Devon MP, Sir Gary Streeter has been appointed as a patron of the Christian Broadcasting Council, adding impetus to our vision of proclaiming the Gospel through media in all sectors of society. Sir Gary has been a Member of Parliament for 30 years and was knighted in 2019 for his commitment to public service. This includes his leadership of Christians in Parliament for 10 years.
In November 2022, he announced he will not seek re-election in the next general election but will continue to uphold the issues he stands for.
Commenting on his appointment as CBC patron, Sir Gary says: “Although better laws and leadership are always welcome, better technology and science helpful, what our nation really needs is for the gospel of God’s all-embracing love, expressed through the words and actions of Jesus, to be more widely known by people who simply do not know about it. I am pleased to stand with the CBC in this important work.”
During his three decades in politics, Sir Gary Streeter held several ministerial and front bench posts. He is one of the longest-standing MPs for Devon. He held the seat for South West Devon since 1997 and before that was MP of Plymouth Sutton for five years. As chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group, Christians in Parliament, he sought to support all members and staff in their work in the Houses of Parliament.
CIP holds Bible study groups, prayer meetings and chapel services; hosts events examining the truth and relevance of the Christian faith to personal and political life and arranges policy briefings informed by the Bible and Christian theology. It also hosts the annual National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast. Sir Gary therefore has a wealth of experience in upholding Christian values in our nation and being an influential spokesperson for Christianity.
We as the CBC Board are delighted to welcome Sir Gary as a new patron. Along with, Baroness Cox and Lord Alton, Sir Gary will make a valuable and essential contribution to our work considering his many years of experience as a Christian in Politics and Parliament.
About Gary Streeter
Gary is married to Janet and they have two grown up children and five grandchildren. They live near Plympton in Devon where they attend a local church. Before his political career he was a lawyer and served on the Plymouth City Council. He has a lifelong love of the countryside and particularly of horse riding. For more information, see the official Gary Streeter website.
Given the concerns expressed by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell in response to the Census 2021 results concerning religion, we as the Body of Christ in the UK have a huge challenge ahead of us “to trust that God will build His Kingdom on earth but also to play our part in making Christ known.” We at the CBC are ready to do all we can to accomplish this and we thank God for raising up patrons of the calibre of Sir Gary Streeter to stand with us.
