Gather with us for Monthly Morning Prayer, a time of reading and reflection at the intersection of faith and justice. Follow along with this session’s reading at commonprayer.one.
We’re joined by David Mann and Rev Dr Ash Barker of Red Letter Christians UK. We also checked in with Abe Bonawhitz (Death Penalty Action) at the Starvin’ for Justice Fast & Vigil on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.
David Mann is a director of RLC UK and has spent 30 years in church leadership. He was a journalist and worked in the communications industry before becoming Minister of Bonny Downs Baptist Church in East Ham, East London. He set up a charity and continues to chair the Bonny Downs Community Association, which brought a derelict community centre and sportsground back to life — it’s now home to projects for children, youth, families, elders, and a poverty-response programme.
Dave also helped set up Oasis Academy secondary school in Newham and spent 11 years chairing Britannia Education Trust, working in primary education. He chairs the community development charity Community Albums, has captained West Ham United’s over-50s walking soccer team, and is planting a church in the Muslim-majority area of Manor Park, East London.
Rev Dr Ash Barker stood up at a Tony Campolo meeting aged 18, willing to go anywhere for the cause of Christ. Thirty-five years on, that calling has taken him from Melbourne’s industrial belt to the Klong Toey slums of Bangkok to Winson Green, Birmingham, where he now ministers. Founder of Seedbeds and co-founder of Red Letter Christians UK, he mobilises radical discipleship from Britain to the world. His tenth book, At the Scent of Water, carries a foreword by his longtime friend Shane Claiborne.
Things we mentioned in this livestream:
- “Hymn for the 81%” by Daniel Deitrich, and the interview When Worship Is Resistance
- Starvin’ for Justice Fast & Vigil
- Death Penalty Action
- Red Letter Christians UK: Jesus & Justice: Stories of Radical Christian Living and Living for Jesus & Justice: Daily Prayers for Radical Christians
- Subscribe to the RLC UK newsletter or visit redletterchristians.org.uk