C of E Voices for Life

On Saturday, 6th September 2025, we rejoiced to see the Lord accomplishing His purposes within our Church of England last weekend as more than 40 individuals, comprising laity, deacons, priests and bishops, met to worship and receive Him in a service of Holy Communion at St James Garlickhythe, ahead of the March for Life UK taking place later that day in Westminster.

The Eucharist was celebrated by the Rt Rev'd Dr Martin Warner SSC (Bishop of Chichester) with the stirring and convicting sermon delivered by the Rev'd Angela Rayner SMMS (Vicar of St Augustine's, Tooting and Holy Trinity, Upper Tooting).  The congregation heard St Paul’s reminder to the Colossian church of our former estrangement from God, and how the reconciliation brought about through the work of Christ “leads to service”.

Fr Angela critiqued “a culture of death, where value is measured by productivity” and emphasised that when it comes to “the unborn, the pregnant, the elderly, those living with messy complex needs… the world may not call them valuable, but they are valuable to God, so we can call them loved.”  We were challenged to realise that being “a church where the premature ending of life, unborn or elderly, is unthinkable” necessarily means that “our homes and lives will be open to those most at risk,” including not only the unborn and single parents, but also those in the social care system, those living with disability and those afflicted by loneliness.

Following the liturgy, Bishop Martin prayed a blessing for us and issued his own encouragement as we set off to join the March for Life UK at its start-point beside the Emmanuel Centre.  A record number for this event - over 10,000 of us - walked together singing hymns, praise songs and life-affirming chants around the theme of “Human rights for all humans”, making our way through the capital to arrive at Parliament Square.  We heard from Josiah Prestley, an abortion survivor, as well as Carla Lockhart MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, and Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the co-CEO of March for Life UK.  The rally concluded with prayer and blessings from Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and independent evangelical church leaders.

CofE Voices for Life gives thanks to God for His provision in this moment.  We recognise how what was meant for ill with respect to this June’s votes in Parliament is being turned by Him towards good in the consequent solidarity and faithfulness emerging across the Church of England with respect to the dignity of life.  We look forward to being a network that connects, encourages and supports the pro-life voice in our national church, and we ask that all those sympathetic to this mission pray for the Holy Spirit’s gifts of counsel and wisdom in discerning the works He has prepared for us to do.

We are present on:

Instagram and Twitter/X - @cofevoices4life 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cofevoices4life 

www.cofevoices4life.co.uk