Peddling the faith (From Warrington Guardian)

Peddling the faith

A VICAR from Knutsford plans to cycle from Canterbury to Rome to encourage Christians to unite against Islamic fundamentalists.

Anglican Alja Tollefsen said the 1,600-mile journey with a Roman Catholic and a Calvinist would strengthen their faith and raise the profile of Christianity.

"We all see a threat from Islam and we've got to look at if we are able to stand up to that threat," she said.

"We've got to ask how visible is Christianity and how committed are we. The commitment in the Islamic faith, as much as we may disapprove of it, is more visible."

Mrs Tollefsen, who is Vicar of St Cross Church in Knutsford, will spend five weeks travelling with her Catholic friend Monic Slingerland, 48, and Calvinist friend Agnes Amelink, 50.

The mother-of-two, who was born in Rotterdam, hopes a television crew and newspaper reporters will follow their progress.

Last week Mrs Tollefsen, 56, said the group would discuss differences between Christians and the strength of faiths such as Islam. She believes Christian churchgoers respect most Muslims but are becoming increasingly concerned about Islamic extremists.

"This violence is something that's not approved of by Islamic people themselves," she said.

Unity

Mrs Tollefsen will set off with Mrs Slingerland and Mrs Amelink, who are both journalists, on August 27.

The group will travel from the seat of the Anglican Archbishop in Canterbury to the home of the Roman Catholic faith in Rome. They also plan to visit Geneva in Switzerland, which plays a central role for Calvinists. Mrs Tollefsen said the journey through England, France, Switzerland and Italy was designed to unite denominations and highlight Christianity.

"Unity is not something that works well in Christendom and it's something we have to work on," she said.

Mrs Tollefsen will start training for the journey, which is 20 times further than her longest-ever bicycle ride, in two weeks.

She is slightly concerned about the distance, but believes her Dutch upbringing could help.

"I grew up on a bike," she said. "And maybe because we're Dutch we put more confidence in our bikes."