Welsh church leaders defend positive impact of faith communities

Start your next meeting by silently reflecting on the contribution made by the Christian voluntary sector to your community.

This is the challenge being sent by a Welsh church leader to town councils in Wales after the High Court’s decision to ban prayers within council meetings in Wales and England.

It is thought that as many as half of UK local councils are believed to hold prayer sessions as part of their formal proceedings.

Elfed Godding, national director Evangelical Alliance Wales said: “Thousands of Christians and adherents of other religions in Wales initiate, fund and voluntarily staff hundreds of projects that benefit the public of Wales.

"It would be shame if this high court ruling undermined this generous and sacrificial service, and I think it would be a great gesture on behalf our councils to recognise this amazing contribution at the commencement of their next meeting.

“The joy of serving others is central to the Christian message, but it’s important that this public service does not escape from the radar of local authorities in Wales."

According to the Faith in Wales report published in 2008, faith groups in Wales contribute over £100 million to the national economy.

The report includes statistics of all the main religions in Wales - Christian, Bahai, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh and was carried out by Evangelical Alliance Wales initiative Gweini, working in partnership with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).