The Church Mouse Who’s who in the new look Gafcon setup
Peter Carrell Anglican Down Under Why we need the Archbishop of Canterbury to lead Anglican Communion (and bonus Easter reflections)
Mark Clavier Well-Tempered Formed for Faithfulness (13): Renovating for Faithfulness
Nigel Biggar The Critic The case against Project Spire
Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Incarnation, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection
In many ways my beliefs are quite similar to Colin’s. The church I lead (serve) has a daily time called “Silent Together”. I don’t think Colin is promulgating anything very unusual. Faith deconstruction is not uncommon, see for example Nomad podcasts. But it’s rarely actively encouraged within the institution of the C of E, even though I believe it would resonate with much of the wider population more than traditional Christianity does. Perhaps Colin and those with a similar outlook should just accept that the C of E is not the place to expect to find it. But, yes, that… Read more »
HTB has been going on for 50 yrs – and the people turning up are not just the young. But the heart is central to Christian faith and the way the heart is changed is through the Holy Spirit. Jesus likened this to being born again. The Alpha Holy Spirit day and teaching is at the centre of all that drives the HTB – type environment. That’s why it is so successful and increasingly so – it changes people’s hearts, minds and lives, young and old. This is the resurrection life – our future living hope lived in the present… Read more »
Emotional manipulation ≠ the Holy Spirit.
Also “increasingly so”? Evidence? HTB’s influence has spread itself through the CofE over the last 3 decades, without any apparent impact on declining attendance.
There’s no evidence that HTB churches have growing congregations, because the CofE doesn’t generate data split by church-type, despite collecting attendance figures for every church in the land. It’s striking that CofE does not analyze attendance versus type of church as the data could easily be collected, and given its obvious use, you have to ask why it isn’t.
Assuming it showed larger HTB congregations, we’d no doubt hear that’s because they are located in areas with more promising demographics – which could be addressed by comparing numbers in churches with similar demographies.
Adrian: John 3.3,5,6 Jesus answered, ‘In very truth I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he has been born again.’ ‘In very truth I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born from water and spirit. Flesh can give birth only to flesh; it is spirit that gives birth to spirit.’ Well, maybe this text provides support for your claim that the Holy Spirit is the way in which the heart is changed. What the Holy Spirit seems unable to do in HTB churches and plants is help the leaders… Read more »
Nigel, thank you for your thoughtful comments on my blog. My vocation as an activist in the Church of England has clearly been not to accept that this denomination is not the place where I would expect to find justice and equality for LGBTQIA+ people, or women, or people of colour or those living with disabilities, or where abuse and prejudice are widely accepted and tolerated. Tolerance is not a Christ-like virtue! I am intolerant of prejudice and abuse – and also of impoverished spiritual, theological and liturgical environment which I have found in my exploration of varieties of churches… Read more »
I agree. The bishop once told me that St Michael-le-Belfrey – then a major centre of charismatic worship – had increased the spiritual temperature of every other church in the area. That was partly because St Mike’s was generous in lending gifted people to other churches for missions, workshops, and special services. But it was even more due to the number of people who had been converted or found blessing at St MIke’s, and then been disillusioned or grown out of it, and started attending their local church.
The evangelical love of shortening saints’ names is very funny. I hope converts found a home in St Jonny’s, St Nic’s , St Lizzie’s or St Frankie’s after leaving St Mike’s.
Whilst I have no experience of HTB itself, we have a local plant. This plant was in previously high church parish & unsurprisingly the few remaining of that ilk either gave up, or changed to another anglo-catholic church. What was notable was that the HTB plant made early & serious efforts to palm-off all the Care Homes in their parish to adjacent parishes, a move that for once united High church & Conevo vicars in firm rejection. So services may be good, holy spirit may move, but elderly & infirm appear to fall into too difficult category.