Covid Inquiry, BBC Bias, and Religious Education // In the News

What lessons are there to learn from the Covid-19 inquiry? How can bias in the media help us in church ministry? Is the UK becoming more secular?

In this episode, Phil Topham (Executive Director), Adrian Reynolds (Associate National Director), and John Stevens (National Director), discuss stories in the news from the past few weeks.

Show notes

• FIEC Leaders' Conference 2026 (fiec.org.uk)
• The Street Preacher’s Charter (christian.org.uk)
• Rising Lights 2026 (fiec.org.uk)
• Journeys 2026 (fiec.org.uk)
• COVID-19 report goes a long way to answering inquiry's critics (news.sky.com)
• What to Know About the Turmoil at the BBC (nytimes.com)
• Supreme Court rules Christian-focused RE taught in NI schools is unlawful (bbc.co.uk)

About In:Dependence: In:Dependence is FIEC’s official podcast, where you’ll hear conversations on topics for church leaders.

About FIEC: We are ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a fellowship of Independent churches⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with members of the family across England, Scotland and Wales. Our mission is to see those Independent churches working together with a big vision: to reach Britain for Christ.

00:00 - FIEC Leaders' Conference

07:32 - Lessons from the Covid-19 inquiry

19:02 - BBC bias, media trust, and corporate responsibility

27:56 - Religious education in Northern Ireland

34:35 - An Ashes winter