The Vicar's Address - 2004

Passion! What do you think about when I say that? sandwiches or sex? Sandwiches because Prêt a Manger are .passionate about food.. Or does .Passion. remind you of the film that.s causing a stir and making people think about the Cross? What are you passionate about? Christ? The Gospel? His church? Listen to this: .Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.. (Acts 20:28,29) Paul was passionate about the church . Christ.s bride . and so should we be.

The church, or at least the Anglican Communion is in a dire state. During the course of the past three years my responsibilities as Secretary of the Church of England Evangelical Council became particularly onerous and it is a relief that my term of office ended last Autumn. So, too, did my role as a Vice-Chairman of the National Evangelical Anglican Congress, when this was held in Blackpool in September. Peter Brierley, Director of Christian Research and an authority on the church in this country, wrote to our Steering Committee:

.It was wonderful! Thank you! I sincerely trust and pray that the Anglican evangelical church in the UK holds together in the coming years, and have not the slightest doubt that if it does so it almost will certainly be because of the influence of NEAC 4.

Your perception of what was needed, your vision, guided and moulded by many over the years of planning, undoubtedly was correct, and your focus on underlining the essentials that bind evangelicals together was superb,

I know that NEAC 1 and NEAC 2 were especially important in the development of evangelical Anglicanism in the UK at their time, and immensely influential. I believe that NEAC 4 will be the same, simply because it emphasised the fundamentals and rightly assigned the peripherals to where they belong, even though treated with dignity and importance and sincerity and thoughtfulness. The homosexuality debate was a brilliant example of exactly that..

But that issue has not gone away. You will be aware of the considerable controversy raging in the Anglican Communion following the appointment of a practising homosexual bishop in the United States of America. The Primates of the Anglican Communion have established a Commission under the chairmanship of Archbishop Robin Eames to examine the legal and constitutional implications of the issues involved. Whilst the Lambeth Commission is at work the Archbishop of Canterbury has called for a period of prayerful reflection and the avoidance of provocative action. The appointment of Canon Jeffrey John to be Dean of St Albans runs directly contrary to Dr Williams. appeal and exacerbates division within the Diocese and the wider Anglican Communion. It is highly provocative, not only to many in the Church of England, but also to the many provinces and dioceses in the Anglican Communion, particularly but not only in Africa, Asia and South America, who are so troubled about last year.s events both in the United States and the See of Reading in England for which Dr John was nominated last year.

We are troubled at the possibility of such appointments being used to influence the debate within the Church of England, and society generally, about human sexuality. It appears to Anglican Mainstream that there is a concerted attempt to change the Church of England.s doctrine and thereby to weaken the place of marriage and the family in our nation.s life. And this is at a time in our society when the effects of dysfunctional family life are being seen more and more clearly in the attitudes and behaviour of people who have not been raised with adequate mothering and fathering. At the press conference formally announcing the appointment it became clear that Dr John would continue to advocate the position he has consistently held in his published writings about human sexuality, a position which is contrary to the teaching of Holy Scripture and to the agreed policy of the House of Bishops. It is further a matter of grave concern that the Prime Minister.s Office and appointments secretary have such power to influence the church by appointing to positions of senior leadership those who will use their position in the church to advance their liberal agenda.

There is a growing feeling that .enough is enough.. Our friends in Canada and the USA are saying that what is now happening here is similar to the tactics of war that revisionists in Northern America have used, and that we must .wise up. if we are to resist their subtle and strategic campaign for change. Our brethren in St Albans are now on the forefront of the .battle. just as Oxford, New Hampshire and New Westminster have been. Although parishes tend to be rather vague about the importance of the Anglican Communion, what the Church of England does, both from its establishment and the response of the faithful, is critically important.

A friend wrote to me with this story: When Archbishop Malango of Central Africa protested over what was happening in the States he was accused of meddling in their affairs. He replied, 'If I look at my neighbour.s house and I see that it's on fire, I go and I say to him, "Your house is on fire." 'And if he says to me, "I like my house to be on fire", what do I do? Well, I go and rescue the children first of all, and then I put out the fire before it spreads to my house as well." He commented, .I believe that the house of the Church of England is now on fire..

Are you passionate about Christ.s church? And the state it.s in? It does not glorify God and that is the chief purpose of the church. As we bear in mind the condition of the Church of England to which we belong, let us consider the purposes of the church as they apply to us:

Magnification

We are to do all to glory of God, that others may see how great he is and worship him. We can thank God for those ways in which we are doing what honours him. A year ago John Truscott, a church consultant, was commissioned to .audit the organisational and management structure as it relates to the pastoral staff, other staff, wardens, officials, PCC and volunteer staff, in order to enable all to function more effectively and the Mission Statement of CCB to be taken forward.. While his report was a .snapshot. and neither random nor representative in its sampling, it made some important observations and addresses the .big picture.. Earlier this year I summarised the opening observations of the report:

There is much to rejoice in about Christ Church. There are many strengths which include, for instance: the Bible-based teaching ministry, the work with children & young people, the congregational friendships and gifting, the Alpha course and Breakfasts for Women, the variety of services and ministries, the home groups, our history, our location and our Mission Statement. .The potential for a mighty work of God in Beckenham cannot be doubted.. That Statement concludes that our mission is to be .to the glory of God..

Membership

Yet the consultant observed that there are signs of poor health. In particular there is a lack of numerical growth with no appreciable change in Sunday attendances. He warned us:

.I believe that you cannot be complacent about your long-standing lack of growth. There should be a vision for significant growth, partly through the planting of new congregations to offer a wider menu than you have at present. In today.s rapidly changing culture, it is no longer possible to offer one style of worship service that fits everyone. Many churches that are growing have different congregations within one church..

He noted that we had started the alternative pattern of worship on last Sunday.s of the month, but we must not allow these simply to become services in which we settle down in a familiar style with which we are comfortable. We must seek, under God.s hand, to grow.

Mission

Last year we held our SALT 2003 Mission fortnight which met with varying results. The Holiday Club was well supported and went very well with the morning activities and with events for an older age-range in some evenings. Our dinner at Ergens, with Max Sinclair, was both enjoyable and effective. The Breakfast for Women coffee mornings differed in response but the smallest also proved to be ones that offered the most in depth conversations. The men.s events were disappointing in terms of outreach and it is good that .Momentum. has been launched, although Andrew Cornish rightly cautioned that, if we do not improve on past performance, .Inertia. might have been more apt.

John Truscott commented, .The mission statement seems to be misunderstood . and it is certainly not well applied.. I will comment more on this later, but he continued .growth-points such as Alpha and the Women.s Breakfasts (which are having significant spiritual impact) do not seem to be owned by the church as a whole. They exist in their own small corner. The PCC does not appear to share the Vicar.s concept of priorities within a strategy.. These significant ministries owe much, under God, to the committed service of Chris Bates with Alpha and Harriet with Breakfasts for Women, and I am thankful for them and the teams working with them.

I was delighted when, in October, the Bishop licensed Zac Niringiye to Christ Church and we commissioned him as our .Missioner-at-large. with a mutual commitment to partnership in the Gospel as we encourage one another in making Christ known at home and abroad. Our continuing commitment to world mission is seen in our giving, of which 19.5% of our income is given to mission. This year is the second year, however, in which the amount given to mission has seen a decrease and this is a matter for concern as we are committed to the support of our mission partners. Many of them work in Muslim countries and, in our World Vision Weekend this year, an excellent line-up of speakers helped us understand various aspects of Islam and the culture in which they work. The challenge of Islam was one of our .Issues Facing Christians Today. series in which we seek to engage with the world into which we are sent. An outcome of this emphasis on Islam was that our ThankOffering Sunday focussed on supporting three ministries working in the Muslim world.

Ministry

We are tremendously grateful for all the many people who use their gifts and give their time in the varied forms of ministry at Christ Church and in the practical and pastoral care which we show to one another. The .Reports on Organisations. make encouraging reading . and many thanks to Ann Bennett and those who help her in the office in producing this booklet and all the literature we publish during the year, and to Steve Ashfield for his practical support on site. Yet many of these organisations are over-stretched and more helpers are desperately needed, for instance in the otherwise thriving Baby and Toddler Clubs.

The staff team, too, is over-stretched. It is so good to welcome Ken Short, who we commissioned as an Honorary Curate, as a partner in the ministry with John Anscombe, and I greatly value their friendship and support. Also, during the year, Chris & Margie Bates and Alan Gardiner were commissioned and join Graham Cook as our Authorised Ministers. This term covers Readers, Pastoral Assistants and Evangelists, recognising that, for example, an individual.s ministry will include both teaching and pastoral care. The ministry of all these is much appreciated.

Nonetheless, our consultant.s comment holds good: .You have a small staff team for a church of your size and wealth, and only the Vicar has significant ministry experience. The urgent need here is to strengthen leadership to give overall vision and direction for the church.. This tied in with the fact that we were already engaged in a pilot scheme with the Diocese for the development of Ministry Leadership Teams. I have, however, advised the PCC that I am unable to progress this until we have appointed at least one of the new staff who will, in any case, form vital members of the Ministry Leadership Team (MLT). These are, first, an Associate Vicar, rather than another curate in training. This appointment needs and has the support of the Bishop as the diocese has global responsibility for overall clergy numbers. The appointment will, in the first instance, be progressed through the Bishop of Tonbridge. Second, the PCC has agreed to appoint, on John Truscott.s recommendation, a Director of Ministry Operations: a senior lay member of staff with clear organisational skills, whose job is to oversee communication and ensure that strategic decisions become action within an overall plan, through the mobilisation of people and other resources. These appointments were agreed by the PCC in the faith that the Lord will provide for his work and the financial implications were explained by Brian Holmes in his letter which accompanied mine for Commitment Sunday. We are deeply grateful to all those through whose generous and often sacrificial giving the Lord continues to meet our needs.

The purpose of the MLT is to strengthen leadership to give overall vision and direction for the church, and thereby increase our effectiveness in accomplishing our Mission Statement through our ministry and mission in order that we may grow in membership and maturity. The MLT will focus on the shaping and prioritising of ministry, on spiritual direction and overall strategy, and in major pastoral issues, and will take a prayerful overview of the ministry of the Church as a whole.

The MLT will work in partnership with the PCC which will continue collectively to oversee policy and the resources available to support mission and ministry, while the MLT will oversee the development of strategy and the delivery of ministry in and from the Church. Philip Hustwitt has helpfully likened the relationship between the MLT and the PCC to a development of the traditional relationship between the Vicar and the PCC, where the Vicar is the acknowledged leader of the Church in all spiritual matters, and the PCC assists him by taking responsibility for the .business. affairs of the parish. There will be a mutual trust between the MLT and the PCC that each will operate within its defined area of oversight and respect each other.s decisions in those areas. The MLT, with the consent of the PCC, may apply for recognition and commissioning by the Bishop.

All of this is hopeful as we look to the future, yet staff at present are severely hampered by frustrations, as our consultant noted, and these are demoralising. He was aware that areas of the PCC.s work seem to be unable to move forward and the halls site redevelopment was a prime example, with the idea having been around for over 20 years without any clear decisions to move ahead. He cautioned that it might not be wise to proceed until our understaffed situation is remedied. The present church office is, in his words, .almost Dickensian., and its relocation has been hampered for several years. The whole provision of staff IT equipment is thoroughly unsatisfactory and deeply frustrating. The kitchen and catering resources are unhygienic, being the worst one outside caterer had ever encountered, and the installation of a dishwasher, essential for ministry, was also unnecessarily hampered. All of these have serious implications for health and hygiene in the workplace and, as the Report noted, the work environment and lack of proper HR policies is not fitting for a church of our resources. None of this is glorifying to God.

Magnification

God.s intention for the church is that .with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.. (Romans 15:6) Yet John Truscott commented on unhappiness and pain that he detected, some arising from a spirit of criticism from the touchlines, some from frustration that the church is not moving forwards or from the entrenched attitude of some of the longer-standing members of the congregation over many years. He reminded us that .Jesus calls us to love each other in the way of utter commitment. To pretend that you are following your own mission statement when there seems to be so much unease cannot be right.. If we are to grow, that will inevitably involve change and, as the saying goes, no one likes change except a baby with a wet nappy. Growth will mean welcoming new members, as God has welcomed us, and accepting them. The church is a family and families embrace all ages. I was encouraged one Friday evening when I went down to church and saw youngsters hanging around the halls. I assumed it was a .Surge. evening, but it wasn.t! It is simply that our church halls have become a place to hang out, where it is even .cool. to be seen, where young people are finding a sense of identity and belonging. It is thrilling to see the way God is blessing the youth ministry under Simon Lang.s leadership and I am thankful for his partnership with Joy in this strategic work. Our longing is that these young people will become part of the Body of Christ, and that may challenge some of our attitudes. Of course, the young also need to learn to respect those who are older and not distract or disrupt the worship of others when we are all together. Talking during services at inappropriate moments (and volume) is not, however, restricted to the young!

The frustration and hurt John Truscott noted also related to relational problems of which I, too, am aware. Inevitably in leadership one becomes aware of such matters and that is part of the burden of leadership, of which others may be blissfully ignorant. In leadership I am, of course, also aware of those whose lives and stories tell of God.s transforming grace: they are a source of joy and encouragement, to the glory of God. But where there is what John called .a spirit of criticism from the touchlines., or where there is a territorial attitude, touchiness, pettiness and pride, God is definitely not glorified. Where there are people who won.t forgive, who bear grudges and refuse to talk to one another the Spirit is grieved. Such situations exist and of them he rightly comments, .The church.s mission statement seems to be preached rather than practised..

All this is why Hosea chapter 10 verse 12 was impressed on me as a text for the year (and years) ahead: "sow for yourself righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unploughed ground for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers righteousness on you". Ground that hasn.t been ploughed over a period of time becomes hard and unproductive, no longer capable of bearing fruit. The longer it is left the harder it becomes, the more difficult to break up. Neglect is deadly. Spurgeon said that our lives are like farms, and if we neglect to cultivate them, Satan will be sure to do so. It is time to break up our unploughed ground. It is time to seek the Lord. Arthur Wallace, the writer on revival, warns of the danger of hearts that have grown cold and have become indifferent towards the lost; of lives that are marked by formality in fulfilling our spiritual duties; of a dead orthodoxy in standing for the truth; of becoming bound by tradition and straining at gnats, like the Pharisees; of professing much and possessing little; of being able to use the right expressions but not having the right experience. He warns that it is so easy for us diligently to attend the ministry of God's Word Sunday by Sunday but to do so with unploughed hearts that have become hard and resistant to the Word of God, and although it is ministered over the weeks and over the years, it does not penetrate our hearts, or change our lives, or bear fruit as God intends.

In concluding his report, our consultant warned that it all .is worthless without the Holy Spirit.s life to transform every member of the church, and to turn the teaching ministry into daily reality for everyone. I wonder if Christ Church has become too comfortable a place to belong to. But Jesus Christ calls us to be disciples, and to take up our cross and follow him. Will you be brave enough, as a whole church, to allow the Spirit to speak to you and to live out the mission statement you have already agreed?.

Our mission is .to share the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed. but I think that is often misunderstood as meaning only that we are to go out and share Christ.s love with those who are not yet his followers. No! It must begin with us. If we are not experiencing God.s love and being transformed by his grace, we have nothing to share. We may have the right expressions but not the right experience. If we are not sharing his love with one another, if we are not treating one another with the kindness and forgiveness that God has shown to us, if we are not a grace-filled fellowship, then we have nothing to bring people to. In fact, they would be better to stay away!

Where are we to find and experience this love? At the Cross. It is there we encounter the love of God. Our prayer for the coming Weekend Away is that we will rediscover the heart of God as we journey through Ephesians . a love that is overwhelming, all embracing, transforming, victorious; a love for sharing and growing in the Body of Christ. It is love which meets us at the Cross, when we come as we are, in need of the limitless mercy and grace of God. I stand there with you, on level ground, as much in need of God.s forgiveness and grace as any, and more so. Pray for this Weekend and for the ongoing work of God.s Spirit among us, whether we were there or not. As John Truscott urges, there needs to be a renewing of faith and a fresh realisation of what it is that our Lord and Master requires of us all. We need to pray for and work towards a spiritual renewal of the whole congregation.

So, what are you passionate about? Christ? His Cross? His Church? Our consultant .could not find much passion in the church.. Passion is something we cannot work up . that is merely to generate the energy of the flesh and do the devil.s work. Passion is something God works in us, as his Spirit leads us afresh to the Cross. There we see the passion of Christ, passion for a lost world, for loveless sinners and for the Church he brought into being when he ransomed us with his blood. It is time to seek the Lord.

I conclude with John Truscott.s closing words: .Would it not be wonderful if Christ Church could stop printing its mission statement out everywhere, and start living it instead. My prayer is that, beginning with the staff and PCC, you could share the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed so that people become his followers to the glory of God. With God all things are possible..

Nicholas Wynne-Jones
28 April 2004