“I’m one of thousands called to politics” says Baptist minister
A CHURCH PASTOR HAS BEEN SELECTED TO STAND FOR PARLIAMENT
Rev Clive Hickman says the desire to serve as an MP is part of God’s call for more Christians to be in government. Currently he is trying to gather support for an all-party candidates’ prayer meeting to commit to holding to their Christian principles after the votes are counted.
After serving in churches for many years in Britain and the US and being licensed in the Anglican Church, Mr Hickman has been leading a Baptist church outside Brighton since 2008. Now he claims a sense of being called to politics in order to fight for Britain’s Judeo-Christian heritage. In his case it meant joining UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) for which he was selected as Parliamentary candidate for Hove and Portslade in March.
Mr Hickman says he was inspired to stand for Parliament following UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s call for Britain to return to its Christian heritage and traditional freedoms. He believes the UK faces a “bleak and intolerant” future if she remains within the EU.
He admits entering politics is a new experience for him, but had become “alarmed” by recent changes. “There has been a drift into a divided and ghettoised nation where political correctness and persecution are championed in the name of modernism. This needs to be reversed or we will lose our traditions based on freedom and tolerance to face a bleak and intolerant future.”
Although he has been in ministry for many years, Mr Hickman, 59, is also a former barrister with degrees in law from Cambridge and a degree in European history. It is this education which he believes has equipped him to “understand the dangers involved when a nation’s government and legal system is handed to a foreign power.”
Previously a Conservative, Mr Hickman says he joined UKIP in 2011 primarily because Prime Minister David Cameron failed to honour his pre-election statement that he would not introduce legislation to redefine marriage, explaining, “UKIP policy and my own beliefs coincide on the meaning of marriage as being exclusively for one man and one woman as referred to by Jesus in Mark 10:5-9. Full rights for homosexual couples were granted, correctly in my view, by civil partnerships.”
Despite a recent controversy over UKIP apparently accepting same sex marriage, Mr Hickman points to a statement by Mr Farage saying that UKIP will fight to protect faith institutions from being forced to conduct same sex weddings.
As a Bible-believing Christian, Mr Hickman quotes Romans 13:10, which says that governments exist at the will of God – and from his personal devotions believes he has heard that God is raising a new generation of leaders for Britain: “I am just one of thousands of Christians responding to a call to be part of changing our nation and by serving in government at all levels.”
He calls for other Christians to “wake up and realise that Britain is in trouble: we need to obey 2 Chronicles 7:14 which speaks of a nation repenting in order for God to heal it. If we do, there will be a great change in our nation including a change in the way government operates, the churches will come back to life and society as a whole will benefit.”
Mr Hickman has been married for 39 years to American-born Debby who leads worship at their church, Coastlands (Baptist) in Peacehaven. They have two grown children and five grandchildren. Mr Hickman says, “My wife is fully behind my desire and sense of call to serve as an MP. My church is supportive and understands the need to pray for our government.”
If elected in May 2015, Mr Hickman says he will remain with the church, which will be celebrating its sixth year this June, but plans to build a strong Eldership team to share more of the leadership responsibility if he is called to Parliament, which he sees as a full-time post.
The Hove and Portslade seat is currently held by Conservative MP Mike Weatherley who won in 2010 with a slim majority of under 1900 votes.
Click here to view the full unabridged interview with Clive Hickman, available exclusively here on the HEART website.
Does Mr Hickman have a point? Are Christians being called into politics to make a difference? Which party should they join? Does any party have a monopoly on Christian values? If YOU are a Christian standing for office, please get in touch so we can profile candidates from other parties.