Oliver Barclay, second General Secretary of IVF/UCCF, died on 12 September 2013, aged 94.
He was born in Kobe, Japan, on 22 February 1919, the son of Joseph Gurney Barclay (who served with what is now the Church Mission Society). His great grandfather was the MP Thomas Fowell Buxton who campaigned with William Wilberforce as part of the influential Clapham Sect.
A memorial service will be held in Leicester on Saturday 5th October (see details at the end of this obituary).
Oliver first joined the small IVF team in 1945, having completed a doctorate in zoology. His original hope was to teach in one of China’s newer universities, but Douglas Johnson, IVF founding General Secretary (always known as DJ), persuaded him to defer his departure by two years. As Oliver’s newly-created role as Assistant Secretary took shape, it soon became clear that the universities of Britain and Ireland would instead be his life’s work.... continue reading
It's no secret that some parents have preferences about the gender of their unborn child. Some long for a boy to take to the big game or, as a friend said to me recently, a girl to wear pretty dresses. Some want a child of a specific gender to balance out their family which is currently largely male - or female. Others still come from cultures where having a first born male still counts for a lot. Occasionally there are health issues at play with parents desperate for their child to avoid a genetic condition most prevalent in men. Whether it's for deeply held priorities, or something rather more superficial, some parents really do yearn for either a girl or a boy.
But how far would you go to ensure that your next child was of the gender of your choosing?... continue reading
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Can you forgive someone who killed your grandmother? That’s the question posed by a deeply moving article on the BBC news website. Bill Pelke’s grandmother was 78 when a group of teenage girls broke into her home, ransacked the place and stabbed her to death. The girls were quickly caught; found guilty at trial; given huge prison sentences – apart from the ringleader, Paula Cooper. She got the death penalty.
At the time, Bill Pelke approved the death sentence, as I imagine many others would. But then, 18 months later, things took an unexpected twist. His grandmother had been a devout Christian, and he became convinced she would have shown compassion to this girl and her family. So he chose to forgive the very person who had murdered his grandmother.... continue reading
In today's Explore Bible-reading notes, I made an editorial mistake which meant that the notes said something that is totally wrong…
In Colossians 1 v 24, Paul says: "I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions". The notes comment: "What he can't mean is that there is nothing lacking in the sufferings of Christ when it comes to salvation." That is precisely the opposite of the truth—Paul (and the rest of the Bible) repeatedly teaches that there in fact IS nothing lacking in Christ's sufferings when it comes to saving us—his death is sufficient (eg: Colossians 1 v 21-23; 1 Peter 3 v 18). The notes should therefore have said: "What he can't mean is that there is SOMETHING lacking…"... continue reading
I'm sure, like me, you are thrilled that the un-named Kestrel recently accused of being an Israeli spy has been cleared of all charges by the Turkish authorities! Like me, you may have been enjoying the many other stories of animal spies across the centuries that have made the press as a result (notwithstanding the tinge of ethical uneasiness that comes with such tales ... or should that be tails?). I think my particular favourite has to be "acoustic kitty" - the feline listening device developed by the CIA in the 1960s, sadly run over by a passing car just moments after beginning its security mission. That was 10 million dollars well spent then!... continue reading
You may have seen the news report. If not, you can read it here. Archbishop Tutu has said that he would opt out of heaven and choose to wander off to hell if God were a homophobic God.
His comments came within the context of campaigning for an end to homophobic violence. An important issue to address. For brutal mobs to murder or mutilate men because of their sexual preference is wrong - horribly, awfully wrong - and every effort should be made to stop the wanton violence that mars so many states in Africa. But his passionate comments about heaven and hell ... ? Let's take a closer look at them. In reality, he is saying something quite like this ...... continue reading
It's not a bad idea. In fact there's a lot to commend it. The Prime Minister has suggested that internet service providers should automatically block porn sites. Residents in the UK would need to "opt in" to be able to access explicit material. It's an idea that could become law in the coming years. It's designed to protect our children.
There's no doubt that our children need some protection. Statistics from Covenant Eyes suggest that 9 out of 10 boys and 6 out of 10 girls watch pornography before the age of 18. The majority have seen scenes of group-sex and same-sex interaction. Such images drag our children away from God's design for sex and preach the lie that instant gratification is the ultimate goal, regardless of the consequences.... continue reading
Praise God for the safe arrival of the Duke and Duchess' baby boy.
Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Psalm 127:3
My prayer is that Jonathan Bowling and Ashley Foster will come to understand and experience the love and kindness of the God who made them in his own image and that God’s great mercy will inspire both of them to true repentance.
So came the courageous words of Mrs Maureen Greaves on the day her husband's killers were found guilty of murder.
An act of undeserved compassion. A sentence brimming with grace and hope. A sentiment silenced by the British media.... continue reading
