I'm a Mainstream Christian!

'Mainstream' is a very dangerous and contentious place to put oneself and more so when the 'Mainstream' has 'Anglican' attached to it!

If we take the name 'Anglican Mainstream' to indicate that it is the prevailing current of thought, influence or activity within the orthodox believers that make up the Church of England then we need to recognise that it holds (and maintains) this position by virtue of its constituent part, namely:

New Wine

Forward in Faith (FiF)

Reform

Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC)

Crosslinks

The Scottish Anglican Network, and

The Evangelical Fellowship in the Church in Wales.

Interestingly, and obviously, there are times when what has come out of any individual group has to be recognised as being anything but mainstream and we need to recognise that each group, in concert with others, makes the mainstream and yet may not themselves be mainstream across the board. They are all able to (and do) exist outside of what must be considered mainstream orthodox positions!

Subscribing to any one member group of AM does not necessarily render one 'orthodox' nor 'mainstream' Neither of course does total blind and unquestioning acceptance of the front page news on AM either. I am a member of three of the groups that make up AM and yet would not be considered 'Mainstream' by others within AM itself I am sure.

If we were to use the word "mainstream' as an adjective rather than noun, which I find more accurate, we would be saying that AM (by dint of the constituent groups) does contain within it a representation of the prevailing attitudes, values and practices of 'orthodox' Anglicans.

I struggle with those who portray Anglican Mainstream as not only 'Mainstream' but as the only people with an eye to what is orthodox and as being the only group to be in existence who are totally right and are therefore ultimate authority and voice for orthodox believers. Obviously not the case and if it were the language and manner in which the voice is used is not always accurate or even, dare I say, helpful or Christian at times.

So there's the first of my thinking on this - more later (staff meetings and stuff beckon),

Pax