On Sunday, BBC’s Songs of Praise broadcast a same-sex wedding for the first time at a United Reformed Church (URC) in Glasgow.

Jamie and Ian McDowell-Wallace are both members of the United Reformed Church, where gay marriage was legalised three years ago. Their wedding ceremony took place at Rutherglen URC.

Some criticised the decision of the Christian programme, with Graham Nicholls from the evangelical network of churches Affinity, saying “I’m sad that that is being represented as potentially biblical Christianity, because I think it’s not” (full interview in link). 

However, Rev David Pickering, moderator in the United Reformed Church Synod in Scotland and also member of Rutherglen URC and a personal friend of the couple, told Premier: “The church was thrilled and excited, especially for Jamie, who’s one of the grooms and he’s a faithful and much loved church member there.

“This might seem an old story for us in the URC Synod of Scotland, for I’m aware that at least 20 or more services of equal or same sex marriages have been conducted by our ministers over the last three years since this was permitted.

“But to have it broadcast on BBC Songs of Praise was really special because it’s a programme which has such a good public awareness and for us it was a witness of a celebration of marriage, that’s the most important, but in this instance of a marriage between…

The unlikely pair linked up after 680 undocumented immigrants were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Mississippi earlier this month in what was the largest single-state immigration raid in US history.

Dawn McCall, the dancer, and Rev Adam Ericksen from Clackamas United Church of Christ discussed the “Our Kids Charity Campaign” in a Facebook video using the hashtag #SinnersandSaints.

McCall, also known as Blu Dawn said: “As an atheist, I know it seems super weird that strippers would do anything with the church for any reason, however, this is Portland and we keep it weird.”

Rev Ericksen said in response to McCall: “And I think it’s awesome.”

The pair said they were “pretty devastated” by children being separated from their parents so they decided to link up and start the campaign.

They are raising money by selling t-shirts and postcards with designs created by McCalls former colleague.

All of the proceeds from sales will go to Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance.

In addition to the campaign, Rev Ericksen has encouraged his congregation to donate while McCall will host charity events with other sex industry workers.

The pastor recently preached a sermon entitled “Strippers Will Lead Us Into the Kingdom: Fighting for Our Kids in Mississippi.”

The caption under the video of the sermon said:…

Rev Andy Kelso, 71, trained as an actor and was then a vicar for 25 years and a sports chaplain, before feeling like God had called him to be Elvis impersonator, but he has now decided that too must end.

He has been going around churches performing since 2011, trying to attract people who wouldn’t normally go into a church.

Speaking on Premier’s News Hour, Rev Kelso said: “I retired from vicaring in 2009 and I was chaplain to was the Warriors Rugby Club but we moved out to the countryside and every day I would walk the dogs in the woods and fields and pray ‘Lord, is there anything else you want me to do? Please make it clear’ and I prayed for 15 months for the same prayer. Nothing. Until one day, God just spoke to my heart. I couldn’t believe it. He just said ‘Take Elvis to the churches’. I went ‘what?!'”

Rev Kelso explained how his act is distinctly Christian, saying: “Elvis was obviously he was a great singer but he loved his gospel music and I found that so many Elvis tribute acts don’t really touch on his gospel songs very much, if at all. So, I was going to make sure obviously, that I sang a lot of those.”

The church he left had a big stage and hosted his first concert in the winter of 2011, to which 250 people came, “I was absolutely petrified” he said.

He went on to sing at churches across the UK, enjoying the fact he was bringing something different to…