Hugh Bo

@tomhfh That's not very, how can I put it... liberal?

This seems… bad? Political parties should be allowed to discriminate on the basis of belief. Just as conservative parties should be allowed to block people who hold views that do not align with their philosophical standpoint, liberals should have the freedom to do so to! I wrote about this for @TheCriticMag some time ago: thecritic.co.uk/why-shouldnt-w…

I'm #NowHiring - last chance to apply for our Music Minister role... #churchjobs #UKChristianJobs

@MikeCosper We are looking for a 'worship pastor' and we're not disqualified from ministry 😀 Get in touch! allsaintslindfield.org/music

Since a number of you have asked (and CT has announced it), it is indeed true that I've parted ways with Christianity Today. I wish all of them the best as they continue their work. I am still determining what comes next for me, so I covet your prayers and good will.

@samhailes I wouldn't have presented it like that, and it's not the most meaningful question, but the data says 5.8m people attended church in last year. Given that I think 2m went to a CofE church at Christmas, I don't find that particular question unbelievable.

@hughbo The report claimed churchgoing had exploded by 56% in 6 years - across the board. Praise God for what is happening in your church, but it does not prove "all the claims in the quiet revival report" (which is why they've pulled it)

The data may be flawed, but I could give data from our (fairly ordinary) church to prove all of the claims in the report. - more young people - more men - more spiritual curiosity - greater desire for discipleship - more baptisms and bibles #quietrevival

@DrChrisWatkin Do you think you'll write these up or release as recordings at some point? GMT is a bit late for me!

AI is forcing some of the deepest human questions to the centre of our cultural conversation: What is a person? What is truth? What is work for? In June–July I’m teaching a 5-week online course “Artificial Intelligence and Christian Wisdom.” Register here events.nd.edu.au/artificial-int…

@AdamMerrivale You were allowed to watch the TV channels with adverts?! youtu.be/x1veMqaPOxo?si…

SERMON HIVEMIND What are your favourite 80s/90s/00s UK advertising slogans or jingles?

@jhallwood See here: sussexgospelpartnership.org.uk/churches/

Thought I'd found an acceptable CofE church in Brighton, 'About Us' page 'Father...' - closed tab

@BijanOmrani £500k repair starts next week. Only managed to recover £4k before the scheme shut. Extra burden shouldered by parishioners... still I suppose Mauritius will make good use of the money 🙄

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which gave VAT rebates to renovation works on historic churches, has just closed - more than a month earlier than planned - because it has already run out of money. This will have a terrible effect on many churches, including my own. Truly, we are living under one of the most wantonly destructive British governments of the modern age.

@_F_B_G_ I think they may have missed this news due to being out celebrating the release of the Palestine Action sledgehammer mob

Are not clergy troubled? Do they not believe that their people deserve better than this? Where are the voices? These people wang on about ‘justice’ all the time? How are they pleading for it when it’s difficult!?

This is easily the most morally sordid end to a government for years and yet our Bishops remain silent. When Tory PMs fell- who, for the record I think were disgraceful incompetents but not Paedo adjacent- bishops yapped like chihuahuas. Now they are totally quiet. Why?

Where does @gilescoren go to church, and why is his Vicar not talking about the calling and the love of Christ? 🤦

@MartinSLewis Questions: - Since LISA is dead, can we withdraw (or transfer) without penalty? - Since one purpose of LISA is a retirement saving, akin to a pension, will they consider exempting from Universal Credit savings? - Can 1st time buyer products be open to those in tied accommodation?

Treasury has apparently confirmed (source AJ Bell) the LISA will be replaced by a 1st time buyer only product. Little detail yet & none on what it means for those with existing LISAs/ Help 2 Buy ISAs. My guess is this will start 2027. Got Qs? Ask below I'll try to cover in tmrws pod

@johnmilbank3 You should try talking to some young people. Spirit and Truth does not belong to your personal preferences.

@hughbo A prevailing ‘nice’ stupidity will get the Church nowhere, as I have been saying throughout my career. It will only invite understandable contempt.

Recent Christmas day services for us have included dressing up as Paddington, Doctor Who, Angels, Shepherds, Donkeys and Spacemen... We are fools for Christmas and on Christmas Day we celebrate joy in all its fullness! But sure, you stick with your 50-min pseudo expositions.

@johnmilbank3 @maksimologija Laughably arrogant for you to judge the heart of the worshipper because of what amounts to snobbery.

@maksimologija @hughbo It isn’t. It’s laughably out of date. Only the higher Eros subsumes eros. Not a fake, saccharine Christian Eros. This is what charismatic evangelicals never seem to understand.

Around me, attempts to impose ghastly Christian pop music on rural congregations have of course failed. But that is not stopping the powers that be from having a much stronger go…villagers resist, in the name of Old England! As I know you will.

@NormanLeedsPhD @johnmilbank3 Yes super. But again, In Christ Alone is 23 years old. Older than many congregants. Has the Lord not gifted the church with songs/hymn writers in that time? Sovereign Grace? CityAlight? Redman?

@hughbo @johnmilbank3 Graham Kendrick, Stuart Townend, Michael Perry?

@NormanLeedsPhD @johnmilbank3 So no, I would not write them off. But it's still a style of a past time.

@hughbo @johnmilbank3 There are some great modern hymn writers, such as Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith. Or would you write them off as victorian hymnody?

@NormanLeedsPhD @johnmilbank3 Christianity, uniquely I think within world religions is not bound by time, culture, place or style. We should expect sung worship to be expressed in the vernacular. While 'country' may be an imposition, victorian hymnody may be an anachronism.

@hughbo @johnmilbank3 Why does it have to be sung in a cod American Country style by a band, to what is in effect an audience rather than a congregation? What is needed are some decent modern hymn writers - not Dolly Parton.

Finally, the Brighton board have listened and signed a genuine right back #BHAFC