My cynical side came from the awareness that + Phillip North's (who is a really nice chap) former church on an estate in hartlepool was recently closed. Add to the scale pan an ongoing conversation with someone from another diocese to mine over the reality where they are of clergy not being relapsed because of the lack of money. Top it off with the track record the CofE has had in removing much of the effective church presence in the difficult places by contraction and amalgamation and you'll see that perhaps the cynical streak may have some realism behind it.
Having said that this is the Curate's egg, there must be something to commend it; something that brings joy. Which there is, for at last the poorer and tougher places - 'urban estate church' is a metaphor for 'rough' places - are being thought about. The idea of those resident in large estates getting some form of help to establish and lead these new churches is great for these will essentially be what Ray Oldenburg (R. Oldenburg, 1989, The Great Good Place, Marlow & Co, New York) called 'Third places'.
For those for whom this is a new term, Oldenburg identified three places where life is lived out:
Home (the first place),
Work (the second place) and,
Social/Community (the Third Place) where community is discovered or created and maintained.
Interestingly, the third places identified by Odenburg and by this 'New Vision' just happen to be Community centres, cafés and schools (to which we can add pubs, bookshops, games shops), and more besides. This what Pioneer Missioners and others have been doing for some time under the label 'missional'
Now it's not rocket science to observe that where community is built crime rates change, truancy and other issues are also addressed and people begin to become part of a positive, supportive and cohesive reality. Local congregations were the foundations of the Church (read the book of Acts) and I think I'd have to take Philip North to task when he says that, "Big cultural problems can't be solved," by these ecclesial communities - I am certain that they can (doesn't it say something about renewal and transformation in the Bible?).
“The vision is a thriving, loving Christian church on every single large estate. “ Hallelujah!
He continues with, "It's not a building but church as community of people." Wasn't it always?
Well it all sounds very positive and the promise of some being trained to lead churches with the potential that some might even be ordained. Wow, it's all very first century Church - and that has to be good.
There are already people out there who are calling for us to examine the estate churches with a view to (and I quote) 'develop and new theological understanding, new models and theological language'. This is a load of complete and utter tosh for the very last thing is 'new' theology!!
The CofE is promising to train those leading these new estate churches, something which includes the possibility of ordination. The leaders will naturally emerge from their church communities - we need to facilitate and recognise these leaders - if that is what ordination will be then it's more 1AD Church and that's good. It's not rocket science to discover that local people are the best evangelists and church planters.
Blimey have none of the pointy hats read O'Donovan's 'Christianity Rediscovered' or Freiere's 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed'? Of course the locals lead the locals better, they just need to have their own Rosetta Stone handed to them - inculturation, that's the key.
At last as desperation begins to bite, the CofE is doing what it should have been always doing: Looking too provide Church for those who are not Church in the places where Church is not but the people are. Blimey - we've been doing this with Fresh Expressions and Mission Shaped Ministry (and Introduction) courses.
Stories of people changed when the find Church because they feel safe, but surely the reality is that people are changed when the find Church because the meet Jesus and are changed by the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. Bath and Bread - Blood of Christ - nothing we've done separating us from the love of God: This is what it's about.
Great that this 'New Vision' is potentially, "Going to every place, including places that many people don’t go to, like estates"
I applauded the damning self-indictment: “A church which abandons poor areas is not the church of Jesus Christ." Always good when the people in charge get to realise that.
But what of the years the locusts have eaten?
I know God can restore them, but we still have the same bishops and senior clergy who have closed churches, ignored the poor ("If you can't pay you can't have!"), covered up or turned a blind eye to acts of abuse and the like.
As Ric Thorpe so rightly says regarding Council estates: “Council estates are places that are sometimes cut off from the rest of a parish."
NOTE: For sometimes, read more often than not!
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| Remember how Jesus walked on water |
Overall I am made very happy that this 'New Vision' is being paraded and have a few things I need to resolve in my head so the voices rising from my own passions and madness are quelled:
i. This a great potential initiative - its exactly what we were doing in the pentecostal church over thirty years ago and it worked well then in the communities of faith we engaged with and supported in the tough places. So we are thirty years behind them - what can we learn from them and the Fresh Expressions folk? A hint: it's not bung all your money into Pioneers and hope they will rescue us!
ii. The establishment of worshipping communities in fellowship with each other and the wider ecumenical world and the collegiality and disciplinary structures are essential if we are to bring about a holy, loving, and life-giving Church. John Wimber struggled with this, the Pentecostal church struggled with it - so how are we not going to struggle?
iii. What of the various covenants and mutual commitments we Anglicans have made? I see and hear nothing ecumenical in any of the conversations, media stories and other utterances. Are we looking to build Church or the CofE? There is a difference!
iv. There's nothing new here other than the fact That Philip North has got Justin and others excited about doing what we should always have been doing!
v. Bishop's Mission Orders have been with us for ages and yet I've not heard of homogeneous or other forms of church coming out of them.
If they do, why haven't they pushed and publicised anything?
Who is going to own the new entities that will be springing up on an estate somewhere near you?
Will it be the same person running the church that's ignored those people and their patch of earth?
How will the established churches fare when these new 'Third Place' churches thrive and not only see growth but also see transfer growth? How will the incumbent of St Willyballs on the shelf cope when they see their sheep stray in a church near them?
vi. Prayer. I haven't seen a single thing that speaks of Prayer (or Jesus come to that, or the power of God's Holy Spirit).
I have so many more thoughts and questions and yet the timer has pinged and fifteen minutes of scribble has not come to an end. I hope this proves helpful to those who might stumble across it. It's not meant to be negative - it's an honest entry to this, for the discussions will last probably as long as the 'New venture' (a colleague gives it three years before the next 'New Vision' arrives).
I'm less cynical and pray that it is the Lord building this house with us - may it truly be so.
Feel free to challenge, educate (hope you've lots of time for that one), dialogue, explain and excite me with this. I am so very up for it but need more than a sideshow and fireworks.
Pax
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