Stephen, I am greatly distressed by the findings of the tribunal and the manifestly excessive penalty that has been placed upon you. A penalty of 1 year would have been excessive, but the longer penalty speaks more of vindictiveness than justice and is totally unjust.

I also found the Archbishop’s statement to say more about submissiveness to the Israeli lobby than anything to do with true justice. My heart aches for the once great Church of England to see it losing its prophetic responsibility and putting principle aside in this way to bow at the feet of a secular nation.

In all the time I have known you I have never heard a single anti-Semitic word come from you; indeed, exactly the opposite as you have denounced racism of all varieties. Whilst those who oppose you, both inside and outside of the church, have tried to silence you, they cannot silence your books which have meant so much to so many people.

I am thrilled to hear of the founding of the new Institute [for the Study of Christian Zionism] and will be praying God’s blessing upon this new venture. Justified criticism of Israel as a nation cannot be allowed to be interpreted as antisemitic, and the work of your Institute will fill a huge void in helping Christians everywhere to understand the reality of Scripture as regards the Holy land. Having seen injustice there with my own eyes I am fully aware of the need for such understanding to be more widely available.

Every blessing!

Ian Curtis

Ian is the former Vice President for Governance and Accountability with World Vision International, Chair of International Needs Australia and member of the Peacemaker Trust International Board of Reference.