Dear Editor,
I would like to thank you for your paper and also Stephen Kneale for his article about evangelicals and the Cof E in the December issue. I find it hard to fault or disagree with most of what Stephen said. However, I’d like to raise a few points.
1. This issue is one that good people have grappled with for decades and found it hard to reach any definite conclusions – so it would seem to me that it is not easy to do so today.
2. Where I live, it was the Anglicans who were the quickest to swing back into action in July when the government gave us the go-ahead. Granted, they have more space but, as my church remained closed, I patronised a number of Anglican churches including Coventry Cathedral and their enthusiasm seemed genuine and their preaching not unbiblical. I think we should give them credit for this.
3. I am a Bible-believing Christian but I love Anglican liturgy, especially the Collects, Morning Prayer and Evensong. I find them both beautiful and Biblical. So I’d like to ask Mr Kneale, do you make use of these things in your non-conformist church? If not, why not think about having Evensong once a month or once a quarter? Radical I know but, you see, it would make it so much easier for liturgy-loving evangelical Anglicans to leave the CofE if they could find the same meaningful, rich worship in non-conformist churches, even if liturgy was only occasionally used. Alas, all I have known in the last five years is saying the Creed once in an FIEC church.
4. Do we want a national church that’s empty of true believers? I appreciate the strength of some of Mr Kneale’s arguments and my lack, I think, of a strictly Biblical basis for this one. However, a lot of ordinary citizens look to the CofE for their understanding of the Christian faith. The understanding conveyed might look even worse if all true believers leave.
Finally, Wallace Benn, be assured, at least some of us are indeed praying for you.
With thanks and best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Peter Whale
Rugby
