If the Equality Bill is passed into law and the anti-Christian aspects of it left unrepealed by future governments, then Stonewall-supporting teachers will have a field-day in pushing the line that a principled objection to the promotion of homosexuality is on a par with racial prejudice.
In practice, this line is already being pushed in state school citizenship classes to 11-year-olds just out of primary school. Even at that age, they are smart enough to work out that skin colour is one thing, your life-style choices another. They can also understand that the traditional Judaeo-Christian view on homosexual practice is held by people from a variety of racial and cultural backgrounds who are thoroughly in favour of good race relations and equality of opportunity in society. They can work out that it is thoroughly unjustified to imply that our views on human sexuality are on a par with racial prejudice.
But children who are being brought up with common-sense biblical values in their homes and churches may be afraid to speak out for fear of the consequences. The Equality Act is likely to create a climate of politically-correct fear in schools with hard-working, motivated children being afraid of black marks on their school records.
The danger then is that Christian parents will opt out of the state system and go for home schooling or the independent sector. Whilst the desire to protect children from politically-correct brainwashing is understandable and commendable, it has its downsides in Christians retreating into a sub-cultural ghetto. Furthermore, home/private schooling tends to be an option for wealthier, privileged Christians. Many Christian parents have little choice but to send their children to state schools if they are to gain the education that enables them to earn a living.
Christian Concern for our Nation has been helpfully pointing out the implications of the Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Bill for Christians involved in the state sector. The fact that the PSED is to be extended to cover sexual orientation, religion/belief and gender reassignment is overtly aimed at bringing about ‘culture change'.
School children are the obvious targets for being groomed as the potential missionaries for the new cultural revolution in the next generation. Their zeal will be fed by fear.
Christian young people will be faced with the choice of love for their Lord Christ or success in the eyes of the Stonewall zealots increasingly gaining legal and moral force in our state educational system. Those who by God's grace stand their ground will deserve the humble admiration of those of us who went to school in less challenging days.
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Thursday, 24 September 2009
WHY I NEED TO BE IN CHURCH ON SUNDAY
This coming Sunday is Back to Church Sunday, a national Church of England initiative aimed at reaching those with some previous connection with church. Cranmer’s Curate is not exactly a lapsed church-goer but here are his reasons why he needs to be there:
· I am innately inclined to think that I am the centre of the universe and profoundly disinclined to give my Creator God the glory and honour He deserves. As the Apostle Paul put it in Romans 1v25,
· I am innately inclined to conform to the prevailing ungodly culture around me and disinclined to want to be seen in the public company of those with whom the Lord Jesus Christ personally identifies, namely the gathering of Christian believers, His Church. My nature is to do the opposite of what the Lord Jesus commands His disciples in John 13v34-35:
· Because of the above two incontrovertible facts about my intrinsic nature and inclinations, I am a hell-bound sinner whose only hope of salvation is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I cannot come to believe unless a God-sent preacher explains His saving work to me. As the Apostle Paul affirms with his famous rhetorical questions in Romans 10v14:
Your curate will spare the blogosphere a YouTube video with his talking head making the above case - that would be likely to lead to renewed calls for internet censorship. But it would be most helpful to hear a Church of England bishop tell me those home truths about the real state of my soul and its amazing salvation in his public pitch for Back to Church Sunday.
· I am innately inclined to think that I am the centre of the universe and profoundly disinclined to give my Creator God the glory and honour He deserves. As the Apostle Paul put it in Romans 1v25,
‘they (wicked people like me) exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen’ (RSV).
· I am innately inclined to conform to the prevailing ungodly culture around me and disinclined to want to be seen in the public company of those with whom the Lord Jesus Christ personally identifies, namely the gathering of Christian believers, His Church. My nature is to do the opposite of what the Lord Jesus commands His disciples in John 13v34-35:
'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.'
· Because of the above two incontrovertible facts about my intrinsic nature and inclinations, I am a hell-bound sinner whose only hope of salvation is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I cannot come to believe unless a God-sent preacher explains His saving work to me. As the Apostle Paul affirms with his famous rhetorical questions in Romans 10v14:
‘But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?’Paul neatly summarises his argument in v17:
‘So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.’
Your curate will spare the blogosphere a YouTube video with his talking head making the above case - that would be likely to lead to renewed calls for internet censorship. But it would be most helpful to hear a Church of England bishop tell me those home truths about the real state of my soul and its amazing salvation in his public pitch for Back to Church Sunday.
Monday, 21 September 2009
WHAT ABOUT A CHURCH PLANT FOR CLEETHORPES?
Can anything good come out of Cleethorpes, the north Lincolnshire seaside resort adjacent to Grimsby in the Humber estuary?
Cranmer's Curate has just received through the post a newsletter containing an interview with a church planter.
This gentleman was formerly an assistant minister at a large gathered Anglican church in a university city in the north-east of England and now wants to plant a church in the Minster city of York. His reason for choosing York:
Not knowing the Evangelical scene in York cc is not able to comment authoritatively on the second part of that statement. But your curate is a little more familiar with the spiritual landscape of Cleethorpes, where the parish church he is privileged to serve goes for its annual coach trip to the seaside.
Cleethorpes could certainly do with more thoroughly Evangelical, clearly gospel-preaching churches to witness to the living Christ.
But no bons-bons for guessing why you won't get crushed in the rush to launch a church plant at the gateway to the Humber.
Cranmer's Curate has just received through the post a newsletter containing an interview with a church planter.
This gentleman was formerly an assistant minister at a large gathered Anglican church in a university city in the north-east of England and now wants to plant a church in the Minster city of York. His reason for choosing York:
It is a bustling and important town with two large and growing universities and a huge amount of Christian heritage, but with remarkably few thoroughly evangelical, clearly gospel-preaching churches.
Not knowing the Evangelical scene in York cc is not able to comment authoritatively on the second part of that statement. But your curate is a little more familiar with the spiritual landscape of Cleethorpes, where the parish church he is privileged to serve goes for its annual coach trip to the seaside.
Cleethorpes could certainly do with more thoroughly Evangelical, clearly gospel-preaching churches to witness to the living Christ.
But no bons-bons for guessing why you won't get crushed in the rush to launch a church plant at the gateway to the Humber.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
CRANMER'S LEGACY SPELLS CONFESSING ANGLICANISM
Oxford's Professor of Church History, the Revd Dr Dairmaid MacCulloch, who is the presenter of a forthcoming BBC4 series on the history of Christianity, appears to be a supremely confident liberal.
Featured in an interview with William Whyte in the September 11th edition of the Church Times, with a prominent portrait on the front cover, Dr MacCulloch opined that Anglicanism can never claim to be a confessional church; that it is a compromise between different theological positions; and that just as the 19th century liberals eventually won the battles over biblical interpretation, contemporary Anglican liberals 'will win' in the struggle to affirm homosexual relationships.
Cranmer's Curate tried to respond to this panegyric of liberal triumphalism in a letter to the Church Times published on Friday:
Featured in an interview with William Whyte in the September 11th edition of the Church Times, with a prominent portrait on the front cover, Dr MacCulloch opined that Anglicanism can never claim to be a confessional church; that it is a compromise between different theological positions; and that just as the 19th century liberals eventually won the battles over biblical interpretation, contemporary Anglican liberals 'will win' in the struggle to affirm homosexual relationships.
Cranmer's Curate tried to respond to this panegyric of liberal triumphalism in a letter to the Church Times published on Friday:
Sir, — It is ironic that Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch is so sure that the liberals will win the battle for the soul of Anglicanism; for he is the author of a brilliant biography of Thomas Cranmer (Yale University Press, 1996). In this authoritative work, Professor MacCulloch charted the development of Cranmer’s legacy to Anglicanism in the form of the Book of Common Prayer, the Ordinal, and the Articles of Religion. It is these documents that give Anglicanism a solid confessional basis, and mean that, by Christ’s grace, out of the dust and ashes of bankrupt revisionism a confessing Anglican Church can rise.
JULIAN MANN
The Vicarage, Church Street
Oughtibridge
Sheffield S35 OFU
Friday, 18 September 2009
ANGLICAN CHURCHES NEED LONGER INCUMBENCIES
There was a very interesting letter in last week's Church of England Newspaper from the veteran church statistician Dr Peter Brierley, formerly of Christian Research, in response to your curate's article about the dangers of megachurches.
He had some quibbles with cc's definition of a megachurch. He said the US definition is 2000+ on a Sunday, which means there would be three UK Anglican churches in that category - central London's All Souls, Langham Place and Holy Trinity, Brompton and, at least before it split, St Thomas, Crookes here in Sheffield. On cc's UK definition of 1000+ there are, he said, at least eight Church of England churches in that category.
At the risk of being impertinent, your curate would raise the US threshold to 5000+ for a megachurch. On the US scale, 2001 does not seem quite mega enough.
Dr Brierley's main contention was against what he understood as cc's recommendation that large-church incumbents move on after seven years. This is not wise to follow, he said, if churches are to grow. He argued:
Cranmer's Curate responded as follows in this week's edition:
Dr Brierley is clearly generally right about the need for longer incumbencies in all sizes of Anglican church - provided the minister is upholding the theology of Canon A5.
He had some quibbles with cc's definition of a megachurch. He said the US definition is 2000+ on a Sunday, which means there would be three UK Anglican churches in that category - central London's All Souls, Langham Place and Holy Trinity, Brompton and, at least before it split, St Thomas, Crookes here in Sheffield. On cc's UK definition of 1000+ there are, he said, at least eight Church of England churches in that category.
At the risk of being impertinent, your curate would raise the US threshold to 5000+ for a megachurch. On the US scale, 2001 does not seem quite mega enough.
Dr Brierley's main contention was against what he understood as cc's recommendation that large-church incumbents move on after seven years. This is not wise to follow, he said, if churches are to grow. He argued:
Research has shown that the likelihood of growth is greatest after the leader has been in the church for between seven and nine years. Most larger church senior ministers in fact stay for over 10 years, twice the average norm, and the consequence is that over 60 per cent of the 165 larger churches (350+) are seeing significant growth.
Cranmer's Curate responded as follows in this week's edition:
Sir, In response to Dr Peter Brierley: I did not say that all megachurch incumbents should move on after seven years but suggested that some large-church ministers might be advised to consider this. The biblically-informed judgements that need to be made about our capacities as ministers of Christ in relation to our settings must be driven by spiritual and pastoral considerations, not by church-growth statistics.
Besides, the need for long incumbencies would seem to be more acute in small churches requiring dedicated pastoral leadership into spiritual culture change for the sake of biblical evangelism.
Dr Brierley is clearly generally right about the need for longer incumbencies in all sizes of Anglican church - provided the minister is upholding the theology of Canon A5.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
GOSPEL FOR BLOGGING PRIMA DONNAS
Why are we bloggers so easily obsessed with our place in the rankings?
This Sunday's Gospel reading in the Church of England Lectionary (Trinity 15) is deeply instructive.
The set passage for the Principal Service is Mark 9v30-37. In vv30-32, Jesus for the second time in Mark's Gospel predicts his death at the hands of men in Jerusalem and His resurrection after three days. The disciples are again bewildered by Jesus' teaching because they have a mental firewall against the idea of the Lord's Messiah suffering humiliation and also can't get their minds around a bodily resurrection occurring within space-time history before the Last Day - the final revelation and consummation of God's Kingdom.
Then Mark tells us:
What do Jesus' second prediction of His death and resurrection, an argument on the road about who is the greatest, and then Jesus' setting a child in the midst of the disciples have in common?
The common theme is the wrong and right responses to the revelation of God's eternal Kingdom through the Cross of Christ and His bodily resurrection in space-time history.
The wrong responses are 1). a failure to grasp the centrality of the Cross to our acceptance into God's eternal Kingdom and 2). an arrogant obsession with our place in the pecking order of this transient and fleeting world.
The right responses are 1). a godly desire to serve those who like us depend completely on the Lord Jesus Christ's gift of forgiveness through His Cross and its eternal validation through His resurrection and 2). a godly concern and support for those who are excercising a child-like dependence on the Lord Jesus because they realise that they can never earn God's approval through their achievements.
Justification by sitemeter would seem to be a variation on an ancient heresy.
This Sunday's Gospel reading in the Church of England Lectionary (Trinity 15) is deeply instructive.
The set passage for the Principal Service is Mark 9v30-37. In vv30-32, Jesus for the second time in Mark's Gospel predicts his death at the hands of men in Jerusalem and His resurrection after three days. The disciples are again bewildered by Jesus' teaching because they have a mental firewall against the idea of the Lord's Messiah suffering humiliation and also can't get their minds around a bodily resurrection occurring within space-time history before the Last Day - the final revelation and consummation of God's Kingdom.
Then Mark tells us:
And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, 'What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." (Mark 9v33-37 - RSV)
What do Jesus' second prediction of His death and resurrection, an argument on the road about who is the greatest, and then Jesus' setting a child in the midst of the disciples have in common?
The common theme is the wrong and right responses to the revelation of God's eternal Kingdom through the Cross of Christ and His bodily resurrection in space-time history.
The wrong responses are 1). a failure to grasp the centrality of the Cross to our acceptance into God's eternal Kingdom and 2). an arrogant obsession with our place in the pecking order of this transient and fleeting world.
The right responses are 1). a godly desire to serve those who like us depend completely on the Lord Jesus Christ's gift of forgiveness through His Cross and its eternal validation through His resurrection and 2). a godly concern and support for those who are excercising a child-like dependence on the Lord Jesus because they realise that they can never earn God's approval through their achievements.
Justification by sitemeter would seem to be a variation on an ancient heresy.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
THE 39 ARTICLES ARE 'AGREEABLE TO THE WORD OF GOD'
The editor of the Guardian's Comment is free belief Andrew Brown commented on the thread following your curate's article Nazir-Ali is right.
Cranmer's Curate had sought to argue that Article 18 of the 39 – Of obtaining eternal salvation only by the Name of Christ – could not be clearer against the multifaith agenda:
To which Mr Brown responded:
The youth group may compare Mr Brown's claim with the wording of Canon A5, Of the Doctrine of the Church of England:
Clergy may not be required to subscribe to the 39 Articles with quite the same integrity as they were in the past. But it is open to a future General Synod to tighten up the doctrinal aspect of the Declaration of Assent for those ordained as Christ's ministers in the Church of England if it is so chose. In fact, to do so would be much more consistent with our Church's stated doctrine.
Compare also Mr Brown's comment with Canon A2, Of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion:
'Agreeable to the Word of God' doesn't sound quite like the equivalent of an assent to the existence of Battersea Gas Works.
Cranmer's Curate had sought to argue that Article 18 of the 39 – Of obtaining eternal salvation only by the Name of Christ – could not be clearer against the multifaith agenda:
They also are to be had accursed that presume to say, That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect that he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law, and the light of Nature. For holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men may be saved.
To which Mr Brown responded:
Of course Julian Mann has got it wrong. He's got everything else wrong, so far as I can see. Why should he be right about this? He is quite correct about the wording of the 39 Articles, and quite wrong as to whether they are binding, either in fact or in theory on the clergy of the Church of England, still less on the laity.
I did watch the General Synod for ten years, and sat through endless debates about this sort of thing. It is widely accepted that the clergy are able to assent to the 39 Articles in the spirit, as someone said in the Thirties, with which they assent to the Battersea Gas Works: they agree they exist and are what they are.
The Church of England is absolutely full of people who can tell you what all Anglicans are obliged to believe in. It takes a little while to notice that their definitions are almost all mutually exclusive.
The youth group may compare Mr Brown's claim with the wording of Canon A5, Of the Doctrine of the Church of England:
The doctrine of the Church of England is grounded in the Holy Scriptures, and in such teachings of the ancient Fathers and Councils of the Church as are agreeable to the said Scriptures.
In particular such doctrine is to be found in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Ordinal.
Clergy may not be required to subscribe to the 39 Articles with quite the same integrity as they were in the past. But it is open to a future General Synod to tighten up the doctrinal aspect of the Declaration of Assent for those ordained as Christ's ministers in the Church of England if it is so chose. In fact, to do so would be much more consistent with our Church's stated doctrine.
Compare also Mr Brown's comment with Canon A2, Of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion:
The Thirty-nine Articles are agreeable to the Word of God and may be assented unto with a good conscience by all members of the Church of England.
'Agreeable to the Word of God' doesn't sound quite like the equivalent of an assent to the existence of Battersea Gas Works.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
IT IS NOT COMPASSIONATE TO SWEEP ASIDE GOD'S COMMANDS
In his appeal to Christian compassion in the debate over assisted suicide Lord Falconer shows that he is the product of a heavily Christian-influenced civilisation.
In his interview with the Church of England Newspaper, Lord Falconer, who was the Lord Chancellor under Tony Blair, appealed to the Christian compassion of the current Archbishop of Canterbury:
It is significant to see a prime architect of New Labour advocating an argument based on Christian compassion. A sincere though misguided desire to be compassionate has been the motivating factor behind much of the legislation that has entrenched the permissive society since the 1960s. But the misery and destruction unleashed by the permissive agenda on the social fabric of a once stable society are now plain to see and the tragedy in Doncaster is the latest manifestation of it.
It is not compassionate to sweep aside God's commandments in the name of compassion in a few hard cases. Abrogating the Sixth Commandment in relation to assisted suicide would unleash even more misery.
No man was more compassionate than God's Incarnate Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of Christ's compassion, we his faithful servants must have the courage to uphold God's commands even and especially when we are accused of being uncompassionate.
In his interview with the Church of England Newspaper, Lord Falconer, who was the Lord Chancellor under Tony Blair, appealed to the Christian compassion of the current Archbishop of Canterbury:
“Does he (Dr Williams) want people like the parents of Dan James [who travelled to Dignitas with their paralysed son] to be prosecuted? Does he want the relatives of Lady Downes [who were present when she and her husband, Sir Edward, ended their lives] to be prosecuted? I can’t believe that he does.
“If you don’t want them prosecuted – whilst there is a legitimate debate to be had about the precise detail of how you reflect that in the law – would his position be, for example, that the compassionate assister shouldn’t be prosecuted but the malicious encourager should be?
“Now that would be a compassionate Christian position, and I know Rowan to be an extremely compassionate and obviously Christian individual.”
It is significant to see a prime architect of New Labour advocating an argument based on Christian compassion. A sincere though misguided desire to be compassionate has been the motivating factor behind much of the legislation that has entrenched the permissive society since the 1960s. But the misery and destruction unleashed by the permissive agenda on the social fabric of a once stable society are now plain to see and the tragedy in Doncaster is the latest manifestation of it.
It is not compassionate to sweep aside God's commandments in the name of compassion in a few hard cases. Abrogating the Sixth Commandment in relation to assisted suicide would unleash even more misery.
No man was more compassionate than God's Incarnate Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of Christ's compassion, we his faithful servants must have the courage to uphold God's commands even and especially when we are accused of being uncompassionate.
Friday, 11 September 2009
NEW ANGLICAN EVANGELICAL CHURCH FOR SHEFFIELD
An exciting new Anglican Evangelical church is about to be launched here in Sheffield. A plant from Christ Church Fulwood in south-west Sheffield, Christ Church Endcliffe, in another suburb closer to the city centre, launches on Sunday September 13th.
Very much with the blessing of Sheffield Diocese, it will share a building with an existing parish church in Endcliffe, St Augustine's, but will hold its own service on Sunday afternoons at 4pm, followed by a meal.
The new church in Sheffield is arguably difficult to categorise - it is not quite a parish plant but nor is it a fresh expression meeting in a non-ecclesiastical venue. Sharing premises with an existing parish church whilst operating as a separate congregation avoids a clash of churchmanship but, unlike the parish plants Holy Trinity Brompton has done in London, this arrangement does not allow for the breathing of Evangelical new life into a declining church.
Unless there is a revival in the St Augustine's congregation, it is surely likely that the new church would eventually take over the responsibility for the building. But the question then arises whether it will operate as a parish church making connections with a range of people in the locality through occasional offices and other community links or as a more affluent community to which people commute in from other parishes.
In the meantime, the new congregation represents an exciting springboard for evangelism in Endcliffe, so Cranmer's Curate, ministering in the north-west of Sheffield, wishes the church family and its minister the Revd Edward Pennington every blessing in Christ's service.
PS This letter from Cranmer's Curate was published in this week's Sheffield Telegraph:
Time to support your local church
YOUR report on the new Anglican church in Endcliffe (August 13) suggests that Sheffield Diocese is somehow bucking the national trend in church attendance. Whilst the new congregation established by Christ Church Fulwood is very encouraging, the situation in many Anglican parishes in our region remains extremely challenging.
Deep spiritual culture change is desperately needed in declining parish churches to enable them to proclaim the true biblical message and thus build sustainable Christian communities.
If Christians who currently commute from our parishes to large gathered churches such as St Thomas' Crookes and Christ Church Fulwood would commit to their local parish church and its mission for Christ, then that would hugely help us to meet the challenge.
Very much with the blessing of Sheffield Diocese, it will share a building with an existing parish church in Endcliffe, St Augustine's, but will hold its own service on Sunday afternoons at 4pm, followed by a meal.
The new church in Sheffield is arguably difficult to categorise - it is not quite a parish plant but nor is it a fresh expression meeting in a non-ecclesiastical venue. Sharing premises with an existing parish church whilst operating as a separate congregation avoids a clash of churchmanship but, unlike the parish plants Holy Trinity Brompton has done in London, this arrangement does not allow for the breathing of Evangelical new life into a declining church.
Unless there is a revival in the St Augustine's congregation, it is surely likely that the new church would eventually take over the responsibility for the building. But the question then arises whether it will operate as a parish church making connections with a range of people in the locality through occasional offices and other community links or as a more affluent community to which people commute in from other parishes.
In the meantime, the new congregation represents an exciting springboard for evangelism in Endcliffe, so Cranmer's Curate, ministering in the north-west of Sheffield, wishes the church family and its minister the Revd Edward Pennington every blessing in Christ's service.
PS This letter from Cranmer's Curate was published in this week's Sheffield Telegraph:
Time to support your local church
YOUR report on the new Anglican church in Endcliffe (August 13) suggests that Sheffield Diocese is somehow bucking the national trend in church attendance. Whilst the new congregation established by Christ Church Fulwood is very encouraging, the situation in many Anglican parishes in our region remains extremely challenging.
Deep spiritual culture change is desperately needed in declining parish churches to enable them to proclaim the true biblical message and thus build sustainable Christian communities.
If Christians who currently commute from our parishes to large gathered churches such as St Thomas' Crookes and Christ Church Fulwood would commit to their local parish church and its mission for Christ, then that would hugely help us to meet the challenge.
Sunday, 6 September 2009
LET THE COURTS CHOOSE - PRAYER BOOK OR ISSUES IN HUMAN SEXUALITY
The false distinction made by the House of Bishops’ 1991 report Issues in Human Sexuality is now beginning to unravel legally. That report stated that sex outside heterosexual marriage is permissible for Christian laity though not for clergy.
The New Testament makes no such distinction (cf 1 Corinthians 6v9-10; Ephesians 5v3-6; 1 Thessalonians 4v1-8), requiring those in pastoral leadership to be living examples of the godly standards to which all Christians are called (cf 1 Timothy 4v11-16; Titus 1v7-9).
But this false distinction from the Bishops' Issues has badly damaged one of their own.
According to the Christian Institute's summer newsletter, that distinction is one of the reasons why the Diocese of Hereford was last year ordered to pay £47,000 in compensation to a man who was turned down for a job as a youth worker because of his homosexual lifestyle. The Stonewall-funded legal action was instigated against the diocese because its orthodox and godly bishop, the Rt Revd Anthony Priddis, had questioned the applicant about his lifestyle during the interview.
According to Mike Judge’s report on p12 in the Institute’s Update:
No secular employment tribunal seeking to administer justice can be blamed for looking at the supposed rule-book of the organisation concerned, but there you have it - the false distinction from Issues rearing its ugly head.
Canon A5 states clearly that the biblical doctrine of the Church of England is expressed in the Book of Common Prayer, the 39 Articles of Religion, and the Ordinal. The Book of Common Prayer, in its service of Holy Matrimony, clearly calls sex outside of heterosexual marriage ‘fornication’, for which the God-created institution being celebrated is the remedy.
So a practical suggestion: in the next legal action of this nature, the defence should call Thomas Cranmer as an expert witness (in form of his Prayer Book) and ask him how he defines 'fornication' and who can be guilty of it. The court would then have to decide which is the authoritative expression of Anglican teaching - the Book of Common Prayer or Issues in Human Sexuality.
The New Testament makes no such distinction (cf 1 Corinthians 6v9-10; Ephesians 5v3-6; 1 Thessalonians 4v1-8), requiring those in pastoral leadership to be living examples of the godly standards to which all Christians are called (cf 1 Timothy 4v11-16; Titus 1v7-9).
But this false distinction from the Bishops' Issues has badly damaged one of their own.
According to the Christian Institute's summer newsletter, that distinction is one of the reasons why the Diocese of Hereford was last year ordered to pay £47,000 in compensation to a man who was turned down for a job as a youth worker because of his homosexual lifestyle. The Stonewall-funded legal action was instigated against the diocese because its orthodox and godly bishop, the Rt Revd Anthony Priddis, had questioned the applicant about his lifestyle during the interview.
According to Mike Judge’s report on p12 in the Institute’s Update:
‘Despite a legal exemption covering youth worker posts, the case was lost because of procedural issues and because the teaching from the House of Bishops did not require Anglicans, other than ministers, to commit to celibacy or marriage.'
No secular employment tribunal seeking to administer justice can be blamed for looking at the supposed rule-book of the organisation concerned, but there you have it - the false distinction from Issues rearing its ugly head.
Canon A5 states clearly that the biblical doctrine of the Church of England is expressed in the Book of Common Prayer, the 39 Articles of Religion, and the Ordinal. The Book of Common Prayer, in its service of Holy Matrimony, clearly calls sex outside of heterosexual marriage ‘fornication’, for which the God-created institution being celebrated is the remedy.
So a practical suggestion: in the next legal action of this nature, the defence should call Thomas Cranmer as an expert witness (in form of his Prayer Book) and ask him how he defines 'fornication' and who can be guilty of it. The court would then have to decide which is the authoritative expression of Anglican teaching - the Book of Common Prayer or Issues in Human Sexuality.
Friday, 4 September 2009
EGYPT ON THE PERSECUTION TIMELINE
The 2008/2009 timeline of examples of Christians suffering persecution around the world in the latest Barnabas Fund magazine includes some harrowing stories. The treatment of Christ's faithful soldiers and servants in various countries is shocking and their courage is deeply humbling.
Though it is painful for Cranmer's Curate to say it, he has to be honest that he is not surprised at the goings-on in some of the countries listed.
But Egypt?
Whether the perception matches the reality, Egypt is still widely perceived in the democratic West to be a country representing moderate Islam and therefore as an ally in the war on terror. Indeed, Cairo was the venue for President Obama's now famous speech on June 4th of this year in which he declared: 'People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind, heart and soul.'
According to the report on p11 of the September/October issue of barnabasaid:
This story should be thoroughly investigated by the free press that we are privileged to have in a Christian-influenced country such as the United Kingdom.
Though it is painful for Cranmer's Curate to say it, he has to be honest that he is not surprised at the goings-on in some of the countries listed.
But Egypt?
Whether the perception matches the reality, Egypt is still widely perceived in the democratic West to be a country representing moderate Islam and therefore as an ally in the war on terror. Indeed, Cairo was the venue for President Obama's now famous speech on June 4th of this year in which he declared: 'People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind, heart and soul.'
According to the report on p11 of the September/October issue of barnabasaid:
Martha Samuel, an Egyptian convert from Islam to Christianity, was detained, stripped, and beaten at Cairo airport on 17 December (2008) as she tried to emigrate with her family. Her two children witnessed her assault and were deprived of food to pressure their mother to return to Islam. The judge, who tried her case, imprisoning her for a month, told her that if he had a knife he would kill her for leaving Islam.
This story should be thoroughly investigated by the free press that we are privileged to have in a Christian-influenced country such as the United Kingdom.
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
THE VIBE REPLIES ON THEOLOGICAL TRAINING
The Revd Dr Simon Vibert has posted an excellent reply on his own weblog to your curate's post asking what we are paying for in theological training. Here it is for the edification of the youth group:
Wycliffe Hall and the “posh college” debate
What should we expect of a theological college?
There has been considerable discussion recently surrounding the issue of “value for money” and “fitness for purpose” of full time theological education. I have my own views on the immense value of full time theological residential training (see http://www.simonvibert.com/writing/article/CEN%20article_on_full_time_training.doc). But I think we would agree that the goal of all such training is to equip and train godly ministers for Gospel ministry.
Julian Mann has publically challenged me to defend Wycliffe Hall in the light of his article in the EN and the subsequent letter from one of our students Matthew Swires Hennessy (see http://cranmercurate.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-are-we-paying-for-in-thelogical.html). If I have understood him correctly, Julian’s main contention is that Oak Hill is best placed to train ordinands because it is not “as posh” as Oxbridge colleges and provides a more useful practical theology.
I have no intention of being drawn into a debate over the relative strengths and weaknesses of Wycliffe versus Oak Hill. Apart from anything else, I was a student at Oak Hill, for which I am most grateful, and am now Vice Principal at Wycliffe Hall and wish to see both institutions prosper!
There are several reasons why I was appreciative, and ultimately accepted, Richard Turnbull’s invitation to teach at Wycliffe Hall, which in no particular order, include the following:-
1. I am absolutely committed to evangelical parochial ministry in the Church of England. Since Ordination in 1989 I have served as a Curate in Carlisle, been the minister-in-charge of a church in the small market town of Buxton in Derbyshire, and been incumbent of a leafy suburban parish in Wimbledon. These varied environments have led me to conclude that England is unlikely to be revived unless Gospel new-life penetrates urban, suburban, rural, wealthy, poor and every other demography across the land. Parochial ministry, despite its limitations for Church planting etc., is still a great gift to the national church. It is a major goal of our training mindset that we seek to bolster the faithful ongoing witness of Gospel ministry in local communities through high calibre preparation of men and women for ministry.
2. The particular focus to Wycliffe’s training was another great attraction for me: We have sought to concentrate on 3-4 main ends or goals. For sure, we cover the core curriculum in biblical studies, doctrine, church history, ethics etc. But to what end? The answer is that we seek to train: leaders, preachers, evangelists, church planters and apologists. This requires practical and pastoral focus. Hence, alongside the rigorous academic demands of being a PPH of Oxford University, Pastor-teachers such as myself seek to bring grass-roots ministry experience to earth the teaching in real ministry goals.
3. Wycliffe Hall has a marvellous academic and ecclesiastic heritage. For sure, not everyone at Wycliffe will study on the demanding 2-year BA course or do post graduate study. Of course for some this also means many other opportunities to excel in sports, debate, church life, etc. But Wycliffe seeks to make the most of the excellent resources which a university town offers: rigorous academic scholarship and the marvellous heritage of a university which, after all has the Scriptural words “The Lord is my Light” as its foundational motto. I do not want to forget, either, that the vision of the founders of Wycliffe Hall, under the leadership of the great JC Ryle, was in part that Wycliffe Hall would be a witness to the University, reminding them that the learned mind is a humble mind which first bows its head before its maker before bowing over its books.
There is much more, but for now, I do hope Julian and others, that you will pray for Wycliffe and Oak Hill, as well as the other evangelical colleges. We are not in competition with each other. We need your support and encouragement and prayer in order that we may, under God, do our utmost to form godly ministers for Gospel work up and down our land.
Top stuff Simon. Cranmer's Curate has three questions still outstanding in his mind:
1). Can the Wycliffe Hall Council really guarantee Classic/Reformed Evangelical succession in its principal as effectively as can Oak Hill's independent Kingham Hill Trust?
2). To what extent are Evangelical ordinands at the Oxbridge colleges pursuing student ministry on behalf of university churches and parachurch organisations to the detriment of a thorough grounding in sound Evangelical theology for effective Word ministry after college?
3). To what extent are the opportunities to excel in the extracurricular life of the university being used by some ordinands to compensate for the fact that they missed out on the Oxbridge experience as undergraduates?
Wycliffe Hall and the “posh college” debate
What should we expect of a theological college?
There has been considerable discussion recently surrounding the issue of “value for money” and “fitness for purpose” of full time theological education. I have my own views on the immense value of full time theological residential training (see http://www.simonvibert.com/writing/article/CEN%20article_on_full_time_training.doc). But I think we would agree that the goal of all such training is to equip and train godly ministers for Gospel ministry.
Julian Mann has publically challenged me to defend Wycliffe Hall in the light of his article in the EN and the subsequent letter from one of our students Matthew Swires Hennessy (see http://cranmercurate.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-are-we-paying-for-in-thelogical.html). If I have understood him correctly, Julian’s main contention is that Oak Hill is best placed to train ordinands because it is not “as posh” as Oxbridge colleges and provides a more useful practical theology.
I have no intention of being drawn into a debate over the relative strengths and weaknesses of Wycliffe versus Oak Hill. Apart from anything else, I was a student at Oak Hill, for which I am most grateful, and am now Vice Principal at Wycliffe Hall and wish to see both institutions prosper!
There are several reasons why I was appreciative, and ultimately accepted, Richard Turnbull’s invitation to teach at Wycliffe Hall, which in no particular order, include the following:-
1. I am absolutely committed to evangelical parochial ministry in the Church of England. Since Ordination in 1989 I have served as a Curate in Carlisle, been the minister-in-charge of a church in the small market town of Buxton in Derbyshire, and been incumbent of a leafy suburban parish in Wimbledon. These varied environments have led me to conclude that England is unlikely to be revived unless Gospel new-life penetrates urban, suburban, rural, wealthy, poor and every other demography across the land. Parochial ministry, despite its limitations for Church planting etc., is still a great gift to the national church. It is a major goal of our training mindset that we seek to bolster the faithful ongoing witness of Gospel ministry in local communities through high calibre preparation of men and women for ministry.
2. The particular focus to Wycliffe’s training was another great attraction for me: We have sought to concentrate on 3-4 main ends or goals. For sure, we cover the core curriculum in biblical studies, doctrine, church history, ethics etc. But to what end? The answer is that we seek to train: leaders, preachers, evangelists, church planters and apologists. This requires practical and pastoral focus. Hence, alongside the rigorous academic demands of being a PPH of Oxford University, Pastor-teachers such as myself seek to bring grass-roots ministry experience to earth the teaching in real ministry goals.
3. Wycliffe Hall has a marvellous academic and ecclesiastic heritage. For sure, not everyone at Wycliffe will study on the demanding 2-year BA course or do post graduate study. Of course for some this also means many other opportunities to excel in sports, debate, church life, etc. But Wycliffe seeks to make the most of the excellent resources which a university town offers: rigorous academic scholarship and the marvellous heritage of a university which, after all has the Scriptural words “The Lord is my Light” as its foundational motto. I do not want to forget, either, that the vision of the founders of Wycliffe Hall, under the leadership of the great JC Ryle, was in part that Wycliffe Hall would be a witness to the University, reminding them that the learned mind is a humble mind which first bows its head before its maker before bowing over its books.
There is much more, but for now, I do hope Julian and others, that you will pray for Wycliffe and Oak Hill, as well as the other evangelical colleges. We are not in competition with each other. We need your support and encouragement and prayer in order that we may, under God, do our utmost to form godly ministers for Gospel work up and down our land.
Top stuff Simon. Cranmer's Curate has three questions still outstanding in his mind:
1). Can the Wycliffe Hall Council really guarantee Classic/Reformed Evangelical succession in its principal as effectively as can Oak Hill's independent Kingham Hill Trust?
2). To what extent are Evangelical ordinands at the Oxbridge colleges pursuing student ministry on behalf of university churches and parachurch organisations to the detriment of a thorough grounding in sound Evangelical theology for effective Word ministry after college?
3). To what extent are the opportunities to excel in the extracurricular life of the university being used by some ordinands to compensate for the fact that they missed out on the Oxbridge experience as undergraduates?
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
NEW DONCASTER MAYOR WITH LESSON FOR DIOCESE
The new executive mayor of Doncaster, Peter Davies, has scrapped all future funding for the town's annual Gay Pride event, according to his recent interview with Robert Hardman in the Daily Mail. Mr Davies is quoted as saying: 'I'm not a homophobe, but I don't see why council taxpayers should pay to celebrate anyone's sexuality.’
Representing the little known English Democrats, he beat the mainstream political parties in June's local government elections and has immediately set about tackling political correctness and waste.
Doncaster falls within the cure of souls of the diocese of Sheffield. Cranmer's Curate wonders what blunt Yorkshireman's comment Mr Davies, who describes himself as a non-practising Anglican, would have come up with over a document produced by the diocese's Sexuality Working Group under its previous bishop, the Rt Revd Jack Nicholls.
In 2004 your curate arrived at the annual Shove Tuesday theological lecture for clergy and readers seeking edification in Christ and equipping for ministry but instead found placed on his seat a copy of 'Frankly Speaking: A way into conversation about issues of sexuality and the Church featuring stories from gay, lesbian and bisexual people in South Yorkshire’.
In the wake of the scandal this shameful document caused, for which no public apology has been issued by the diocese, columnist Andrew Carey wrote in the Church of England Newspaper:
And doing so at parish share payers’ expense.
Representing the little known English Democrats, he beat the mainstream political parties in June's local government elections and has immediately set about tackling political correctness and waste.
Doncaster falls within the cure of souls of the diocese of Sheffield. Cranmer's Curate wonders what blunt Yorkshireman's comment Mr Davies, who describes himself as a non-practising Anglican, would have come up with over a document produced by the diocese's Sexuality Working Group under its previous bishop, the Rt Revd Jack Nicholls.
In 2004 your curate arrived at the annual Shove Tuesday theological lecture for clergy and readers seeking edification in Christ and equipping for ministry but instead found placed on his seat a copy of 'Frankly Speaking: A way into conversation about issues of sexuality and the Church featuring stories from gay, lesbian and bisexual people in South Yorkshire’.
In the wake of the scandal this shameful document caused, for which no public apology has been issued by the diocese, columnist Andrew Carey wrote in the Church of England Newspaper:
'Although it purports to be a neutral document merely setting out the stories of various people who have struggled to come to terms with their sexuality, it presents a very biased picture. Seven of the eight stories featured involve men and women who have rejected the biblical and traditional ethic of the Church, often it must be said through a considerable amount of soul-searching and pain...
Bishop Jack Nicholls, one of the leading proponents of a relaxation of the Church’s attitude on sexuality, writes a preface commending the stories. “As with most contentious issues in life, it is often more important to listen than to speak if we are to discern what God is saying.”
I can imagine some of the reaction among the famously straight-talking people of South Yorkshire when they are expected to study these stories in small groups in the diocese. While it is polite and right to listen to the experience of others, I cannot imagine how ‘open marriages’ and casual sexual encounters have anything to do with Christian experience, except as matters for repentance.
Yet this telling of stories, although valuable to a point, is clearly one of the main ways in which those who seek to change the Church’s teaching, are attempting to do so.'
And doing so at parish share payers’ expense.
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