Speaking to the Anglican Evangelical Junior Clergy Conference, at St Mark’s College, Audley End, last week, the Rev John Richardson said that the ”˜Decade of Evangelism’ died along with Archbishop William Temple in 1944, as the Church turned its attention to revising Canons and liturgy.
The result was an increasingly divided evangelical constituency, said Mr Richardson, who told the 25 junior clergy, ordinands, and others considering ordination that their focus should be: “To seek the conversion of England through the evangelical proclamation of the gospel and the transformation of the Church of England.
“With good leadership, it is possible even for the Church of England to get its priorities right. But the sad truth is that we have generally had bad leadership. And that is why we are here ”” to consider the future leadership of the Church….
The full version is accessible without subscription at
http://ugleyvicar.blogspot.com/2011/07/eajcc-first-address.html
First a positive comment…This article is one of the clearest accounts of the history of evangelical Anglicanism since 1945 that you are ever likely to read or hear. I am not sure that I agree with all of John Richarson’s comments and conclusions, but it is brilliantly put together and very eloquently delivered.
However, it is profoundly depressing as it brings into sharp focus the petty, nasty factionalism that has rent Anglican evangelcialism asunder for decades and is likely to do so for some time to come without much hope of respite.
Finally, did I hear you say there were 25 people in total (just guessing but I presume they were all male) at this Anglican Evangelical Junior Evangelical Clergy Conference, (or ANJEC for short) featuring “junior clergy, ordinands and others considering ordination.” 25?? Surely that does not constitute the term “Conference”. Sound more like a large house or cell group gathering to me. How pitiful that such a superb address should be heard by so staggeringly few!
And what, pray tell me , is the definition of “junior clergy” And what is the difference between the term “junior clergy” and “ordinand”…wouldn’t they be one and the same thing?. Or were there some non-junior ordinands in tow at the Conference perhaps, who had surreptitiously crept in and bumped up the “Conference” figures to the mid-twenties?
“Northener”, why not put your questions directly to John Richardson via his blog? I am sure he can answer them. He’s a very astute mind – to judge by what he has written, a good deal smarter and better read than most of the bishops in the C of E, I would aver. But I admit my biases.
As one who follows (at some distance) what happens in the C of E, and how it is affected by Tec (Gene Robinson is a regular visitor to England’s shores and has preached in Putney), I found this a very helpful overview of Anglican history. The “factionalism” of which “Nothener” complains in strong (even judgmental) language has not a little to do with core uncertainties within Anglicanism about the nature and authority of the Bible and priorities in mission in a post-Christian society.
The number who attended does seem small, but the internet makes this available (and free to Scotsmen and others!) across the world.
I expect there are many other liberals in the Church of England who devoutly wish that John Richardon’s message only went out to 25 people, and that no-one else in CofE thinks along the same lines. On both counts they are of course very wrong.
It is great to see that JR has put his message on the internet (where he has quite a following) for all to see and to evaluate.
And it is a good message. There are evangelicals all over England who are doing great work to spread the gospel. They also need to think about the health of the institution itself. When people like Christopher Chessun, Nick Holtam or Jeffrey John are even considered for bishop, then there is clearly something awry in CofE.