May 2006 - A Time of Prophesy

Looking back at my Journal of 12 years ago, the following entry seems somewhat prophetic! Sunday 21st July 1995:

Runcie (the ex-Archbishop of Canterbury) said in passing that he hoped the Church of England would not get too businesslike. This would not go down well with my erstwhile landlord, who is working hard to bring the church into the Twentieth Century before that ends - though I could see what the Archbishop meant. In fact, we need the laity of the Deanery to run the Deanery, and laity with their skills to do the admin at parish and diocesan level. Thus this leaves the Bishops free to tend their flock of pastors and so the latter, in turn, tend their flocks. This should leave more room for spiritual stimulation by those whose job it is, and make room for those with the skill and the will to take care of the business side.

My years with the Missions to Seamen taught me that an active church was a solvent church and that, while the shepherds got on with the pastoral side, the more worldly would run it - or at least organise what needed doing. The Church in Europe (Church of England) had to be self-sufficient, unlike its endowed counterpart in England. Of course, many social events gravitated round the church, too, but there was no sense of accountability being demanded by the parish. This is the undercurrent of feeling in the Church of England now, as the parish has to pick up more of the tab. I think, too, we would get more vocations to the Ministry if Bishops were their own Divisional Diocesan Ordinands and recruited much like the Hon.Col. and Commanding Officer of a regiment, i.e. more direct contact with their flock and future candidates.

Mind you, in the 12½ years that I have been in the Hillsides, I've said that they will have to pay for a priest if they want one. The bottom level is the equivalent of his stipend, over and above all the other expenses of church, vicarage and parish. As loveable as the C of E is, and maddening as it is, it does need to move into the next millennium at the end of this century. The alternative alternative services produced for the occasion for Synod do not encourage me, especially the baptism service. Very theological and fine for ordinands, but lost on the couples in the parishes who want their baby christened. The Yorkshire Show is always a time for debate about the C of E, as one of my fellow stewards is a member of the General Synod. He has sent me his copies for the new series of alternative services. I hope they produce a small prayer book without all the lessons printed as well. I think more room will be made for parishes to stage-manage their own services, from liturgical suggestions.