CofE evangelicals told: be 2021 ready

Sarah Finch, a conservative evangelical General Synod member, reports on its most recent session and reflects on what lies ahead.

For its summer session, General Synod met online, for the first time in its history.

The new Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, spoke from Galatians 1:16, and insisted that it is in us, and through us, that God can be made known to others.‘This is the heart of our message – Christ can save us and make us whole.’ But at present the church is being purged, he said, and we are having to ask ourselves: ‘What really matters? And where should we put our trust?’ He believes we should be a church of ‘glorious and profligate diversity’. (It was at this point that a small alarm bell began to sound: yes, of course the church of God is diverse, but tragically the word ‘diversity’ has become a codeword for the acceptance of same-sex sexual relationships, and an earlier speech from the Archbishop, in Chelmsford diocese in 2017, had demonstrated this acceptance.)

The Archbishop then moved on to the ‘Vision and Strategy group’ that he is chairing, the group that is focusing on the next ten years of the Church of England. The vision was the easy bit, he said: ‘It is what God has done for us in Jesus Christ’.

When three members of the co-ordinating group spoke briefly, one of them mentioned her hope that the Church of England would be an inclusive church. (Again, an alarm bell sounded: the word ‘inclusive’ should certainly describe the Christian church but, as is now very well known, it is another codeword for the acceptance of same-sex sexual relationships.) Happily, there was an encouraging piece from Bishop Emma Ineson, Bishop of Penrith, who spoke about the need to focus on lay discipleship, and the prospect of God’s people finding a new confidence in the Bible, discovering gifts and ministries, and being able to respond to the challenging issues of now with a Christian voice. Her prayer for the outcome of the process? That everyone ‘will come to know that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’.

Stephen Cottrell also spoke about the future as he concluded: ‘Christ shows us what humanity is supposed to look like … [living] in community with one another and with God. Repent. Turn around. Live differently.’

Much of the rest of the day was given over to questions. Of the 131 questions, only one was about abortion, and only one about the recent Divorce Bill. Answers to the few questions about RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) revealed a reticence on the part of the Church to spell out the official doctrine of marriage.

‘Much more discerning’

Where are we now, as Anglican evangelicals? We will need to be much more discerning. The word ‘Biblical’ requires particular attention. At the February Synod, during a presentation of the ‘Living in Love and Faith’ project (LLF), the word ‘Biblical’ was used by one of the presenters, but his attitude to Scripture is definitely revisionist. Resources coming from LLF, this Autumn, may well be presented as ‘Biblical’, but are they truly so? Be especially on your guard when viewing the videos. As for the next General Synod elections, in 2021, preparation now is essential: make sure that all your Deanery Synod places are filled with reliable evangelicals, because they will be the voters; contact your Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship; go to the EGGS (Evangelical Group in General Synod) website, and recruit worthwhile candidates, especially lay people, now, for next year’s elections. Much prayer is needed, but with a sound House of Laity, next time, the prospect could be hopeful!