Nourishing Roots with Catherine Todd – ‘Silence Inside’

A day of reflection, restoration and retreat for chaplains with Catherine Todd – ‘Silence Inside’

Date and time: Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:00 - 16:00 GMT

Location: The Garden Room, Quaker Meeting House, John Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1SJ

Please join us on Wednesday, 19th November at the Quaker Meeting House, John Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1SJ.

Nourishing Roots retreat days, held three times a year, are an opportunity for chaplains in healthcare, prisons, education and beyond to retreat, reflect and recharge spiritually and emotionally from their challenging ministry contexts.

Catherine Todd will lead the day. She has worked in prison chaplaincy since 2007 in various prisons and now works nationally, supporting chaplaincy in the Youth Custody estate. Previously, she has worked in parish ministry, midwifery and nursing. She has also trained as a psychotherapist. Her particular interest is in experiential spirituality, of meeting the holy in the moment, wherever and whatever that moment is like. Silence is a good medium for this, and the day will very much be based in silence, with attentive, deep listening practices.

Tickets cost £15 for FCG Chaplains or £25 for non-FCG Chaplains. Please contact Mark Newitt at mark.newitt@freechurches.org.uk for FCG Chaplains ticket. note that refunds can be issued up to 7 days beforehand, but for catering reasons not beyond that date.

Register your place HERE.

Image by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay

Artificial Intelligence: A Faith Perspective on Opportunities and Challenges

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly shaping many aspects of our daily lives, communities, and even the ways churches and faith-based organisations engage in social action. This transformation was the focus of a special event hosted by the Free Churches Group, in collaboration with Eurodiaconia (a European network of churches and Christian NGOs), and the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).

The event, held on 13th March in London, brought together faith leaders, theologians, and social service providers to explore the intersection of AI, theology, and social action.

The event opened with welcoming remarks from Revd Paul Rochester, General Secretary of the Free Churches Group, and Clotilde Clark, Deputy Secretary General of Eurodiaconia. Both speakers set the stage for a thoughtful discussion on AI and its role in social action, churches and social services.

AI and Theology: Laying Theological Foundations

The first keynote speaker, Revd Professor David Wilkinson, a theologian and Director of Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS) at St John’s College, Durham, presented a theological perspective on AI. He discussed how AI fits into the broader narrative of human creativity, which is a divine gift from God. Whether in work, play, or rest, creativity is at the heart of human existence, even in a fallen world. As AI takes centre stage in global conversations, it raises critical ethical and theological questions—especially about what it means to be human and how theology can engage in these public debates.

Making allusion to the biblical story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), Prof. Wilkinson noted that some view science as a saviour, while others see it as a path to utopia. Some, however, see technology as a tool for power and division. In light of this, he encouraged faith communities not to shy away from engaging with AI, recognising that all things were made by God and that creation is inherently good. AI's potential to serve in medicine, education, and other fields should be met with gratitude, and we should also support Christians working within the AI sector.

Prof. Wilkinson also highlighted the need to view AI and creativity in the context of "new creation," drawing parallels with the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25). While AI represents a remarkable potential to support the development of human creativity, it is crucial to assess its ethical implications and the intentions behind its development. The church must remain vigilant, hopeful, and discerning as AI continues to evolve while protecting and preserving human creativity.

Opportunities and Risks: A Theological Reflection

On her part, Dr. Kathryn Pritchard provided a balanced view, discussing the duality of AI—offering both opportunities and risks. She explored whether AI empowers humanity or risks overpowering it. From a theological standpoint, she encouraged Christians to discern whether AI should serve as a friend, a partner, or a master.

As an empowering tool, AI has the potential to connect the world, support education, enhance medical interventions, and challenge economic systems. However, it also poses existential risks, amplifies cultural biases, and perpetuates inequalities. In this context, human flourishing must remain central to public discourse about AI. Dr. Pritchard urged church leaders to engage actively in these discussions, advocating for justice and a thoughtful response to AI's societal impact.

Ethics, Risks, and Opportunities in AI for Social Action

Sara Speicher's keynote focused on the ethical concerns surrounding AI and its implications for social action. She emphasised the need to address the ethical challenges of AI, particularly in areas such as data privacy, security, ownership, and the risks of misinformation, deep fakes, and surveillance. AI's environmental impact and its potential to widen the digital divide were also key concerns, especially as many systems are designed for the Western world, leaving marginalised groups further excluded.

Despite these risks, Speicher acknowledged AI's potential as an assistant in the church and faith communities. From notetaking to support with sermon writing, AI can be a valuable tool for administrative tasks. However, careful review is necessary to ensure accuracy and avoid plagiarism. On a positive note, AI can also foster inclusion, as seen in the case of a German pastor using text-to-speech AI to reach a Spanish-speaking community. Nonetheless, human oversight is essential to ensure AI remains a tool for good.

Panel Discussion: AI and Marginalised Groups

The event concluded with a panel discussion on how AI is already impacting marginalised groups and what can be done to address these issues. Dr. Mundo MacDonald (Church of Scotland), Dr. Erin Green (joining online), and Dr. Kathryn Pritchard discussed how the church can advocate for ethical AI development, particularly in relation to inequality and poverty. Dr. Green highlighted the importance of transparency and addressing algorithmic bias, while Dr. Pritchard reinforced the need for churches to respond practically and theologically to the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Dr. Erin Green also introduced the concept of "play" in AI development, emphasizing the experimental nature of digital theology. As the digital landscape advances, the need to embrace physicality and human embodiment remains essential.

To conclude, the participants agreed this was just a beginning of the discussion and churches and faith based NGOs must get more involved in monitoring the ethical use of AI.

A Hybrid Seminar on Artificial Intelligence & Ethical Use in Churches and Faith-Based Organisations recording is available to view HERE.  

Photo by Pixabay.

Statement on the Election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV, we, the Free Churches Group in England and Wales, extend warm congratulations to you on your election.

We welcome the spirit of your first address, in which you called for “building bridges”, reminded us that “we are all in the hands of God” and urged us to advance together.

These words resonate powerfully with our shared calling to unity, compassion, and faithful witness in a divided world.

Our prayers are with you Pope Leo XIV, as you begin this important global ministry. We look forward to continuing dialogue and cooperation as pilgrims together in Christ’s mission of peace, justice, and reconciliation.

May God bless and guide you in the days, weeks, months and years to come.

Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson
Moderator of the Free Churches Group

A Statement from the Moderator of the Free Churches Group on the Passing of Pope Francis

Today the Free Churches Group join many around the world in expressing condolences to the global Catholic community, and in recognising the life and work of Pope Francis, who carried out his duties as one whose witness was rooted in love and the boundless mercy of God.

 He was a pioneer of conscience, courage, and conviction—one who refused to look away from suffering. He turned toward the wounded people and places of the world as a Gospel imperative, reminding us that God’s presence is not found in the triumphs of power but in the cries of the poor.

 He was a listening Pope - a leader who will be remembered.

 For a life poured out in service, we give thanks.

 May he rest in peace.

Photo by Annie Chen from Pexels,com

An Easter Message from the Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, Moderator of the Free Churches Group

Friends in Christ,

 Christ is Risen, He is risen indeed!

This Easter Sunday we are awakened to a gift in the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Friends, this is good news! Resurrection is a gift that keeps unfolding, challenging every assumption that tells us this is just the way it is.

 When I greet you with the familiar words ‘Christ is risen, He is risen indeed’ I do so recognising the momentousness of what Christ’s rising truly means every day that follows Easter Sunday. Resurrection is God’s realm breaking into the here and now. It is an event that presents us with opportunities to reshape our understanding of God’s revolutionary commitment to loving us, embodied hope, and what it means to follow Christ. Therefore, it is fitting that it begins with celebration. And if we confine resurrection to the empty tomb, we risk missing the revolutionary horizon it opens before us.

We are called into resurrection and as resurrection people, who live in a world where far too many of God’s children know rejection more than welcome, silence more than dignity, neglect more than care, we do not have the luxury of viewing the empty tomb as the conclusion to a well-told story. It begins the story of what ’doing a new thing’ looks like.

It tells us that the world as we know it, with its systems of exclusion, its economies of abandonment, and its hierarchies of worth, is not the world as it has to be. Jesus was not raised into comfort, as evidenced by the wounds that were still in his hands. The trauma had not magically vanished—it was transfigured.

The call to be resurrection people summons us to involve ourselves in this unfolding event with our whole selves—flawed, fractured, different, yet made new. And this is an opportune moment to challenge ourselves and reflect inwardly on what kind of people we are becoming, and outwardly, on the character we are forming in our households, in our churches, and on our streets.

Resurrection is a movement that calls us to participate in our own transformation towards mercy that is costly, justice that is disruptive, and love that is not afraid to touch what others deem untouchable. To be resurrection people in this world of ours, is to live in a way that enables us to truly notice the rough sleeping figure outside the station, the asylum-seeking neighbour unsure of their welcome, the teenager whose hunger is masked by anger. It is to refuse to walk past, and to stop believing that these realities are someone else’s concern.

The Resurrection movement insists that even death-dealing systems cannot contain the life God brings forth. And so we cannot be content with just being polite disciples. For, we are called to be bold reflections of the One who dismantled barriers by his very presence. The One whose Resurrection was not a retreat into safety, but a commissioning into a risen way of life.

Friends, Easter is more than a celebration, it is a time to confront who and what we are becoming, and to recommit to a discipleship that embodies love fiercely, and seeks justice relentlessly.

And so, may we be transformed by the Resurrection in the lived witness of our lives.

Christ is risen—and so we must rise and be transformed. For He is risen, indeed!

Yours in Christ

Tessa

Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson

Moderator of the Free Churches Group 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay