Should the Church of England be Disestablished?

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Many of today’s Sunday papers carried the story that there is a move afoot amongst some members of parliament to disestablish the Church of England. This follows a comment by the Archbishop of Canterbury last week when he said the separation of church and state would not be “the end of the world”. He has since clarified his statement by saying that he is not in favour of disestablishment.

The Church of England is unique in its links between Church and State, and whilst some of the practical implications of this relationship are now in question, such as the religious allegiance of the reigning monarch or of his/her spouse, the question of whether it is right to continue this relationship is an important one.

For my own part, I am and Anglican by choice, and a member of the Church of England because I believe that this relationship best expresses the call for Christians to be engaged with the world in which we live in a profound way. At my Ordination I took, as is required, and oath of obedience to Her Majesty, her heirs and successors, and in doing so pledged to live a Christian life which is intrinsically linked with the society in which I live and minister. I agree that I didn’t have to make a formal oath to pledge engagement with the wider world, but in doing so, the country in which I live pledges to share in my Ministry, rather than be separate from it. In forming my understanding of the Christian faith and settling into a denomination that best expresses how I see the Christian faith lived out , it was this link that prevented me from turning to Rome many years ago, or indeed any of the other denominations that I looked at.

It is true that we live in what some describe as a secular age, where many feel uncomfortable with this relationship between Church and State. It is true also that in a multi-faith society we need to learn to tolerate and respect those whose faith journey’s are different from our own, but this does not mean that we should dispense with our own identity. The greatest strength that this country has is its unique relationship with the Church of England, and the way in which this relationship holds together a diverse Church which might otherwise be fragmented and do nothing to further the Christian Gospel.

This relationship also means that the voice of faith is heard in our national life in an important way. Many have also questioned the relevance of having Bishop’s voices heard in the House of Lords. One of the main criticisms of this practice is that it allows one religious group only to have a voice. In our Archbishop , and in many of our Bishops, we have a concern not only for the Christian faith as understood by the Church of England, but a sensitivity to faith communities in general, and it is important that we allow this voice to continue to be heard and to be an influence in our nation’s life.

Jesus lived as a full member of the society in which he was a part, not separate from it, and the Church of England stands as a living example of his example and our calling. Long may it continue to do so.

Tags: Being Church, Church and state, Church of England, disestablishment, Mission, The Christian Faith
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The Challenge

Sunday, September 28th, 2008

At a recent Benefice Service, we were challenged to consider how we might better engage with the wider community. It is important for a church to focus on creating a welcoming environment for those who come through its doors, but perhaps even more important to consider how its members might become a more effective voice in the wider world. It seems to me that this is one of the most important questions affecting Christians in the 21st century….how do we engage more effectivley with the wider world and put the Church at the centre of the community ?

Tags: Being Church, Engagement
Posted in Discussing Christianity, Food for Thought | 4 Comments »