Church confesses its contribution to Jewish suffering

Whom will it serve?

You don’t have to be a prophet, or even a believer, to recognise that deep divisions are wracking Britain today. The 2016 Referendum exposed some of these. People are starting to realise that ‘politics as usual’ is no longer possible: we have entered a period of unprecedented turmoil and upheaval: what we have frequently referred to on Prophecy Today UK as part of the ‘shaking of the nations’.

While the spiritual forces underneath this shaking may be black and white, so to speak, how all this bears out in individual thinking and behaviour was never going to be clear-cut, because human beings are complicated. For instance, the unforgiving binary options of the Referendum masked complex concerns and ideological standpoints on both sides, which has been a point of frustration for many.

But despite this complexity, the oppositional worldviews underlying the battle for the soul of the West are gradually becoming more and more apparent. At the polls and in virtually every sphere of daily life, people are increasingly being forced to choose, one way or the other.

Political Polarisation

It may have taken a generation for the cultural Marxism being preached in universities to filter down into mainstream culture, but that project is now nearly complete, enabled and encouraged by a political establishment purporting to take the centre ground. Those who accept this radical left-wing worldview are lining up on one side of the debate; those who react against it on the other. Because the worldviews at stake are vastly opposing, we are witnessing a general movement away from the political centre towards the extremes.

This polarisation is visible in the recent EU election results, which saw centrist parties lose considerable ground to parties both farther to the left (e.g. greens, ultra-liberals) and farther to the right (e.g. nationalists). Whether ordinary citizens are becoming more radical in their politics, or simply expressing frustration, the result is an empowering of parties farther outwards on the political spectrum.

We are witnessing a general movement away from the political centre towards the extremes, underlain by worldviews that are vastly opposing.

Dig a little deeper than left-right divisions, however, and the battle lines are really being drawn up either around the defence of the ‘old order’ that emerged from Christendom (including the nation-state system, a strong family unit and the importance of individual freedom from state interference), notwithstanding its imperfections, or around its destruction and replacement with the inverse (i.e. globalism, anti-life and anti-family movements including LGBTQ+/radical feminism/abortion/euthanasia, and the subjection of the individual to increasing state control).

All this means that wherever one sits on a variety of hot-button issues, it is increasingly difficult to forge a compromise path or remain neutral. This is especially the case for Christian institutions and ministries, who ostensibly hold the truth. The time has come to nail some colours to the mast.

Oceans Apart

The reality of this was exposed strongly this week with news of a vicar in Essex resigning, from both his positions as governor of a CofE primary school and local vicar, over the promotion of transgender ideology. The school had allowed a child under 12 to announce his gender transition to his class, without any agreed procedures and without informing other parents, but with the full support of the diocese. The Revd John Parker submitted his resignation letter, in which he expressed concerns that children are being “sacrificed on the altar of trans ideology”.¹

Mr Parker is one of many clergy and lay Anglicans who have borne the CofE’s drift away from biblical principles and into radical left-wing identity politics (the schools issue being just one manifestation of this) for as long as they can, hoping and praying for change from the inside, but who have finally decided that enough is enough.

These defectors are seeking spiritual safe havens in other denominations or breakaway Anglican groups, including GAFCON (Global Anglican Future Conference, an international Anglican body championing traditional biblical teaching), while the CofE establishment has drifted ever farther out to sea, lured by siren calls of ‘compassion’, ‘tolerance’ and ‘welcome’.

Across the vast distance that has opened up in between, calls for unity, dialogue and peaceful disagreement sound ever-more faint and hollow. It is difficult to see any other future for the CofE than one of disintegration, barring some drastic repentance, especially within the upper tiers of its leadership.

Mr Parker is one of many clergy and lay Anglicans who have borne the CofE’s drift away from biblical principles for as long as they can, but have finally decided that enough is enough.

However, there is yet a sense that the CofE has not capitulated completely, but is still being pulled in both directions. The Lambeth 2020 international meeting of bishops, for example, is being boycotted by both conservative GAFCON members and ultra-liberal bishops who think the Church is not going far enough in its ‘welcome’ of gays and lesbians.

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s weak attempts to appease both sides in the sexuality debate have failed to give strong leadership one way or the other, permitting the gradual permeation of the Church with LGBTQ+ ideology in a way that has angered both pro-LGBTQ+ activists (for not being fast or far-reaching enough) and those trying to remain faithful to Scripture. In other words, attempts to forge a middle-ground, compromise position have only made matters worse, fuelling polarisation – just as we have seen more widely in national politics.

The Time is Now

All this is really to say that the era of easy ways out – of fudging compromises, of appeasement and of sitting on the fence – is all but over. But perhaps that is not a bad thing, for, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm…I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:15-16).

The Church in all quarters badly needs to choose whom it will serve (Deut 30:19; Josh 24:15), heeding James’s warning that “whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God” (4:4). The disagreements in which the CofE is mired result from it befriending a worldly ideology that stands in total opposition to God. This ideology cannot save, and only leads to division and disintegration. As with the Church, so with the nation.

Our study this week looks at Jeremiah, the ‘weeping prophet’, and expresses hope that in our day we will see people who humbly cleave to the Lord’s council, grieving over the nation and daring to speak prophetically from that place to both king and priest. If ever Britain needed such prophets, it is now.

Meanwhile, may the faithful continue to rally – not primarily to one political party or another, but to the Lord and his word, just as the Levites rallied to Moses (Ex 32). Therein we will find salvation, security, hope and light which will radiate out through us to the nation.

References

1 Read more at Christian Concern.

God is working his purposes out.

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking to a packed fringe meeting at the Church of England Synod in Westminster. There were a number of bishops and clergy of all ranks and the general atmosphere was one of deep concern for the state of the nation. The meeting was in Church House alongside Westminster Abbey and I think we were all aware of events across the road, where our politicians are struggling with seemingly intractable problems.

If any of those attending the meeting came expecting, or even hoping for, easy answers or joyful tidings, I’m afraid they would have gone away disappointed. The primary message I had to give was that God holds the Church responsible for the moral and spiritual state of the nation. I had been asked to speak about my latest book, ‘The Reshaping of Britain: Church and State since the 1960s’. I spoke about the last four Archbishops of Canterbury who I’ve known and worked alongside; and I spoke about the lack of a prophetic voice from the Church giving leadership to the nation in a time of revolutionary social, economic and political change.

It was not a comfortable message and in the short time of discussion it was clear that there are no easy answers to the situation. How do you bring creative, biblically-based change into an organisation as massive as the Church of England? I was only able to repeat what I’ve said so many times that there will be no revival in the nation until there is repentance in the Church. Of course, this is no easy message for those who are dealing with a multitude of pastoral problems in their congregations.

Right Understanding

One of the clergy asked, “Should we be encouraging young people in our churches to go into politics?” I know it is a very lonely and difficult place for Christians in the House of Commons at present. If there were a significant number of those who uphold biblical values and whose trust is in God, it would undoubtedly change the dynamics of politics and that should be a future hope and objective for all church leaders.

But I think it would take away a lot of our fear about the present political mess in the nation and our vast array of social problems if we simply understood what is going on. This means discerning the difference between the social engineering that has been driving the nation for the past 40 or 50 years generated by secular humanist advocates, and what is divine activity initiated by God.

It would take away a lot of our fear about the present political mess in the nation and our vast array of social problems if we simply understood what is going on.

Most Christians do not think in these terms because we do not rightly handle the whole word of God. We concentrate upon the Gospels and Epistles, but neglect to study the biblical Prophets, whom God used to reveal his nature and purposes to humanity in preparation for the coming of Messiah. Without a thorough understanding of this background we can never understand what God is doing in the world today. I said yesterday that this should be the major concern of church leaders today.

Listen to this from Isaiah 45:7: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” All the Prophets recognised that God creates disaster! But he is more than ready to change disaster into prosperity!!! In fact, that is God’s purpose! He is longing to see his children enjoying the blessings of those who uphold righteousness and live by the standards of truth he has revealed in his word over many thousands of years.

Shaking All Things

God is at present shaking all the nations, as he first revealed to the Prophet Haggai in 520 BC, the significance of which for today is explained in the New Testament in Hebrews 12. You can see this in the upheavals and bitter Brexit divisions in Britain, in the rise of the populist movement in many countries throughout Europe, and in the fear of the Brussels elite at what may happen in the EU election in May this year.

You can see it in the USA, where there has never before been such bitter division between Republicans and Democrats. You can see it in the upheavals in South America, in Venezuela; similarly in Africa, especially in Nigeria in recent days, in the Middle East, in the distressing humanitarian crises in Yemen and Syria, and in many other parts of the world.

It is not only the nations that are being shaken, but all the great institutions in which we human beings put our trust – including the Church! Right now, the Roman Catholic Church is being torn asunder by having to face the sexual sins of its clergy over many decades that are being revealed to the public. Successive Popes have delayed the day of reckoning for many years, but the Vatican is having to face the uncomfortable truth that a system of forced celibacy in a social climate of sexual libertarianism is a recipe for disaster! Large numbers of clergy have misused their spiritual power for sexual gratification, exploiting vulnerable children and adults. The day of judgment has arrived, and this has not just been brought about by social pressure, but by the judgment of God.

All the Prophets recognised that God creates disaster! But he is more than ready to change disaster into prosperity!

For Love

Why is God shaking everything? It may be amazing to those who do not study the whole word of God – but when God brings judgment upon the evil institutions of humanity it is an expression of his LOVE!

God so loved the world that he gave his own Son to save humanity from self-destruction. But our tiny minds simply cannot comprehend the magnitude of God’s purposes without the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit to flood his truth into our lives.

Let me give a small illustration of the great truth that I’m trying to convey. For more than 30 years I have been trying to teach a basic sociological truth that when you weaken and undermine the family, you destroy the social fabric of society, because the family is the linchpin holding everything together. This is what we have done in Western society and this is the underlying cause of knife crime, gang warfare, drug use, bullying, depression and suicide. We have crucified truth and produced an age of fake news, lies, hatred and violence, driven by the forces of darkness that we have embraced.

But amidst all this, God is working out his purposes to bring human beings to the point where they recognise that they have no solutions to the problems they have created. When they begin to cry out ‘O God, what has gone wrong?’ God knows they will be then open to the truth. He is calling upon his Church to be ready for a great spiritual awakening! Not a revival of the old institutions that we call churches, but a genuine new openness to the truth, met by a Church that genuinely both lives and declares the unchanging word of God.

That is the way disaster will be turned into prosperity! And the good news is that we may not be far from the turning point!

A house theologically divided against itself cannot stand.

In 8 January, the Anglican Centre in Rome issued a joint statement¹ with the Archbishop of Canterbury announcing the appointment of Dr John Shepherd as its Interim Director. Within days it came to light that he had preached a sermon in 2008 questioning the traditional view of Jesus' resurrection.

Immediately there were calls that Shepherd should resign,² and Justin Welby's judgment was openly questioned.³ Following the outcry Shepherd issued a statement seeking to clarify his beliefs⁴ but, as one commentator has observed, it far from confirms his orthodoxy.⁵

Shortly before this debate I was reminded of events 35 years ago surrounding the consecration of another resurrection-denier as a bishop. I believe that those events were a missed opportunity to steer the CofE away from the confused place it has now reached.

The Fire of 1984

A few weeks earlier a non-Christian friend had asked me if I could explain why CofE vicars were unable to understand the violent nature of Islam. My thoughts went immediately to the fire at York Minster which started 36 hours after the Archbishop of York, John Habgood, ordained David Jenkins as Bishop of Durham. Jenkins was on record as not believing in either Jesus’ virgin birth or the resurrection. In the early hours of the following Monday morning, ‘lightning’ struck the Minster, and the roof of the South Transept was consumed in flames. Many saw this as significant because that was the section of the Minster in which hands were laid on Jenkins by Habgood and others.

Faced with such a compelling set of circumstances, the Archbishops of the day did not heed the biblical injunction to ‘consider their ways’ (Hag 5:1). The Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, told The Times that “the Lord was on our side as we battled with those flames.” In a letter to the same paper, Habgood questioned the opinions of some who suggested that God was behind the incident, asking, “What kind of a god do your correspondents believe in?” He concluded that this was “the kind of world from which the Christian Gospel rescued us.”

Faced with such a compelling set of circumstances, the Archbishops of the day did not heed the biblical injunction to ‘consider their ways’ (Hag 5:1).

At the time many suspected that this denial of divine intervention was because the Church’s insurance policies did not cover ‘acts of God’, but were there more fundamental reasons behind their protests?

The South Transept of York Minster ablaze, 1984. PA/PA Archive/PA Images.Habgood’s god was shaped by the theology of deism, in which God takes no action in the world. This argument is consistent with Jenkins’ denial of the virgin birth and resurrection, for a prerequisite of both is faith that God is actively involved in our lives. The Archbishops therefore colluded in twin denials: the first being that Jenkins’ disbelief was of any consequence; secondly that the Creator remains involved with people.

Was God Serious?

It is easy for some Christians to react to major traumatic events when they occur with claims that they are expressions of divine anger. It is much harder to then watch through several subsequent decades of no apparent further consequences and still believe that God was serious when he broke out “like fire” (Amos 5:6) in 1984.

Elijah, however, did not meet the Lord in the storm, earthquake or fire, but through his still, small voice (1 Kings 19). God does not always work within our human time-frames; in order to understand his purposes, we must draw near him and listen intently.

Enoch was a prophet who warned of coming judgment 1,000 years before the Flood. Similarly, Israel rejected the Lord as their king over 1,000 years before Jesus’ incarnation, but they only spoke out their rebellion a few hours before his crucifixion (1 Sam 8:7; John 19:15). At this point there was no sudden thunder from Heaven, no immediate sword of the Lord - it was almost 40 more years before they reaped what they had sown.

When answering my non-Christian friend, I realised that many clergy are now incapable of discerning good from bad, unwilling to take God at his word and unable to understand his ways and purposes, as the recent debate around Rev Shepherd illustrates. But there are consequences of disbelief: throughout the Scriptures we discover that the Lord uses both nature and people to discipline those who are known by his name (Heb 12:4-8) and that he judges them more stringently than unbelievers.

The Lord uses both nature and people to discipline those who are known by his name (Heb 12:4-8) and judges them more stringently than unbelievers.

People Who Lack Knowledge

Israel was warned of the dangers of disbelief by various prophets. One was Hosea, who highlighted the consequences of not seeking truth, mercy and a knowledge of the Lord. Hosea specifically warned that God’s people would be destroyed for their lack of knowledge, adding, “Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (4:6).

Three decades after the York fire, we are in a situation where the ‘children’ of that generation are now in leadership. They bear all the signs of having embraced the disbelief of their forefathers and having forgotten the law of God. They are people who have not had their senses trained to discern between good and evil (Heb 5:12-14). Though the current Archbishop of Canterbury is from the evangelical stable, he seemingly approves of secular sexual ideologies which seek to eradicate all memory that the Lord created us male and female. Thankfully not all in the CofE agree – over 2,600 have now signed an open letter urging the House of Bishops to reconsider their position on transgender ‘celebration’ services.⁶

The CofE was built on disjointed foundations, and any house thus theologically divided against itself cannot stand (Matt 12:25). 35 years after the events of 1984, therefore, that we have arrived at this current state of affairs should be no surprise.⁷ But where is God?

It may seem that since 1984, the Lord’s response has involved little more than starting a fire. But if we join the dots of disbelief in that institution and elsewhere, we will appreciate that he has not forgotten, nor is he slow in fulfilling his promises: in fact, he is enduringly patient, wanting all to be given opportunity to come to know the truth (2 Pet 3:9). Only then, when it is his time, will he judge them in righteousness.

The Lord has not forgotten: in fact, he is enduringly patient, wanting all to be given opportunity to come to know the truth (2 Pet 3:9).

Many faithful clergy and congregations are ready to leave the CofE altogether, while others continue to hope that the tide will turn. There has never been a time like the present – as the hallmarks of judgment described in Romans 1 manifest across the nations - for believing Anglicans to seek the Lord’s heart and guidance.

I’m not sure if my non-Christian friend has accepted that the disbelief of their predecessors is the reason why many vicars are unable to discern the spirit behind Islam, but I pray that one day he will embrace the Son of God who was born of a virgin and whose transformed body was raised from the dead. Would that the leaders of the established Church would do the same.

References

1 Anglican Centre in Rome: Appointment of an Interim Director for the Anglican Centre in Rome.

2 Bird, S and Wyatt, T. Archbishop of Canterbury's envoy who disputes the resurrection of Christ urged to quit Vatican post. The Telegraph, 12 January 2019

3 Ashenden, G. The appointment of a heterodox priest as new Director to the Anglican Centre in Rome. ‘What would Jesus do?’ is not what Welby did.

4 Anglican Centre in Rome: A statement from the Very Rev Dr John Shepherd.

5 Believing in the body: Reflections of an Anglican Theologian.

6 See https://www.responsetohob.co.uk/.

7 The CofE is not alone. In most denominations leaders are falling over themselves to embrace the godlessness prevailing in the nation.

See also: 'Joining the Dots of Disbelief in the Church of England' by Randall Hardy.

Background links

July 9, 1984: Lightning bolt is responsible for catastrophic York Minster blaze | BT

Memories of York Minster fire in 1984 | York Press

How the York Minster fire sparked an unholy row in The Times | YorkMix

The fire at York Minster, July 9th 1984 | Prophetic Telegraph

THE UK DROUGHT 1984, Weather Vol 39(11) | DeepDyve

When the Church has failed the nation, how can believers pray?

Christians across Britain are gathering for prayer this weekend in meetings in towns and villages, responding to the crisis in the nation. There is no central coordination of these meetings. They are simply a spontaneous reaction to the growing anxiety in the nation to the turmoil in Parliament as we get nearer to the date for leaving the European Union. I am due to speak at an all-day meeting in Wembley Arena, organised by David Hathaway’s Eurovision ministry and which is being live-streamed on the Eurovision website.

The meetings will no doubt bring together Christians who voted different ways in the 2016 Referendum, but the common cause today is to pray for a divided nation and for our political leaders who are striving to find agreement on an acceptable plan for leaving the EU.

Many of our politicians are among the 48% of the nation who voted to remain in the EU and they are still seeking ways to reverse the decision, but it is becoming increasingly obvious that a second referendum would plunge the nation into an unprecedented period of division and uncertainty, possibly even triggering violent confrontation bordering on civil war, stoked by social media.

The Days of Dunkirk

The present crisis is being referred to in the press as something we have not seen since the days of Dunkirk. This is a good parallel because in 1940 the nation recognised that there were no human solutions to the situation facing us, with our army stranded on the continent and the rest of Europe already conquered by the Nazis. Only divine intervention could save Britain from invasion and defeat.

The whole nation was called to a Day of Prayer by the King, joining together to call upon God for a miracle, which Prime Minister Churchill acknowledged in Parliament after an armada of little boats rescued our soldiers from the beaches of northern France.

The difference today is that we are no longer a God-fearing nation and it is only the Bible-believing faithful remnant who will be praying. But God is not a democrat looking for a majority. He loves to work through small numbers, as he did through Gideon’s 300. The big question for Christians today is how do we pray? We know perfectly well that our nation is ungodly and that few of our parliamentarians are born-again believers. So, how should we pray?

The present crisis is being referred to in the press as something we have not seen since the days of Dunkirk.

Record of the Church

I believe the answer lies in looking at the record of the Church in the affairs of the nation over the past decades of social change. In the immediate post-World War II period, the state Church had an Archbishop, Geoffrey Fisher, who was a high-ranking Freemason more interested in the Masonic Grand Lodge of England than in the affairs of Britain. He certainly had no interest in evangelism.

Fisher was followed by Michael Ramsay who was just as bad, and took no interest in the affairs of the nation during his 13 years as Archbishop, while Acts of Parliament were passed of enormous significance in changing Britain’s culture, such as the Race Relations Act, the Abortion Act, the Theatre Act, the Divorce Reform Act and the European Communities Act, which took Britain into the EU. When all these momentous bills were debated, the Church of England was silent. The only bill that Ramsay engaged with in the House of Lords was the measure to legalise homosexual acts, which he publicly advocated.

But Ramsay’s example of political silence was reflected across the whole Church in those days. I have wept before the Lord many times for my own failure to speak about what was happening in the nation. I was the Minister of a large London church preaching to 500 people on a Sunday in the 1960s, but I was not even aware of the Abortion Act that has been responsible for killing nearly 9 million unborn babies. I bitterly regret that I did nothing at that time.

Worse Than Silence

When I was a young man, church leaders were all telling young people not to get involved in politics, which was considered the domain of the devil. This was in total contrast to the Victorian era when the Bible was quoted regularly in Parliament. But in the 20^th Century, evangelicals came to consider social action to be alien territory. We left politics to others so we should hardly be surprised at what we’ve got today. But the Church of England’s record is worse than just silence.

In the 20^th Century, evangelicals came to consider social action to be alien territory: we left politics to others.

In the year 2000 an Education Bill was going through Parliament and a peer introduced an amendment calling for schools to teach that faithful marriage is the ideal form of family. This was fiercely opposed by Tony Blair’s Government who were strongly influenced by LGBTQ+ activists. The vote in the House of Lords was very close - but nine bishops voted with the Government. If they had voted the other way, the amendment would have been carried.

In the report to Parliament The Cost of Family Breakdown,¹ it was noted that the Church’s official representatives had voted against faithful monogamy as the ideal for family life despite massive evidence showing that all other forms of the family give inferior outcomes for children.

Confession and Weeping

Christians who are coming before the Lord this weekend to pray for the nation should recognise that we are all part of the wider Church that has failed to take an active role in getting the Gospel into the affairs of the nation during the decades when the greatest social changes have taken place.

Our prayers should be prayers of confession, weeping before the Lord as Jeremiah wept over Israel in his day, “Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for my people” (Jer 9:1).

Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and if we love our nation we too should be weeping before the Lord. The words of the Prophet Joel give us hope for the future: “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing” (Joel 2:13-14).

References

1 See Foreword by Norman Dennis, pp3-4. Download the full report here.

Why at a time of genuine crisis, the Church is conveniently absent.

Our Editorial this week focuses on the contributions of the British Church to our present situation of national confusion, division and existential crisis. By all accounts, there is no united, biblical, prophetic message coming from Christian leaders at this time, though one is sorely needed.

Indeed, there is a strong case for laying the blame for Britain’s predicament (partially if not entirely) at the door of the Church. But how did we get to this point, and where do we go from here?

The furore over Brexit, as we often note on Prophecy Today, forms just one part of a broader, multi-pronged assault on the West’s Judeo-Christian foundations that is telling on nations on both sides of the Atlantic. But while the USA has a strong conservative evangelical wing, well-supported and well-financed, pushing back hard against secular humanism, here in Britain there is no similarly coherent defence of our heritage.

The Christian voice in this country has always been multiple and fractured, which explains why over the past century no united front has been rallied to combat the enemies at our gates. In fact, our gates have largely been left open and unguarded, so the enemy has walked right in and made himself at home.

Shallow Roots

I have been reminded this week that our sorry situation has a long history, going right back to the establishment (or disestablishment) of Anglicanism.¹

Historically speaking, with the notable exceptions of many outstanding individual clergy, theologians and congregants, the CofE’s shallow theological roots have left it unable to withstand the onslaught of centuries of secularisation, two world wars and the pernicious spread of liberal theology. Since the 18^th Century, whilst many revivals have taken place outside church walls, the CofE has gradually become crippled by unbelief and moral and theological incoherence.

Since the 18^th Century, whilst revivals have taken place outside church walls, the CofE has gradually become crippled by unbelief and moral and theological incoherence.

The objective, intellectual and public aspects of the faith have been undermined, tipping the emphasis towards the subjective, the experiential and the private. This has strengthened the notion, popular inside and outside the Church, that faith and politics should not mix and that Christianity should be confined to matters of inner wellbeing, not to the direction of the country.

Thus, the religion of secular humanism, with its false claims of impartiality, has been allowed to ascend to prominence in the public realm, replacing ‘Christendom’, while clergy have been hamstrung by a loss of confidence in their own message. Despite its immensely privileged position, our established Church has been so weakened and divided as to be prevented from speaking the Bible’s wisdom fully and fearlessly, with united voice, into public life.

Joining in the Arson

Canterbury Cathedral.

This loss of confidence in the truth and power of the Gospel has opened up the CofE to all sorts of weird and wonderful theologies and spiritual practices, from New Age labyrinths and meditation to multi-faith celebrations hosting Muslim calls to prayer and pantheistic songs praising Hindu deities.

Instead of using their authority to defend unborn children, the precious covenant of marriage, the authority of Scripture and the unique superiority of biblical ethics, many clergy have been occupied with preaching the green agenda, LGBTQ+ ideology and multi-faith ‘partnerships’. The Gospel has been exchanged for an entirely different message, reframing sin in terms of social and environmental injustice, virtue in terms of ‘tolerance’, and salvation in terms of social service or good works.

In these senses, the established Church is culpable for behaving as Nero legendarily did during the Fall of Rome. Even worse: it has grabbed a torch and joined in the arson.

Warning Signs

And so we arrive at today’s frankly absurd situation where helter-skelters and explicit films are now used in cathedrals to ‘start spiritual conversations’ while genuine evangelists are refused entry.² The CofE’s quest for relevance without the anchor of biblical truth has led it into deep irrelevance.

Tell-tale warning signs – nose-diving membership, worsening splits within the ‘Anglican Communion’ at home³ and abroad⁴ – are ignored or misunderstood. The present Archbishop of Canterbury was last seen appointing a clergyman with big question marks over his views about the resurrection⁵ to lead ecumenical relations with Rome, while the House of Bishops busies itself promoting open celebrations of transgenderism.

The established Church is culpable for behaving as Nero legendarily did during the Fall of Rome. Even worse: it has grabbed a torch and joined in the arson.

Given all this, it is hardly surprising that as the chaos of Brexit unfolds, the established Church is not found reprimanding the country with biblical warnings and reminding it of Gospel truths, but simply telling people to be nice to each other as they disagree and – oh yes – joining in the scaremongering about a ‘no deal’ Brexit.⁶

Other Denominations

It is easy to take aim at the CofE, but other denominations fare little better. The Methodist Church, URC, the Church of Scotland and other long-standing streams have also declined as a result of abandoning truth.

Meanwhile, the smaller networks of ‘new’ churches and the host of independent evangelical and/or charismatic churches that have exploded onto the scene during the last century have failed to galvanise a united prophetic voice to the nation. Many have become institutionalised and remain divided, with their own theological and spiritual problems. Most notably, Replacement Theology has infected churches of all streams, which is not a recipe for right interpretations of Scripture nor for receiving God’s blessing.

So, while there are many instances of individually faithful congregations and leaders, the charge of losing confidence in the truth of Scripture and accepting ‘a different Jesus, a different Spirit and a different Gospel’ (2 Cor 11:4) applies far more widely than just to the CofE – which explains why so many faithful believers today find themselves isolated, unable to find a Bible-believing church.

What Next?

A bleak situation, then. But as we observed last summer with the series ‘Our Book of Remembrance’, God has long had his eye on Britain, blessing and reviving us many times in the past, despite our failures. We do not believe that God has finished with Britain, nor that he is unable to achieve his purposes through-and-despite our splintered, unfaithful, indecisive Church.

What, then, is next? We can all pray for prophetic voices to be raised up to speak Gospel truths into the public realm, but what is also needed is for the faithful remnant to be united and strengthened, for they are currently scattered and divided. For the task ahead, God will need true unity of spirit and purpose, and of brotherly fellowship, to be displayed by his people.

The true ‘ekklesia’ in Britain is no doubt a patchwork collective drawn from many different denominations, as well as prayer groups, house fellowships, isolated believers and new converts. Thankfully, God is more than able to stitch us together in him, by the work of the Holy Spirit, through the prayers of the saints. As one member⁷ of Prophecy Today’s new Facebook community observed this week:

The one very encouraging sign amidst all the confusion and division among both politicians and the public at large, and amidst all the horrendous scare-mongering and media bias on our TV screens and newspapers on an almost hourly basis – is the fact that a good number of Christians all over the country have sensed in their spirits the absolute necessity of being watchmen & women on the walls at this time, interceding before God in heaven for this desperate nation of ours. God IS our only hope in the days ahead, and we cry to Him for mercy. In the beautiful opening words of a revival hymn written by the late Rev Alex Muir of Inverness,

Lord, have mercy on our country
Turn our hearts to You again,
Though we’ve grieved Your Holy Spirit
By our deeds of sin and shame

Though our sins rise like a dark cloud
May our prayers rise even higher
Pleading for divine forgiveness
Pleading for the Heavenly fire.

References

1 See Phillips, M, The World Turned Upside Down, chapter 16 for a useful summary.

2 Exclusive: Evangelical ‘banned’ by Derby Cathedral receives widespread support. Christian Institute, 6 December 2018.

3 Davies, M. More than 100 Oxford clergy criticise bishops’ LGBTI guidance. Church Times, 9 January 2019.

4 E.g. see here.

5 See here and here.

6 See here and here.

7 Tom Lennie, re-printed with permission.

The institutional Church has capitulated completely to transgender ideology.

At the General Synod meeting in July 2017, the CofE formally agreed to welcome and affirm transgender individuals, as part of Justin Welby’s agenda of ‘radical inclusion’. At the time, the Synod agreed merely to ‘consider’ how to go about this (official theological debates are not expected to conclude until 2020) and the idea of a new liturgy was later rejected. Now, somewhat confusingly, a guidance document has been released for clergy, adapting existing liturgy to mark gender transition.

Some are already claiming it to be compulsory, prompting calls for clarification from the House of Bishops, which produced the document in conjunction with three transgender vicars.¹

The guidance not only asks clergy to welcome transgender individuals ‘unconditionally’ into their congregations; it instructs them to celebrate gender transition with a special service conveying the Church’s blessing on the person’s new gender and new name. So the CofE now calls for transgenderism to be celebrated as part of our God-given human diversity!

Statements of opposition have been released from such as GAFCON and Synod member Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, who remarks that the guidance “continues the Church of England’s devastating trajectory towards an outright denial of God and his word”.

Indeed, it is difficult to see the document as anything else but another step towards – or off – a cliff from which there may be no possibility of return for Britain’s established Church.

Affirmation and Celebration

The guidance starts with the unequivocal statement: “The Church of England welcomes and encourages the unconditional affirmation of trans people, equally with all people, within the body of Christ, and rejoices in the diversity of that body into which all Christians have been baptized by one Spirit.”²

It goes on to make suggestions for services to mark gender transition, recommending readings and including advice for rites, gifts and certificates. There is no mention at all of the age of participants; one is left to assume that if you are old enough to be confirmed in the Church of England, you are old enough to change your gender and receive a formal blessing from your vicar.

The CofE now calls for transgenderism to be celebrated as part of our God-given human diversity!

At least there can be no allegations of obfuscating the issue: the CofE’s position is as plain as day and makes no attempt to concede anything to those who hold faithfully to the Bible’s teaching on these matters.

As previously with the issue of homosexuality, Christian welcome and care are conceived of only in terms of affirmation and celebration, as if the former were not possible without the latter.

Unsurprisingly, then, the guidance omits mention of the deep psychological, physiological, emotional, social and spiritual issues which accompany transgenderism and which – one would think – would be of central importance to address in ‘pastoral’ guidance to clergy seeking to discharge proper care for their congregants. Only last month, a tortured trans person wrote to The Telegraph in protest of the Government’s proposals to make transition easier, saying “I would not want others considering such drastic, irreversible action to end up like me, lost in a twilight world of fear and loneliness.”³

In its celebratory stance, the guidance rejects any sense that change may be necessary, as it is with everyone - not in order to come to Christ but as the only possible consequence of receiving Christ - as unfair, unequal and un-Christian. It therefore leaves by the wayside that part of the Gospel which involves repentance, turning away from ungodly lifestyles and being set free from the power of sin to live a completely new life of righteousness, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Hijacking Baptism

Except that, oddly enough, that part of the Gospel isn’t left by the wayside entirely. Instead, it is inverted and appropriated, particularly through the hijacking of the concept of baptism, which the guidance document recommends that clergy reference as part of their celebration services.

Baptism is commended to unbaptised transgender individuals as the “natural liturgical context for recognizing and celebrating their identity in Christ and God’s love for them”. Those who have already been baptised are encouraged to re-affirm their commitment under their new name, with the sprinkling of water and the use of anointing oil.

Our established Church is misappropriating one of the deepest and most profound symbolic acts God has given humankind.

The guidance states that “it is important not to give the impression of a second baptism”, since baptism is a statement of faith in Christ and should only be done once. However, its mere referencing as part of marking gender transition confuses the issue of identity and implies strongly that transition should be viewed as a profound spiritual step worthy of public celebration; even as comparable with/part of receiving ‘new life’ in Christ: “In the journey of a trans person this liturgy will probably constitute a watershed in their Christian discipleship.”

So, our established Church is misappropriating one of the deepest and most profound symbolic acts God has given humankind, not only to mark something other than Christian conversion (that alone is deeply disturbing) but to affirm practices and lifestyles which the Bible clearly teaches are part of our fallen nature and sinful world – things that should be shed upon receiving Christ.

The depth of this perfidy is difficult to verbalise. Theologian Ian Paul argues, “not only is [baptism] central to Christian understandings of initiation and discipleship, baptism actually enacts bodily death and bodily resurrection in the immersion in and coming up out of the water. We tamper with these foundational understandings at our peril…Fools rush in where angels fear to tread”.⁴

Inverting the Gospel

As part of their services, clergy are encouraged to offer individuals some kind of written commemoration, like a certificate or an inscribed Bible, to mark the occasion – using their new name and preferred gender pronoun, of course.

Outrageously, the guidance actually tries to justify this biblically, saying “It should be noted that the giving or adoption of a new name has a long history in the Judeo-Christian tradition as may be evidenced from Scripture.” Later, passages such as the changing of Sarai’s name to Sarah, or Jacob’s name to Israel, are recommended for use in the service.

It would be laughable if it were not so awful. Again, we see transgenderism not only being celebrated, but being made equivalent to a life-changing spiritual milestone - even to the biblical concept of leaving behind one’s former life as part of Godly spiritual transformation.

This amounts to little more than a hijacking of Christianity to serve transgender ideology, in a barefaced inversion of the Gospel that should be untenable to any believing CofE member – congregation or clergy.

Heaping Judgment Upon Itself

Caught up in all this, of course, are well-meaning members of the CofE who are trying avidly to avoid a Christianity that forces people with gender confusion to suffer in silence or feel rejected by God. But responding with a Christianity that sanctions and encourages this confusion (and all the demonic life upheavals to which, unchecked, it can lead) as somehow a normal expression of being made in God’s image, to be embraced and celebrated as part of a faithful Christian life, is simply abusive of those who are suffering, who are in desperate need of God’s loving rescue. It is not real love and it is not true Christianity.

This ill-conceived ‘guidance’ document goes beyond a poor understanding of Scripture to an inexcusable warping of the Gospel, affirming practices which deny and deface God’s beautiful, deliberate creation of man and woman: even deigning to call these practices biblical. Truly, the CofE is calling good evil and evil good.

This guidance document goes beyond a poor understanding of Scripture to an inexcusable warping of the Gospel.

It is a frightening fulfilment of Romans 1:32, that “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them” (my emphasis).

The CofE is harming the vulnerable and heaping judgment upon itself – as is already evident from its plummeting membership and deep divisions. And the unbelieving world justifiably heaps contempt on its pathetic attempts to curry favour.

Thankfully, it is the Lord’s responsibility to sort out this dire situation. Nevertheless, believing Christians can at least defend those ministries who support people trying to escape and recover from LGBTQ+ lifestyles, as well as ‘dissenting’ clergy who take a stand against the prevailing direction of the Synod. God help us all.

References

1 See the official press release for more information.

2 Read the guidance document here.

3 Read the full letter on this page.

4 Wisdom and folly: the bishops’ guidance on transgender welcome. Blog post, 13 December 2018.

Same-sex marriage and the Church.

There is increasing pressure for the Church to adopt the secular world’s agenda and to ‘show love’ by agreeing to conduct same-sex marriages and show unequivocal support for LGBTQ+ people.

The LGBT agenda has already infiltrated the mainstream media and is increasingly directing Government policy, while any opposition is considered both unjust and immoral. Worryingly, this is extending forcefully into education where OFSTED is now penalising schools that do not teach LGBTQ+ lifestyles as ‘normal’.

No bastion of our society is exempt from this relentless onslaught, including the Established Church, where there are already determined efforts afoot to get it to accept same-sex marriage, following the examples of the Episcopal Churches in the USA and Scotland. As anticipated, the legalising of same-sex marriage in 2013 was the thin end of the wedge – and clauses allowing the Church’s right to opt out on grounds of conscience were never a final guarantee of safety.

Enormous Pressure to Succumb

Although the official policy of the Church of England is that same-sex marriage should not be performed in Anglican churches, some churches already offer services of blessing following civil ceremonies (indeed, the Diocese of Hereford has put forward a proposal that the Church should produce a formal liturgy for these services).

The General Synod has so far toed the official line, although it recently rejected a report upholding the traditional teaching on marriage and, last year, ‘sadness’ was expressed at discipline that had to be meted out on the Scottish Episcopal Church for its decision to flout the current rules.¹

There seems little doubt that the issue will be pushed repeatedly in Synod until opposition gives way. Earlier this year a Government Minister castigated the Church of England for not sanctioning same-sex marriage. Unless Bible-believing Christians wake up and call the Church of England to account, it will likely succumb to the enormous pressure – indeed, many bishops are already in favour.

Unless Bible-believing Christians wake up and call the Church of England to account, it will likely succumb to the enormous pressure.

The recent Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) resulted in a letter being written urging the Archbishop of Canterbury to speak the truth about the Gospel and sexuality - but Justin Welby gives the impression of striving for unity above all else, including biblical truth.Already, Ugandan Anglican bishops have said that they will not attend the 2020 Lambeth Conference because of the woolly thinking of the Church of England and it is likely that other African bishops will do likewise.

If so, the LGBTQ+ movement will have caused a major split within the worldwide Anglican community.

What Scripture Says

So what does the word have to say about marriage and homosexual practices? Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness” (remembering that Paul’s scripture was our Old Testament). In Genesis 2:24 it says “Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh” (and God graciously provided the anatomy to make this possible – and enjoyable). Jesus corroborated this statement in Matthew 19:4, so the principle is established that marriage is between a man and a woman.

What does the Bible say about homosexual practice? Leviticus condemns it - not once, but twice (18:22 and 20:13) - including it with various other sexual prohibitions. As homosexual practice was commonplace in the ancient world, this was radical teaching. In Romans 1:18-32 Paul describes a deterioration in moral behaviour as man abandoned what he knew about God:

Because of this God gave them over to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

This shows us that a rise in homosexual behaviour is actually a stage in the disintegration of society. Strong stuff, but a scripture we should take to heart.

A Truly Christian Approach

Should we then ban people who practise homosexuality from our churches? By no means – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), yet we are all welcomed into the church. But as church members we should acknowledge our sinful ways and, with God’s help, give them up – even if we fall woefully short. We would not welcome a bank robber and suggest that next time he has a job on we will drive his getaway car! We would try to get him to change his ways.

Romans 1 shows us that a rise in homosexual behaviour is actually a stage in the disintegration of society.

The LGBTQ+ agenda says that ‘love’ is paramount, and therefore so long as the couple is in a loving relationship the Church should welcome it. But Jesus said (in John 14:15-21) that love means obeying his commands – and the Father’s love will follow. His commands appear in Scripture, so to say that love conquers all does not wash.

Sexual behaviour is a matter of choice. Archbishop Hope, at a time when bishops were being ‘outed’ by the homosexual community, said that his sexuality was a grey area but that he chose to remain celibate. We live in a sex-mad society, but sexual activity is not the be-all-and-end-all of our existence. Self-control is essential if we are to prosper.

The World’s Agenda

We should take great care whenever an agenda popular in the world’s eyes is foisted on the Church, even from within. Over the years many spiritual authorities have issued warnings about this:

• “Almost everything the Church is doing these days has been suggested to her by the world.” (AW Tozer)
• “I looked for the Church and I found it in the world. I looked for the world and I found it in the Church.” (Horatius Bonar)
• “Worldliness is rampant in the Church. The devil is not fighting churches He is joining them! He is not persecuting Christianity he is professing it.” (Vance Havner)
• “That which the world likes best is sure to be that which God abhors.” (Charles Spurgeon)
• Finally, “God brings about reformation when his people return to the word of God as their sole source of doctrine and practice.” (John H Armstrong)

Within Scripture, there are many warnings against false, worldly doctrines infiltrating the Church. Paul writes, for example: “For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths” (2 Tim 4:3-4). Peter also warns against false teachers in his second letter (chapter 2).

We should take great care whenever an agenda popular in the world’s eyes is foisted on the Church, even from within.

Also noteworthy are the number of warnings in Scripture against outward displays of religion which mask and encourage underlying rebellion. For instance, Jeremiah warned (chapter 7) about complacency in the Temple, where there was an assumption that as long as people went through the external rituals of worship, everything would be all right – they could live how they pleased. And Jesus gave a stark warning in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven”.

The Road Ahead

The Established Church has so far chosen gradual compromise and synthesis with the ways of the world, when in fact stark decisions to hold firm to Scripture in the face of huge opposition are what is needed. It was Spurgeon who said:

Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrine of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved taste of fallen nature: instead however of improving the Gospel, carnal nature pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel and not the truth of God at all.

In months and years to come, God will sift and test the hearts and minds of all within the Church of England, to find out where they truly stand. How they respond will decide the fate of this once-great institution.

References

1 Mbakwe, T. Welby 'sad' to discipline Scottish Episcopal Church. Premier News, 3 October 2017.

All Bible quotes from the New Revised Standard Version.

Reflections on the achievements of the vicar's daughter.

It is almost a year since the result of the 2017 General Election, and accordingly perhaps time to review Theresa May as both Home Secretary and Prime Minister.

The election, called three years early at her whim, changed the composition of the House of Commons considerably. Instead of a tight working majority, her miscalculation – possibly borne out of hubris - meant that she became the Prime Minister of a minority Government, kept in power by the DUP.

To many Christians, given the progressive tendency of much recent Conservative and Coalition policy, and of many Conservative MPs, this was God’s mercy. Whatever one’s thoughts on the outcome of the election, governing without a mandate and without a majority does make Government much more difficult.

Great Expectations

Theresa May has made much of the fact that she is a Christian and that her father was a vicar. Many Christians have expressed the hope that this might mean she would seek to advocate for, and adopt positions that align with, biblical values and principles – but this has (thus far) been a vain hope.

Typically, MPs (particularly those newly elected and in Opposition, who have more time) get involved with organisations which they support: it is of note that she has never really been involved with the Conservative Christian Fellowship, preferring as she does to let others know about her faith through her works, not her words.¹

This attitude is her absolute prerogative, but has its consequences.

Theresa May has made much of the fact that she is a Christian and that her father was a vicar.

Tenure as Home Secretary

As Home Secretary for six years, her tenure is one of the longest in recent political history, so she has had huge scope to make a real impact on one of the great offices of state. However, her record as Home Secretary is, at best, mixed.

She pushed through the Modern Slavery Act of 2015, which was designed to tackle slavery in the UK by consolidating and extending previous legislation. However, her role in pushing through same-sex marriage has not had the publicity that she deserves. She was effusive in saying that same sex marriage was one of David Cameron’s key achievements – but was too modest. Her own role was considerable.²

One of the key roles of the Home Secretary is to keep the country safe – which includes keeping control of the UK’s borders. During her tenure, notwithstanding the increasing risk of Islamic terrorism, there were no major terrorist outrages in the UK. In this she was perhaps fortunate, as her policies were little different to her immediate predecessors’. With a humanistic rather than biblical understanding, it is hardly surprising that she also enthusiastically adopted the Home Office’s – and to be fair, the whole of the Establishment, including the Church Establishment’s - views on Islam as being a religion of peace.³

These views may well have functioned to slow down even further responses to the issue of widespread sexual abuse of teenage girls by gangs of Muslim men. Indeed, political leaders have steadfastly refused to acknowledge the inherently Muslim nature of the problem.⁴

In a related vein, there have long been allegations in Westminster about historic child sex abuse. These allegations are serious and ostensibly include current and former MPs, including those in Government, as well as civil servants and many others (the allegations also extend across the whole country).

Her record as Home Secretary was, at best, mixed.

One way to clear the air in both these respects would be to launch broad-ranging inquiries, operating in close co-operation with those who have been abused. Another way would be for a Select Committee to be encouraged to conduct its own such investigations.

Yet little if anything has happened. The question needs to be asked, why not? Home Office culture seems not to have changed at all, seemingly preferring to keep its and others’ secrets hidden rather than truth being brought to light, after which the healing process can properly start.

Tenure as Prime Minister

As Prime Minister, Theresa May is responsible for dealing with matters of State, for the direction of her Cabinet and for setting the political agenda more broadly. She is also responsible for choosing her Cabinet and her Ministers.

She became Prime Minister in the aftermath of the EU Referendum and pledged to lead Britain out of the EU – yet notwithstanding a divided party and without a working majority, she gives no impression of what she actually wants. Is she still a closet Remainer, wanting the softest of all Brexits - or at the other extreme, is she negotiating in such a way that nothing will be achieved, in the hope that the UK will be cast out by the EU, in sheer exasperation? Maybe God alone knows, but the ineptness, irrespective of one’s view on Brexit, is truly embarrassing.

Whatever her private thoughts about Brexit, it would be reassuring to know that she was aware that many Christians believe it is God’s plan for this country – and why. One key reason is to enable Britain to stand with Israel and fulfil what we failed to do with the British Mandate. Given the strength of the Arab lobby in the Foreign Office, standing with Israel has been almost anathema in British international diplomacy over the past 70 years. The forthcoming official Royal visit – the first ever - by Prince William to Israel is a welcome first move towards healing our national relationship with God’s chosen people.

In time, the Government will need to acknowledge Britain’s past anti-Semitism and shortcomings during the Mandate, during WWII and indeed since Israel’s independence (the Church throughout Britain could usefully lead the way in this). Yet, it remains to be seen how Theresa May will respond: she has been much cooler towards Israel than her predecessor, David Cameron. 

It is Theresa May’s prerogative not to talk about her faith. But if that is to be the case, she needs to show by her actions that she is a believer.

Further Tests to Come

It is, of course, Theresa May’s prerogative not to talk about her faith. But if that is to be the case, she needs to show by her actions that she is a believer.

A further test will be how she treats the demands for Northern Ireland to relax its abortion law, in the wake of Proposition 8 in Eire. Is she pro-life, or not? It is unrealistic to expect any Christian in Government to be able to do all that he or she wants to do – ultimately the battle we are in is a spiritual battle (Eph 6:12 and 2 Cor 10:3-5). Equally, the diversity of views of many genuine Christians is considerable, so what different Christians in Government may do will vary considerably and may differ from what their fellow believers think is right.

However, it still remains an opportunity for Theresa May to speak and act in a way that sets forth a clearly biblical attitude towards the unborn. The question is whether she will act, and if so, how - or if she will take the line of least resistance.

Weighing Up the Evidence

The lack of evidence from a biblical perspective that Theresa May has made any meaningful Christian difference in Government and the minimal evidence to suggest that she is meaningfully born again, is both sad and also instructive.

It is sad because we may have hoped for more from her, and it is easy to become disappointed and discouraged. But God is not taken by surprise. He chose her (Psa 75:6-7; Dan 2:21). We are all works in progress: she is his workmanship and it may be that he needs to break her in a way that has not yet happened, for his purposes that we do not yet know.

It is also instructive, because it behoves us to ask the degree to which she is representative of many Britons who profess to be Christian, but for whom there is scant evidence of such belief. God’s heart is that none should perish (John 3:16-7). Indeed, a key mission place is now the local church itself - including some church leaders whose words and works are in some cases so far from orthodoxy and orthopraxy that whether or not they are truly converted is a valid question.

The Way Ahead

Few Christians would dispute that we are in a mess - politically, socially and economically – because ultimately, we are in a spiritual mess. We need to intercede, beseech and pray hard - and keep on such intercessions and prayers.

We must ask the degree to which Theresa May is representative of many Britons who profess to be Christian, but for whom there is scant evidence of such belief.

We must pray – but not that God will simply bless the work of Theresa May’s hands and those of her Government, that we may live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and reverence, and that prosperity will come to the nation once again. We must pray that the current turmoil in Britain and abroad would have its desired effect upon their hearts: that in his mercy, blind eyes would be opened and deaf ears would be unstopped.

We are commanded to pray for those in authority for the sake of the believing community (1 Tim 2:1-3), yet the reality is that most of us pray at elections and not continuously. But if we don’t pray continuously, others with a different agenda will do so – indeed, are doing so.

If we don’t pray for Theresa May, for her Government and her successor, we will get even more of the Government we deserve, not the one we need.

References

1 Montgomerie, T. The Practical Faith of Theresa May. Catholic Herald, 14 July 2016.

2 Booker, C. Theresa May used Europe to push through gay marriage. The Telegraph, 16 July 2016.

3 Murray, D. Why is Theresa May pretending that Islam is a ‘religion of peace’? The Spectator, 30 September 2014; Murray, D. Will politicians finally admit that the Paris attacks had something to do with Islam? The Spectator, 14 November 2015.

4 McCrae, N and Harradine, K. Muslim rape gangs and the inconvenient truth. Rebel Priest, 3 June 2018.

Charles Gardner reviews ‘Faith, Freedom and the Future’ by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali (Wilberforce Publications, 2016).

The Church of England faces a stark choice of either conforming to current fashion with “easily swallowed soundbites” or of being vigorously counter-cultural, according to one of its most outspoken bishops.

Hitting Out at Dumbed-Down Baptism

In a new book, Faith, Freedom and the Future, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali comments on what he describes as a “dumbed-down” version of the christening service.

In a desire not to offend, the Church was in danger of “capitulating to whatever is fashionable”, he writes.

The new ‘alternative’ service for baptism “almost entirely does away with sin and the need to repent…We are not told anything about the Christ in whom we are to put our trust. There is no acknowledgement of him as Lord and Saviour. In general, there is a reluctance to declare that the Bible sees the world as having gone wrong and needing to be put right. This is done by the coming of Christ, and baptism is nothing less than taking part in this story of salvation, no part of which can be sold short.”

And he concludes: “This is a choice for the Church of England – either to become simply an attenuated version of whatever the English people happen to believe and to value, or to be full-bloodedly a manifestation of the ‘one, holy, catholic and apostolic church’ it still continues to confess in the creeds. Which way will it choose?”

Nazir-Ali writes that in a desire not to offend, the Church is in danger of capitulating to whatever is fashionable.

Thorough Analysis

The book is also a thorough analysis of a number of moral issues facing us, and the Bishop’s diagnosis is a breath of fresh air which could help to revive our broken society.

In challenging the increasing marginalisation of Christians, he asks why a law originally based on Judeo-Christian principles is being used to silence them.

He also tackles radical Islam – with his Pakistani background, he is well qualified to do so – and raises the issue of blasphemy against the prophet (Muhammad), punishable by death in many of the Arab countries who have signed up to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion as well as the right to change beliefs.

“What is the difference between Asia Bibi and numerous others on death row, having been convicted on blasphemy charges, and the killings on the streets of Paris and Copenhagen?…Why does the international community tolerate one but not the other? Is it because Westerners are involved in one but not the other?”

Forceful and Passionate

The esteemed author can be laboured in the build-up of his arguments which I sometimes found difficult to follow, but when he gets to the point, he makes it with a forceful flourish and obvious passion for both the Gospel and the Anglican Church, which is no doubt why he has become a popular choice for radio and TV discussions.

This is a theological book with considerable intellectual appeal, but which does not shy away from unpacking CofE politics and driving home the stark choice currently facing the established Church.

Faith, Freedom & the Future (330pp) is available in both paperback and e-book forms. Click here to find out more.