intended to make a specific submission
because we thoroughly endorse and support the Government's plan
for localism and decentralised public services in which Christian
and religious groups are keen to play a full part free of the
restrictions and prejudices which characterised our experience
during the last government. We publicly expressed our support
for Baroness Warsi's speech on the subject.
So we regarded the case as unanswerable. However,
what has prompted this message and submission of support for the
proposals is especially the publication of the submission by the
British Humanist Association to the inquiry which predictably
scaremongers against religious groups participating in public
service delivery.
The fact is that Christian groups in particular deliver
probably in the order of 40% of the nations voluntary services
contributing massive amounts of money to the national economy.
Demonstrating the extensive contribution of faith community congregations
in relation to welfare provision, language, faith tourism, building
use etc, the report—Counting for Communities in 2008—revealed
just what a crucial a role faith has to play in contemporary society.
Commissioned by voluntary sector bodies working with the Welsh
Assembly Government, the audit demonstrated that faith community
congregations contribute £102 million to the Welsh economy
per annum, which if projected upwards on a proportional basis
for the UK as a whole would mean faith community congregations
are contributing at least £2.1 billion.
The British Humanist Association is a well known
anti-religious special pleading group that seeks to ban religion
from public life and represents a tiny number of supporters. In
contrast, the Evangelical Alliance alone represents the majority
of the UK's two to four million evangelical Christians.
October 2010
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