U.S. lawmakers decry lack of religious freedom in UK, Church hit by vandalism sees support & 16 Leadership lessons

A group of influential believers are standing up for the religious liberty of their British neighbors. A handful of U.S. representatives led by Chip Roy from Texas are protesting the use of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) in the U.K., saying the citations are issued to prevent religious expression.

The orders have been used against people praying silently and displaying pro-life bumper stickers outside abortion clinics, the letter asserts. The letter protests legislation the U.K. Parliament approved March 7 creating public expression censorship zones outside abortion clinics across the U.K.

Charges citing two of the individuals for silent prayer were dismissed, but Smith-Connor was fined for praying in public, albeit a silent prayer, lawmakers said. U.K. law allows fines of up to 100 pounds ($122) for violating buffer zones.

Despite the vandalism that occurred earlier this month at The Village Church of Indiantown, Florida, the people are counting their blessings.

Pastor Chris McDonald can share story after story about phone calls he’s received from local churches and businesses, members and complete strangers who want to help the church after hearing about the incident. Nobody, it seems, likes the idea of vandals destroying church property, and plenty of people are pledging their support.

McDonald said the outpouring of support has been amazing. The Spanish-speaking church next door was there to help clean up the day of the incident. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the crime, posted the incident with photos on its Facebook page, resulting in even more calls from people wanting to help the church.

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In a post in the Baptist Press Toolbox, Pastor Charles Smith offers 16 leadership lessons he’s learned over the years.
Here’s three of them.

Be Patient

Nothing happens as fast as you’d like. People quit. Strategies change. Vendors go out of business. All of these disruptions are part of life, and a failure to anticipate them can leave you and your team feeling like they’re always behind the proverbial 8 ball.

A patient leader sets realistic timeframes and sticks to them.

Know Your Environment

Leadership never happens in a vacuum, but in a particular context with particular needs. The leader’s role, then, is to understand and assess that context so he or she can discern what needs to happen next.

Manage Expectations

One vital thing a leader does is set and manage expectations. People are pretty flexible with things they knew upfront. It’s the surprises that get us in trouble.

Give yourself more time than you need. Assume the final bid will come in a little higher than you hoped. Work to consistently under promise and overdeliver. If you do, organizational stress will decline, and your credibility will rise.


You can get the full list at our Baptist Press.com.


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