Reform chairman Rod Thomas’ enthusiasm for a new Conservative Evangelical Society was manifest at the national conference at High Leigh, Hertfordshire yesterday.
God willing, the plans will come to fruition and a Reform Society with its own bishops will emerge to preserve and promote Conservative Evangelical ministry within the Church of England.
But the following issues need to be addressed by the Reform Council, some of which emerged in the question time after Mr Thomas’ address:
• Will the leadership of the new Society be elected or will it be appointed by the existing Reform Council?
• What will be the relationship of the new Society to the institutional Church of England?
• How will the Society’s bishops be appointed and how they will relate to the Society’s council and membership?
• Will the membership of the Society be open to churches or individuals or both and under what status?
What is clear is that if the Society is to be effective in enabling evangelism, church growth, and church planting for Christ's Kingdom its leadership needs to become less socially elitist. Reform remains a southern-dominated, large-church movement with its prominent spokesmen largely drawn from Oxbridge.
Unless Reform broadens socially, the protective walls its Society offers Conservative Evangelicals in the Church of England could become those of a ghetto.
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Hello Julian- sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you on Tuesday. I was the one who asked the first of those questions.
ReplyDeleteI was moderately encouraged by Rod's talk on the first day. It looked as if Reform are willing to face up to some of their weaknesses,and the proposed Augustine Society could be made to work. It would be a messy, imperfect solution, but then what wouldn't? Rod seemed to be talking about it as a definitely Evangelical, Reformed society.
Yesterday afternoon was less encouraging. The nature and purpose of the Society seemed much vaguer. At one point Wallace Benn seemed to be saying that it would be evangelical, but then join with Wilfrid and Hilda in some sort single entity. Then Rod seemed to be saying that Augustine would be for Anglo-Catholics as well as evangelicals.
Astonishingly, after being at High leigh for 24 hours, we have not been told who is organising this or when it will be ready. Rod hinted at the Reform conference next autumn. There is a planning group of 5 people chaired by Angus Macleay. Unfortunately the other 4 didn't reveal their secret identities. Which bears out what you say about leadership
Stephen Walton, Marbury (ex-Oxford, grew up 30 miles from the most southerly point of Britain!)
While at the Reform Conference I noticed that there was only one Afro-carribean face and one Asian face amongst the Oxbridge types. I rather say we are almost a ghetto of the Church of England and that the only way out is to broaden socially.
ReplyDeleteI thought and I wonder if you heard but Rod Thomas when asked about possibly electing a leadership his response seemed to say that there is no need to change from the current method of asking for the pooled old boys network. There may be a fear of take over and move reform more its conservative roots but surely there are enough wise heads around to draw up something that would make it hard for that to happen.
I long to see the day when a gifted pastor/teacher: state school educated, just trained Theological college, from Essex, who isn't white, leading a small church gives a talk at Reform and is on the council.
Richard Wood
East London
ps. I'm state educated but not from Essex and only trained at Oak Hill!
I didn't think that Rod said there was no need to change the current system, but I might be wrong. I thought he said that was one of the things they would have to consider.
ReplyDeleteI think an elected leadership would make the Society more Reformed, not less. It would bring in more of the younger men from Oak Hill who, theologically, are consistently Reformed. And I think it would make a menage a trois between Augustine, Wilfred, and Hilda less likely.
Stephen Walton