Tuesday talks linking budgets, public expenditure and faith

There’s a cluster of interesting lectures and talks on Tuesday 18 January looking at public expenditure, budgets, cuts and faith.

Brian Crowe will be addressing the topic of Kingdom and Cuts at 1.10pm in St. Bartholomew’s Church (“St Barts”) on Belfast’s Stranmillis Road.

Kingdom and Cuts: Can a Christian vision of the common good inform policy decisions in a time of cuts?

The lecture will address the burning issue of how to apportion the financial cuts facing Stormont Ministers. While these could be decided upon using a range of different criteria, it is not necessarily easy for anyone to see how the standards and priorities of the Kingdom of God might throw light on this urgent political issue.

As well as blogging over at Burke’s Corner, Brian is political adviser to Danny Kennedy, the Minister for Employment & Learning and is also a non-stipendiary minister currently ministering at Christ Church parish in Lisburn.

There will be time for questions after the lecture and light refreshments will be available. The organisers explain that everyone is welcome at this lecture.

Contemporary Christianity have been running a series of In conversation with … events over the past couple of years. On Tuesday night (18 January) at 7.30pm, Philip McDonagh will be discussing

Northern Ireland - Subvention City Or Still A Special Case?

What mechanisms determine the level of public expenditure here? Are they linked to need? Why is public expenditure so high? What choices does the NI Executive have? Should we do more to pay our way? What is the role of the Voluntary sector? Can the Big Society, Welfare Reforms or even the next generation help us through? What about those in need?

These are timely questions given the recent extension to the public consultation on the draft NI budget and the departmental responses that have been eeking out over the last couple of weeks.

Philip is an economist who formerly worked for Price Waterhouse Coopers. He is a Charity Commissioner with the new Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, and is a member of the Society of Friends.

The event is free and open to anyone to attend. You’ll find Contemporary Christianity’s venue up on the 3rd floor of 21 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, BT2 8HD.