Parliamentary Christian Fellowship
The Parliamentary Christian Fellowship, also known as the Parliamentary prayer group, is a gathering of Christian politicians in the Australian parliament, who hold prayer sessions on Monday nights in Parliament House, Canberra.
Overview
The Parliamentary Christian Fellowship is mainly attended by socially conservative Members of Parliament.[1] Kevin Rudd is considered the mainstay of the group,[2] and is the only member of the Labor Party to regularly attend.[1] Rudd has formed a good relationship with conservative independent Bob Katter as a result of their mutual attendance at the group.[3]
"They're not confessional, as such," according to Bruce Baird, "but they are quite personal encounters that go to the implication of what it means to be a Christian with a heavy public burden."[4]
Members who have attended include:
The Fellowship hosts an annual National Prayer Breakfast and associated seminars modelled on the American National Prayer Breakfast organised by The Fellowship.[6][7]
The current Chairwoman of the Fellowship is Louise Markus MP, Federal Member for Macquarie [6]
See also
References
- "A contest of ideas, not ideology". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 November 2007. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
- "Abbott attacks Rudd on religion in politics". The Age. 27 January 2007. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
- "Katter prepares to throw his support behind Kev". The Australian. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
- "More than just a light on the hill". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 December 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2007.
- ABC News (Australia) (13 November 2013), Pyne: Rudd supported me during wife's difficult pregnancy, retrieved 9 November 2017
- "National Prayer Breakfast website". Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- "History | Australian National Prayer Breakfast". web.archive.org. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
External links
- European Prayer Breakfast, hosted by Members of the European Parliament.
- Similar UK initiative.
- About prayer in the UK Parliament.
- Theos, a UK thinktank for debate about the place of religion in society.