How Anglican Futures is helping in the current crisis

One consequence of what has been dubbed ‘the Anglican realignment’, as it took place in North America and elsewhere and as it now takes place in the UK, is dislocation.

In short, as lay people leave their churches because of the unfaithfulness of their leaders and/or denomination they have to look for new shepherds. Likewise, as faithful clergy cannot in conscience remain in the Church in Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church or the Church of England, they lose some or all of their flock.

How to match sheep without pastors to shepherds without sheep is one of the challenges of this time in Anglicanism’s history. Such tasks are just one of the things that Anglican Futures exists to address. A lonely layman here, a leader willing to be a local ‘rallying point’ there, a female NSM* in search of people to care for, a bishop who has left the Canterbury-aligned structures, and so on. All have needs, and things to offer.

A legacy of lockdown is that some of that work can be acceptably done online. Two such initiatives illustrate what is happening.

The Right Revd Ian Ferguson, a bishop of one of the two dioceses of the Anglican Network in Europe, is leading a Virtual Congregation, meeting by Zoom, on Tuesdays at 5.30pm. It may be the first of many initiatives which help the sheep meet each other and potential shepherds. For now, it brings together in fellowship the like-minded who want an Anglican service outside the traditional structures.

And we at Anglican Futures are doing our bit. Encouraged by Passion for Evangelism’s podcast, the Greenhouse, we will be offering a daily podcast called In All Our Doings. In just five or six minutes, listeners will be able to share in a prayer of confession, creed, collect, catechism question and answer with a relevant Scripture reading. Designed to be listened to on the bus, in the car, or while doing the washing up, it offers a chance to keep Jesus in view – whatever you are doing.

I am sure that once this article is published many will be able to point readers to other valuable new resources that are not just substitutes for what currently exists, but also supplement it in ways that help people adjust to a new Anglican future.