Redeemed Christian Church of God, Royal City, Sevenoaks has been awarded £8,480.00 to explore the relationship between science and faith through the church engagement programme Scientists in Congregations, which is run by Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS).

Redeemed Christian Church of God, Royal City, Sevenoaks is one of 22 churches and organisations in England and Wales to receive grants totalling £400,000, to be used over the next 18 months on a creative, public-facing project.

Elijah, The Tishbite – Let’s Talk About Mental Health is a project based on the mental health challenge of Prophet Elijah as documented in the Bible in 1 Kings 19: 1 – 21. The project will explore the strategies he went through to experience a recovery and continue with his profession and life. The project aims to provide equivalent strategies that are applicable in current times to address mental health conditions.

Our vision through this project is to foster a healthy engagement between the Christian faith and science using mental health as the basis for the interaction.

In this project, we plan to create a conducive forum to talk about and seek help for mental health conditions, by promoting the following:

  1. Create more awareness about mental health conditions.
  2. Address stigma issues surrounding mental health in Christianity and our communities.
  3. Encourage more people to seek help to address mental health conditions.

Pastor Yinka Oshin, Project Co-director and Pastor, RCCG Royal City, Sevenoaks, said: “I am grateful and humbled at this award coming during our 7th Year Anniversary Celebrations as a Church. I am excited at the opportunity to facilitate a forum to discuss the Christian faith and mental health using the experience of Elijah as our model. I am assured that as we engage with the subject of mental health, hope will be restored in our lives and communities.”

Scientists in Congregations is a programme run by the research project Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS). The ECLAS project is led from St John’s College, Durham University in partnership with the University of York and the Church of England. Its directors include the Revd Prof David Wilkinson and physicist Prof Tom McLeish. ECLAS and the Scientists in Congregations grants are funded by the Templeton Religion Trust. ECLAS has distributed £665,000 to over 70 churches through its Scientists in Congregations programme since 2014.

The Revd Prof David Wilkinson, Project Director of ECLAS and Principal of St John’s College, said: “We are delighted to be working with churches on such promising projects, and look forward to seeing how congregations and the communities they serve engage with science and faith in fresh and exciting ways. We are proud to offer additional funding for follow-on projects for the first time this year, which will help churches reach even more people with the message that science is a gift from God.”

Pastor (Dr) David Sola Oludoyi, Regional Pastor, RCCG UK, Region 3 and Senior Pastor, RCCG Royal Connections, London, said: “We are very glad and grateful for this privilege and opportunity to receive an award for a project on the Christian faith and mental health. This project is timely as our Churches and communities move forward post-pandemic into a new normal. As we continue to pray, we will also learn and be equipped with information, resources, and strategies to address mental health.”

The full list of churches and organisations receiving funding to participate in Scientists in Congregations 2021-22 is:

  • ChaplaincyPlus, Birmingham
  • Chester Cathedral
  • Cornerstone Methodist Church, Wadebridge
  • Exeter Cathedral
  • Great Yarmouth Minster
  • Holy Trinity and Christchurch, Stalybridge
  • Hull Minster
  • Lichfield Cathedral
  • Liverpool Cathedral
  • New Hope Baptist Church, Coseley
  • Radio Maria England
  • Redeemed Christian Church of God, Royal City, Sevenoaks
  • Riding Lights Theatre Company
  • St Andrew’s Church, Great Yeldham
  • St George’s Church, Leeds
  • St German’s Cathedral
  • St Lawrence Church, Gloucester
  • St Mark’s Church/Xplore!, Wrexham
  • St Mary and St Eanswythe, Folkestone
  • St Peter Mancroft, Norwich
  • The Bible Reading Fellowship
  • Wembley Family Church

ENDS

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS) is a project led by St John’s College, Durham University, with the University of York and Mission and Public Affairs at the Church of England. Our goal is to equip Christian leadership with the tools to engage with cutting-edge science, the better to inform their personal faith and public policy work.

Applications for Scientists in Congregations funding were open from November 2020 to April 2021, to churches of any denomination in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

More information is available at https://www.eclasproject.org/congregations/

ECLAS press contact: Helen Billam, Communications Manager, helen.billam@durham.ac.uk

 

Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Royal City, Sevenoaks was started in 2014. Our purpose is to make, mature and mobilise disciples to be Christ-like, fulfil the great commission and walk in their God-given destiny. At RCCG Royal City, Sevenoaks, we are committed to use innovative strategies to connect communities with the message of the KING – Jesus Christ. We are passionate about revival, regeneration and renewal of lives and communities. We believe a healthy engagement with science will facilitate healthy communities.

We are part of the global RCCG network with over 400 parishes in the UK.

More information about our project is available at https://www.royalcity.org.uk/elijah-the-tishbite

RCCG, Royal City, Sevenoaks press contact: Pastor Yinka Oshin, pastor@royalcity.org.uk