SCOTTISH CHURCHES TO CLOSE
Premier Christian News reports that last week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that all places of worship in Scotland will be banned from hosting physical gatherings for the whole of January as part of a national lockdown. The only in-person services allowed are weddings, limited to five people, and funerals where just 20 will be allowed. Ms Sturgeon announced the changes in a statement at the Scottish Parliament.
RECOVERY FROM COVID-19
According to The Christian Post, the testimony of a pastor from Northern Ireland who miraculously recovered from COVID-19 will be adapted into a feature film for Netflix. A video of Pastor Lee McClelland from Ark Church in Belfast, Northern Ireland, went viral after he fell ill from COVID-19 in March last year. In the video, the pastor describes being in the hospital with the virus where he began to lose hope as his condition deteriorated. However, a hospital cleaner who was also a missionary began to minister to him from afar and he recovered.
CHURCH PLANTING
The Melbourne Anglican reports that church planting will continue to be a major focus in 2021 for the Diocese of Melbourne despite the COVID pandemic, with a focus on both developing new churches and revitalising existing ones. Bishop Kate Prowd, who manages the church planting portfolio, says that the diocese considered the portfolio to be “the number one ticket item”.
