2018 Conference

The Christian Coalition for Education hosted its annual conference at St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford, on 24th November, 2018. The theme of the conference was:  ‘Identity, Sexuality and the Gospel: A better story for our schools’.

The aim of the conference was to provide a collegial forum for Christians involved in education (Heads, Teachers, TAs, Governors, parents and others) to develop a view of education which is authentically Christian and to be equipped to face the social and political challenges in the UK today, especially as they affect views on identity, sexuality, marriage and the family.

The conference was well attended and was hosted by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, the chairman of CCFE and a strong proponent for retaining a Christian influence and ethos in education.

You belong, and you matter!

As Christians we can often be heard saying ‘no’ in the public square, but this conference was a powerful reminder that we have a better story to tell our culture, and we should be confident in doing so. This better story must be grounded in the Gospel and a biblical worldview. It must be both realistic and inspiring while providing a solid rational for Christian sexual ethics which can then lead to appropriate sex education that is Christian and based on the formation of character.

Young people need a sense of relatedness and significance. They need to understand their beliefs and worldview, and know the values that are important; faith, hope, and love. Only then will they have the full foundations to learn and accept right teaching of skills for their vocations, and accept the support of schools, communities and friends to flourish in the way that God has created them to be.

Professor Jones did not belittle sexuality; on the contrary he commented that our sexuality, which is part of who we are made to be, is much more than we can imagine. God’s design for us to manifest his image properly in both marriage and singleness is much more magnificent than what the world can offer. It is this story that must be shared with our children today.

Don’t withdraw, don’t compromise, don’t be afraid

Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe’s Church where the conference was held, gave the day’s first address, an exposition of Daniel 1. Comparing the situation of the faithful church today to that of Daniel and his friends in exile in Babylon,…
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A better story for our schools

The keynote address was given by Stanton Jones, Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, Illinois, and author of a number of books and articles on sexuality issues. Beginning with the goals and aims of education, citing Deuteronomy 6 and…
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Seminar 1. Same-sex marriage and other challenges

Professor Jones provided very helpful notes on several books about sexual ethics and theology, discussing their key arguments and key quotations, theological method, and problems with the arguments espoused. The books discussed were:Jay…
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Seminar 2. Religious Education and Collective Worship

The delegates were impressed to hear of the incredible work being done at Broadway Academy, and how Christian principles are encouraged across the whole of school life where pupils are from a predominantly Asian background. The Head and deputy…
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Seminar 3. The Hijacking of British Values and the Equality Agenda

Evidence was presented, showing that British schoolchildren are falling behind their international counterparts, in terms of, for example, mastering basic language and maths skills. Despite this, many schools seem determined to spend more time…
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