Pray our youth centre on Christ

We must pray that the young people of Elim emulate Christ rather than fall in the trap of trying to copy other leaders or reliving past movements, argues Michelle Nunn.

A few months ago, I attended a meeting at the House of Commons and arrived a little early. I took the opportunity to walk along the River Thames and through one of the nearby parks. As I made my way back, I found myself standing by the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst (1858- 1928).

With time still to spare, I sat on a bench and refreshed my memory about her life and leadership. Pankhurst organised the suffragette movement in the UK and is recognised as one of the 100 most significant people of the 20th century.

Her influence helped shape our society, mobilised women during the First World War, and brought lasting change to voting rights for both women and men.

Yet history also records her militant approach and her willingness to use force to bring about societal change – tactics that only ceased with the outbreak of World War I.

While she was undoubtedly a formidable leader with many admirable qualities, there are aspects of her leadership, particularly her use of violence, that I would not encourage anyone to emulate.

Entering the House of Commons, I passed many more statues and portraits of national leaders.

When our meeting began in the State Rooms at Speaker’s House, the current Speaker, the Rt Honourable Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, welcomed us warmly. He invited us to look around the room at the portraits of more than 150 former Speakers lining the walls.

story continues …