Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland, along with other faith and belief groups, disability charities, and healthcare professionals, oppose the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

As the second reading of the Bill approaches, there are three helpful steps to take if you would like to. 

(1) Prayer – Learn how to pray for this.

(2) Perspective – Equip yourself with knowledge about the Bill.

(3) Petition – Write to your local MP.

We are also one of the signatories on a letter, created by the Evangelical Alliance, to Members of Parliament, which is available in full at the foot of this page. 

Prayer

Pete Greig from 24/7 Prayer summarises some ways you can pray as:

Principle: Pray that society would recognise the inherent dignity and sanctity of human life, valuing every person from beginning to end, and particularly safeguarding the vulnerable and elderly.

Precedent: Pray about the precedent this bill might set, considering how similar legislation has expanded in other countries and led to unforeseen outcomes. Ask for wisdom and foresight for those in decision-making positions.

Palliative Care: Pray for protection over palliative care professionals who serve compassionately in end-of-life care, and for legislation that supports their commitment to preserve and protect life.

Perspective

Our friends at the Evangelical Alliance have written a number of helpful articles on this issue, which are available free-of-charge on their website. 

“The church can, and should, offer a pastoral perspective on this debate. Christians have been at the forefront of the hospice and palliative care movements, and we continue to give dignity to each person in the final days of their life.” – Peter Lynas, UK Director, Evangelical Alliance

Petition 

Ahead of the 29 November debate and vote we want to engage MPs, particularly the new 335 recently elected, to hear a Christian perspective on this sensitive issue but also for MPs to understand the unique experiences and insights of the church when it comes to end of life care and health concerns. You can do this either by writing your own email or letter or by using the Evangelical Alliance ​“write to MP” tool which creates a pre-written letter. 

Letter to Members of Parliament 

Dear Members of Parliament,

A private member’s bill has been introduced to allow terminally ill adults to receive assistance in ending their lives. As Christian Leaders we affirm that, having been made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), every human being is deeply and intrinsically valuable and we therefore have a duty of loving our neighbours as ourselves (Luke 10:27). The human family must remind one another of their value in speech and actions which affirm ‘it is good you are in the world’ and as part of this we firmly believe that parliament must protect those who are vulnerable and not assist in bringing about their deaths.   

This bill, in our view, undermines the value of life and lacks the safeguards needed to protect those most at risk from being coerced into premature death. International evidence reveals that initial safeguards in assisted dying laws are often weakened over time.  Instead of facilitating death, the focus should be on improving palliative care to offer dignity to the dying. Compassion involves sharing in the suffering of others and serving them, seeking to reduce suffering, not end the life of the sufferer. 

There are significant moral and ethical concerns surrounding the reduction of life to questions of utility or functionality. By prioritising individual choice, we risk ignoring the broader consequences on healthcare professionals who commit to act for the good of their patients, on family members burdened with the aftermath, and on wider society. The bill’s proposer has acknowledged that this is one of the most important changes in legislation our country will ever see – a fundamental ethical shift.

Secondly, protecting the most vulnerable members of society should be our primary concern. The healthcare system is already rife with inequalities that disproportionately affect the poor, elderly, ethnic minorities, and those with disabilities. Rather than addressing these disparities, this bill risks exacerbating them, especially as polling shows that 21% of disabled individuals fear assisted dying laws would pressure them to end their lives prematurely. In Oregon, where assisted suicide is legal, 43% of those who chose assisted suicide cited a fear of being a burden on loved ones as a factor in their decision.

A third major concern is the lack of adequate investment in palliative care. The Association of Palliative Medicine opposes the bill, highlighting that many doctors are uncomfortable with prescribing life-ending drugs and that a lack of state funding for hospice care results in an inequitable system, with many patients not having access to proper end-of-life care. Most hospice care in the UK is not funded by the state, leading to a post-code lottery and a lack of genuine choice at the end of life. Improved palliative care should be the focus, ensuring that patients can die with dignity and support, rather than expanding the option of assisted suicide.

International evidence also shows the risks of expanding assisted dying laws. In Canada, over 4% of all deaths are now from euthanasia, with numbers rising and proposals to broaden eligibility. This has led to concerns, particularly regarding the role of financial pressures in some individuals’ decisions to end their lives.

Lastly, there are significant safeguarding concerns around coercion. Vulnerable patients may feel pressured by family members or caregivers, whether explicitly or implicitly, especially given the rising costs of care. Capacity assessments for assisted suicide are complex, and the individuals closest to the patient may be reluctant to carry them out due to the implications. Furthermore, the prediction of a patient’s time left to live is imprecise and complex, raising ethical questions about its legitimacy.

The bill introduced by Kim Leadbeater has sparked widespread debate, with many opposing it on principle, and others questioning the timing or whether a private member’s bill is the appropriate vehicle for such significant legislative change. 

We urge a vote against the bill at its second reading, as it fails to address these critical concerns and poses risks to the most vulnerable in society.

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If you wish to become a signatory on this letter, as a Senior Pastor, please click here.