The Revd Angus MacLeay, Rector of St Nicholas, Sevenoaks, has just stood down from the Church of England’s General Synod after 22 years. He spoke to en’s Iain Taylor. Below that, Sarah Finch reports on the just-finished Synod meeting.
Angus, what are your reflections on your time at Synod?
It has been a privilege to be elected by fellow clergy so regularly, but it has also often been frustrating. It has been desperately sad to see God’s word sidelined and the world’s agenda adopted in various areas. Yet it has been a privilege to stand alongside faithful sisters and brothers seeking to ‘contend for the faith once delivered to the saints’.
How do you see the future for CofE Evangelicals unfolding?
Much will depend upon the outcome of the ‘Living in Love and Faith’ process. Given the seriousness of the issues, it will be important for all Anglican evangelicals to work together, and I commend the work of the Church of England Evangelical Council. If we can work together humbly, prayerfully and with confidence in the word of God we may have a future. If not, it is hard to see how we can flourish within the denomination.
Looking ahead say three to five years, are you generally pessimistic or optimistic about the future?
Looking at the structures and institutions within the Church of England I am deeply pessimistic. However, if we look to the Lord then I am optimistic that even in the darkest days the Lord Jesus can enable the gospel to advance.
How can evangelicals in the CofE best prepare for that future?
We must engage in every way; with the Lord in prayer to look with mercy; with the advance of the gospel right across our land; and with the political processes, particularly in General Synod. Although our trust is not in the political process itself, as we pray for and encourage orthodox believers it may provide further opportunities for us to serve the Lord Jesus in our parishes.
At what point might evangelicals call time and legitimately walk away from the CofE ?
Our situations and contexts are as varied as the number of dioceses and parishes! Personally, I want to stay as long as I can whilst the doctrinal foundations of the 39 Articles and the Ordinal remain, and while I can preach the whole counsel of God freely. If those foundations are shifted and faithful service of Christ is no longer tolerated – then that would be the sign to leave.
Iain Taylor
General Synod
Evangelicals on General Synod often wonder whether there will be anything on the Agenda for which a clear Evangelical voice is required.
Business is conducted very carefully, especially Legislation and Standing Orders, but it doesn’t often call for a Biblical perspective. But this time two items came along together: a report on the outworking of the Bishops’ Declaration and the Five Guiding Principles, set up in 2014 when we first had women bishops, and a proposal for a body to oversee the next step of the Anglican Methodist Covenant.
Speeches on the first of these, the very fair report from the Implementation and Dialogue Group, revealed that women clergy are still suffering hostility from those who disagree with their position, and also that there is considerable hostility towards the idea of mutual flourishing – the plan for complementarian Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics to flourish in the Church of England. A speech from a woman cleric clearly revealed this latter hostility, which shocked a number of us, including Anglo-Catholics, of course. The voting revealed that large numbers of clergy and laity were declining to Take Note of this report – a very rare occurrence – but happily the majority did Take Note of it.
An amendment to the motion about the Anglo-Methodist Covenant would have cancelled the plan for a new body, on account of the recent resolution by the Methodist Conference to allow marriage between ‘any two persons’. One hundred and sixteen members minded that this contradicted the teaching of Christ, but 174 did not, and so the amendment was lost.
A wise, much respected lawyer member of Synod highlighted the phrase ‘legitimate diversity’, which resonated with many of us. It implies that not all diversity is legitimate!
Sarah Finch
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