The Baptist Union of Wales has recently recognised a new type of minister. A 'Category 7 Minister' has a licence to pioneer. It may not be clear what a Pioneer Minister does, but there are more of them than we might think, across all the Christian denominations. For today's programme, Rosa Hunt travels to Anglesey and interviews 5 people involved in pioneering ministry. We meet the Reverend George Bearwood in Holyhead, who as well as being an Anglican vicar, has his own heavy metal radio show; Rev Deb Stammers, a Baptist minister in Holyhead, who is also a pioneer worker in the small village of Llanerchymedd; John Hay, who wrote a feasibility study about the future of Methodist churches on the Island; Hywel Meredydd, who planted a new church nearly 50 years ago in Llangefni, in a church formally pastored by Christmas Evans; and Rachel Radbourne, who leads a growing church for young families.
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28:59
Women in the New Testament
Later this week, on March 8, we’ll celebrate International Women’s Day. It's a time to acknowledge the achievements of women, as well as championing equality. And today, on All Things Considered, in an episode originally broadcast in 2024, we consider the way women are presented in the New Testament, their place in Jesus’s ministry and the early church. We ask whether women were silenced in the Bible and explore the extent to which we have an accurate picture of the way the culture and the church viewed women, both then and now. To discuss these issues, Jonathan Thomas speaks with:Helen Bond, Professor of Christian origins at the University of Edinburgh
Dr Ros Clarke, who runs The Priscilla Programme, an online training course for women, in partnership with Church Society and Union School of Theology
Arfon Jones, who worked on a translation of the Bible into colloquial Welsh and published the booklet 'Beibl ar... Ferched', 'The Bible on... Women'
Dr Paula Gooder, Canon Chancellor at St Paul's Cathedral and a writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at 75
It’s 75 years since the publication of C.S.Lewis’s classic children’s fantasy The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In celebration, the West End stage version is touring in UK and Ireland throughout the year – its run in Cardiff finished a week ago, and it will be back in Wales, at Llandudno, in August. In this ATC we look at the continuing appeal of this story, look at the man behind it, and explore the use of an imagined world for conveying religious truth. We also discuss Philip Pullman, JK Rowling, and others. We are joined in studio by three guests who’ve done a lot of thinking about story-telling – and written quite a bit themselves. Caleb Woodbridge, who’s based in Pontypridd, has been in publishing in a variety of roles for most of his career after focussing in children’s literature as a student. He delights in myth and legend, science fiction and fantasy, and not surprisingly he’s a Doctor Who fan. Hannah Hess, from Cardiff, has three children to keep her supplied with ideas for her writing, and to date she’s had four books published for young people, Callenlas Chronicles. And Catherine Butler is professor of English literature at Cardiff University, specialising in children's literature. She’s author of several monographs and editor of five academic volumes, and has published six novels for children and young adults.
Catherine Butler - People - Cardiff University
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28:56
Wealth: Blessing or Burden?
Throughout history, faith-driven philanthropists, from the Cadbury family to the Aga Khan to the Bloombergs, have given generously to help those in need. But does wealth always lead to generosity? Is it possible to be wealthy and live according to faith values? And in an age of social media influencers and lavish lifestyles, how are young people’s financial values being shaped? Azim Ahmed is joined by four guests to discuss the issues: Rhys Parry is a Christian business consultant known as the Money Monk and a trainee Anglican priest. Dr Asif Zaman is a principal lecturer and Head of Department at Cardiff Metropolitan University, with a specialism in Islamic Finance. Dr Gemma Simmonds is a sister of the Congregation of Jesus, Ecumenical Canon of St. Asaph Cathedral and a senior research fellow at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in Cambridge. Rabbi Raphael Zarum is a dean at the London School of Jewish Studies and currently holds the Rabbi Sacks Chair of Modern Jewish Thought.
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My 50 Years in Religious Broadcasting 2/2
Roy Jenkins reflects further on his broadcast career, and recounts some memorable moments in such diverse places as Russia, South America, South Africa, Hong Kong and Israel.
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