Edited by Lee Gatiss
Lost Coin Books, 2016
So called ‘conservative evangelicals’ are often viewed with suspicion by the Church of England establishment because there are seen as a troublesome faction who might split from the Anglican church, or cause trouble within its borders. This book largely from material from the 20014 and 2015 Church Society Conferences, addressing a conservative evangelical audience, is firmly committed to staying within the CofE.
Conservative evangelical clergy tend to not like ritualism, and don’t wear robes in church (and CofE rules have recently been relaxed in that area). Lee Gatiss is of that view, for example he disagrees with bishops wearing mitres (page 85). Nevertheless, in a ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ approach, in his chapter, “George Whitefield: the Anglican Evangelist” he quotes with favour Whitefields not wanting to get entangled in surface matters:
“Whitefield found being an Anglican a great help to evangelism […] As for objecting to the robes that clergy were meant to wear, about which his friend had expressed scruples, “Good God!” he exclaimed, “I thought we long since knew that the kingdom of God did not consist of any externals, but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Page. 36. Quoting George Whitefield’s Journals, pages 255-256.
Bishop Wallace Benn in his chapter “Evangelical Episcopacy” gives a scriptural defence for the Church of England having bishops.
Andrea Ruddick in her chapter “Complementarian Ministry in the Local Parish Church” addresses the stereotype that conservative evangelical churches are ‘anti-women’. She writes:
“complementarians need to speak up from time to time on contemporary issues of injustice against women, both local and global; domestic abuse, misogynistic online “trolling” of women, the objectification of women in pornography and advertising, immense pressures on even young girls to conform to a narrow and highly sexualised ideal of female beauty, low female literacy rates, female infanticide and sex-selective abortion, to name just a few. Let’s not allow feminism to monopolise outrage over these things, particularly when a biblical world-view on these matters actually offers a lot more consistency and coherence in its response.” Page 60.
(Though I would question her assumption that “feminism” is secular. Perhaps the context is that she is using the term to refer to a specific secular feminism).
Lee Gatiss in his chapter “How to Transform a Church” begins by saying:
“the Bible is equally clear that the church remains sinful this side of the Second Coming (1 John 1:8-10). Article 9 of the Thirty-nine Articles reminds us, that of ourselves, “man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil.” This infection of nature remains even in those who are truly born again. So we should expect the church to be constantly struggling with sinful desires, inclinations, and structures, as well as sinful thoughts, words, and deeds.” Page 73.
Perhaps this is of some comfort, that it should not come as a shock if our own church is not everything it ought to be.
Adrian Vincent. December 2020.