The Conservative Christian Fellowship is an organisation allied with the British Conservative Party, established in 1990 by Tim Montgomerie and Conservative MP David Burrowes whilst they were students at Exeter University.[1] The organisation wishes to unite the Christians of the British Conservative Party and to recruit more Christians into the Party. The fellowship gives their key principles[1] as:
- to train its members for a career in politics;
- to provide a 'relational bridge' with the Conservative Party;
- to be a fellowship founded on prayer, with a wide denominational diversity including "Catholics and those who worship in a Black Majority church".
The fellowship organises a variety of events and meetings for the Party and for its members, mostly in Westminster, but increasingly elsewhere in the country, to reflect and support its growing membership outside Greater London and the home counties. It is also an active participant in the cross-party group Christians in Politics, which is an umbrella organisation for the Conservative Christian Fellowship, Christian Socialist Movement and Liberal Democrat Christian Forum.[2]
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Organisation
The Fellowship is headquartered at Conservative Campaign Headquarters in Westminster[3], but is separately funded and organised from the main party organisation.[4] Membership of the fellowship is not exclusive to party members. The Fellowship is governed by a board of trustees. As of 2006, there are two full-time staff members: Executive Director Elizabeth Berridge[5], and National Co-ordinator, Sarah Haldane.
2005 trustees
- Elizabeth Berridge
- David Burrowes MP
- Simon Chapman
- Guy Hordern (deputy chairman)
- Mark Lloyd-Davies
- Mike Causey
- Andrew Selous MP (chairman)
- Caroline Spelman MP
- Gary Streeter MP[6]
References
- ^ a b CCF About Us, accessed 1-VIII-2006.
- ^ "Christians in Politics website launched by Speaker", news article, CCF website, accessed 1-VIII-2006.
- ^ "Where are we?", article, CCF website, accessed 1-VIII-2006.
- ^ "The Conservative Christian Fellowship and corporate policy positions", article, CCF website, accessed 1-VIII-2006.
- ^ House of Commons Publications, Register of Interests of Members' Secretaries and Research Assistants, section 1, dated November 29, 2006.
- ^ "The accountability of the Conservative Christian Fellowship", article, CCF website, accessed 1-VIII-2006.
