What does the Old Testament book of Ruth have to say about the coronavirus lockdown? Dr Alison Gray, Tutor in Old Testament Language, Literature and Theology at Westminster College, Cambridge, explains in Reform magazine’s latest edition.

The United Reformed Church (URC) has joined more than 200 organisations in signing an open letter to Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, about the meagre increase in asylum support rates.

On 8 June, the Home Office announced an increase of just £1.85 in the weekly rate of asylum support.

The United Reformed Church’s (URC) mission committee has called on local churches to lobby the UK government over plans for the annexation of parts of the West Bank.

In May, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he was committed to annexing parts of the West Bank in July once a joint Israeli-US team completes mapping the exact territory based on the conceptual map released by US President Donald Trump’s administration.

At its June meeting, the committee considered the threat posed by the Israeli government’s proposed annexation of a significant part of the West Bank. It then passed a resolution that strongly endorsed a parliamentary petition calling on the UK government to oppose annexation and to introduce sanctions if the annexation goes ahead in July.