NEW ERA FOR CHURCH OF ENGLAND MEANS EVANGELICALS “MUST BE BOLD”: REFORM CHAIRMAN

The enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury “marks the start of a new era for the Church of England”, REFORM chairman David Banting said today. “The new Archbishop seems likely to lead the Church into a vigorous engagement in public policy debate and thus into a higher national profile. Many of us will welcome this. However, his appointment also shows that the battle is on for the soul of the nation and the Church.

Our recent disagreement with the new Archbishop – and the reactions of others in the Church – indicate that the new climate may be one where the clear meaning of God’s Word is openly questioned. This will call for evangelicals in particular to be rigorous in their study of the Bible and bold in proclaiming its truth.

This is not a time for keeping our heads down. We must engage with everyone graciously; we must listen carefully to what others are saying; but we must be firm in standing for the Word of God – both in what we say and what we do.”
Mr Banting said that the appointment of the new Archbishop had already emboldened evangelicals in the Church of England to take action. He estimated that on the basis of recent enquiries among REFORM members, some 300 clergy had either sought reassurances from their Diocesan Bishops about their teaching on human sexuality or had successfully asked their Church Councils to pass resolutions saying that only those who could affirm the Bible’s teaching on human sexuality could teach in their churches.

Mr Banting concluded that one of the strengths of the Church of England was that its core unit, as stated in Article 19 of the Church’s 39 Articles, was the local congregation – not the diocese or the province. “Having taken a stand with Diocesan Bishops, we must now energise our congregations to be outward looking; keen to share the life of Christ with others; and devoted to the teaching of the Bible, which is so liberating. We have to recognise that our future rests, under God, in our own hands, not those of Bishops or Archbishops.”