Movement for Christian Democracy—In Great Britain

February 1991

By Alan Storkey

LONDON—Here at Westminster Central Hall on November 17, the Movement for Christian Democracy (MCD) was founded. More than 1500 members joined in a rally to confirm the Movement's founding document—The Westminster Declaration—and to approve the structure of the new organization.

The MCD is a Christian confessional political organization which is moving beyond pressure-group politics into a more full-orbed political response that can deal with all the issues of national and international politics. It is not a political party, although that development has not been ruled out for the future. Membership is open to people in all the existing parties, although most of the members have not previously been members of any party.

The MCD was formed as the result of an initiative by two Members of Parliament, David Alton (Liberal Democrat) and Kenneth Hargreaves (Conservative), and is growing at a rate of a hundred members each week. It aims to bring Christians throughout the United Kingdom together in a forum which can both clarify their political convictions and aims as well as allow them to campaign for particular changes in policy.

The new effort is called the Movement for Christian Democracy partly out of sympathy with the Christian Democratic parties of Western and Eastern Europe and partly in recognition of the deeper principles of Western Democracy. With the phrase "deeper principles' I refer not to the simple formula of "rule of the people, by the people, and for the people" but rather to those Christian-rooted principles of the rule of law, the impartiality of the state, the limited competence of government, public office as service, the full citizenship of all, public accountability, and Christian submission. The MCD thus stands against state socialism, nationalism, collectivism, and individualism as foundations for political life.

Six principles form the initial basis of the Movement's development and served as topics of discussion by speakers at the rally on November 17. The principles are summarized in the phrases, social justice, active compassion, respect for life, wise stewardship, reconciliation, and empowerment. In seeking to show the implications of these principles for contemporary political life, speakers addressed current topics of Northern Ireland, abortion, the Middle East crisis, ecological well-being, welfare, market economics, single-parent families, and other issues.

Delegates from Dutch, German, and several Eastern European Christian Democratic Parties attended the meeting. In the evening the crowd commemorated the Romanian revolution in the company of a Romanian Baptist pastor and choir.

A day-long conference is planned for the same location in mid-November 1991 when the movement's leaders expect that the constitutional structure of the organization will be firmly in place. The MCD's main body will be a Council chosen from among its members organized on a regional basis. Major rallies are being planned for all the regions over the next six months. Policy units are also being developed, and specific research projects, such as one on consumer credit and debt, have already been set in motion.

[Alan Storkey is a lecturer at Oakhill College and one of the MCD's steering group members. He is the author of a 43-page booklet titled "Towards Christian Democracy," prepared for release at the November 17 rally.]
 

From "The Westminster Declaration"
 

Social justice demands an equal regard for all and consequently a special concern for the needs of the poor, the suffering, and the powerless.

Respect for life [means to] affirm the fundamental dignity of those who are unborn, infirm, mentally or physically disabled, elderly, or unable to speak for themselves. Moreover it implies a disavowal of all armaments whose use is incompatible with the pursuit of a just peace.

Reconciliation [of God and human beings in Jesus Christ] should be reflected beyond the church in the breaking down of oppression and divisive barriers related to differences of religion, gender, race, class, nation, ideology, and political power.

Active compassion [means, among other things, that] government should prompt and assist the community to meet the fundamental needs of the poor before satisfying the preferences of the rich.

Wise stewardship involves our responsibility before God for the world entrusted to us.... The primary task of government in relation to the economy is to oversee the establishment of just structures in all areas of economic activity; such justice includes distributing wealth and property so as to equip all to participate fully in the economy and using resources in a manner that respects the intrinsic dignity of the natural world.

Empowerment [starts with the recognition that] different kinds of authority are found in different areas of society, such as the family, the neighborhood, education, work, business, the media, voluntary organizations, local and central government, and beyond, but in each case authority should have its own proper limits and be directed towards serving and benefiting those under it.