Churches should take advantage of the opportunities presented by the shrinkage of the State by delivering \u201csubstantial public services\u201d\u009d, says a report launched in the House of Lords on Monday.<\/p>\n
Amid cuts in public spending, the Church needs to \u201cre-imagine its role and to re-orientate itself more radically towards social action and the delivery of public services\u201d\u009d, say the authors of Faith in Public Service, Ian Sansbury, Ben Cowdrey, and Lea Kauffmann-de Vries. The report is published by the Oasis Foundation, a non-denominational social-justice charity. The Revd Steve Chalke, a Baptist minister and the founder of Oasis, has written its introduction.<\/p>\n
The report suggests that individual churches could \u201cgo further than the delivery of foodbanks and debt advice\u201d\u009d, and move more into the provision of health-care and education. They might, however, need more \u201ceffective leadership, governance, finance and HR function\u201d\u009d to do so.<\/p>\n