Since US President Donald Trump withdrew American troops from northern Syria, he has been criticised for abandoning the Kurdish people and Christians in the region and leaving them open to attack from Turkish forces.

Turkish-backed fighters have been advancing in northern Syria since last month, leading to the displacement of about 200,000 people.

A car bomb went off in Tal Abyad on the Turkey-Syria border this week, injuring 20 people according to the Turkish defence ministry, who also blamed Syrian-Kurdish fighters for the attack.

Some Christians are also mistreated by the Kurds, but are united in their opposition to Turkey entering the area.

On Saturday, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said Christian fighters would now oversee security in a northern Syrian region that has witnessed fighting between Turkey-backed troops and Kurdish-led militiamen.

The SDF said the deployment will take place in villages close to the town of Tal Tamr in the Khabur river region, an area home to Syria’s dwindling Christian Syriac and Assyrian communities.

The Syriac Military Council, a founding member of the SDF, said on Sunday that it had taken the decision to continue defending itself against attack but demanded the ceasefire be enacted to “save the area and its residents from further distraction and atrocities” and called on the international community to protect…

The organisation Christians in Media encouraged churches on Sunday to pray for their brothers and sisters in the media industry, that they uphold truth, integrity and justice and for them to be key influencers for Godly principles.

Steve Cox, who chairs the charity, told Premier: “As followers of Christ, we are called to pray for our world and our society and the media in all its forms plays an important role in framing the way we see the world, but my heart is actually to see a media which gives a voice to the voiceless, holds the powerful to account, highlights unjust practices, calls for justice and keeps people informed so we can all participate in our democracy.

“I pray that they do see it as a calling. I also pray specifically for younger Christians, millennials, who are considering entering media – to see it as an honourable profession and therefore actually be representatives, be beacons of light, for the kingdom of God.”

When asked if it even was an honourable profession, Mr Cox replied: “I think most journalists when they enter into media – whether it’s TV, whether it’s radio, whether the printed press – enter with the highest motives and more often than not those motives are to highlight injustices, ensure that we, the public, know what’s going on behind the scenes and hold the power to account.

“I do appreciate that along the way sometimes external…

The service on Saturday evening was attended by more than 100 people at the Church of the Holy Name and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Bow. 

Candles arranged to read “39” were at the foot of the altar ahead of the service in the Catholic church, which has a large Vietnamese congregation.

Reverend Simon Nguyen said: “Today we gather to remember the people who have departed.

“These people who used to live among us, who dined with us.

“Today they are no longer with us.”

Members of the congregation performed readings as part of the vigil and candles were lit.

Addressing the congregation, Rev Nguyen said: “Yesterday the police in Essex announced all the victims were Vietnamese.

“We show our condolences and sympathies for the people who have lost their lives on the way seeking freedom, dignity and happiness.

“We ask God to welcome them into his kingdom even though some of them were not Catholic but they strongly believed in eternal peace, so we pray for them.

“We pray for those who have lost their sons and daughters, their loved ones at this very challenging time.”

After the service, Rev Nguyen said the incident had affected the Vietnamese community internationally.

He said: “We couldn’t believe such tragedy could happen and the pain these people had to suffer before they…

Archbishop Clarke, 70, (pictured above with the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin) has been a bishop in the Church of Ireland (part of the Anglican communion) for 23 years, after studying history and political science and gaining a PhD in church history.

He was elected as the ecclesiastical head of the Church of Ireland – Archbishop of Armagh in Northern Ireland – in October 2012.

He told the diocese: “When I became Archbishop of Armagh at the close of 2012, I made a quiet agreement with my family, a few close friends and myself that I would try to work on as Primate for five years, assuming of course that ill-health or mortality itself did not intervene.”

“Coming towards the end of that five-year period, I would then review the situation with my family and, if all seemed to be working out reasonably well and I felt that I was still up for it, I would continue on for a further two years, but would not go on beyond that point. This latter moment in time has now arrived.”

The Archbishop has two children and three grandchildren and his wife Linda died in 2009.

He added: “This time in Armagh has truly been a very agreeable experience for me, and for this I humbly thank God for the great privilege I was given in being appointed as Primate seven years ago and I also thank all of you, for your constant encouragement, your friendship, your prayers, your support…

The charity, which says it exists to reach the world of sport for Jesus, won the Best Christian Organisation Website and Best New or Redesigned Website at the ceremony at the Brewery in London.

The awards honour churches and individuals from across the UK who excel in the online world.

Kings Church in Lancashire picked up Most Engaging Large Church Website while Christ Church Balham was rewarded for Most Engaging Small Church Website.

Other winners included Katie Kyle, who was named blogger of the year and Nia-Cerise Conteh who won Influencer of the Year.

Explaining the importance of the event, Premier’s COO Kevin Bennett said: “The church has a pressing need to engage in a credible and effective way online.

“These awards rightly celebrate the churches, organisations and individuals who have stepped up to that challenge. My prayer is that others will be inspired by their work to take up the mantel themselves and build Gods kingdom in the digital world.”

For a full list of the winners, click here.

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The main award went to a refurbishment at St Augustine’s Roman Catholic church, an unlisted Edwardian church in Hammersmith in London. 

Roz Barr Architects restored the unlisted Edwardian church. 

The Duke of Gloucester and Vice President of the National Churches Trust, who trained as an architect, presented the award, together with a £500 cheque to the winners.

Luke March, Chairman of the National Churches Trust said: “This project has liberated a cluttered interior and brings new life and movement into the building. Of particular note is the collaboration between art and architecture with  new sacred spaces including a new altar, confessionals, lecterns, candle stands and a daringly contemporary tabernacle.”

Bethnal Green Mission Church designed by architects Gatti Routh Rhodes was highly commended. The new church is in the middle of a new urban block and includes a community centre, café and 14 flats.

There was also an award for repair and conservation architecture, which was awarded to PPIY architects for their work on St Margaret’s church, Thimbleby, Lincolnshire.

The Victorian spire had been deteriorating so much that the church was threatened with closure and spire had been removed in 2013 but then…

Restored is made up of an alliance of churches who work with Christians to end violence against women in the UK. 

In July, the charity wrote to the new Prime Minister asking that: “priority is given to the Domestic Abuse Bill and parliamentary time is scheduled for debate. We would also ask for the inclusion of faith groups in the response to the bill as the consultation response is mostly faith blind.

“With a church or place of faith in nearly every community across the UK, who can shape attitudes and behaviours, we would urge you to see that faith is included in the response to domestic abuse and can be part of the solution for victims and survivors.”

In response, the charity has received a letter from Jonathan Hellewell, the Special Adviser for Civil Society at No. 10 Downing Street. 

He wrote: “The Prime Minister shares your concern about domestic abuse and is a strong supporter of the Domestic Abuse Bill” and that the government would like to see more support for women who struggle to tell people about their abuse. 

Mr Hellewell added thanks to: “everyone in the Restored charity, for everything you do to support the victims of domestic abuse. Recovering from such crimes often takes a community-wide effort and the Government welcomes your help in this area.”

Mandy Marshall, co-director at Restored, told…