Response to [CLICK HERE to read or add to Kennington News]

TIMES ONLINE

Letters to the Editor

June 28, 2002

New Archbishop and Church's future

From the General Director of the Evangelical Alliance

Sir, Mr Gordon Craig’s analysis of the current state of evangelicalism in the Church of England (letter, June 25) is fascinating but flawed.

Those close to what is really going on would note the first-class achievements of the last decade. These would include the outstanding theological scholarship evident at Ridley Hall in Cambridge, and other places, and the fact that evangelical bishops such as John Sentamu and James Jones are such excellent ambassadors for the Church.

The Evangelical Alliance, which represents a million Christians in the UK, is proud that a third of its members are Anglican. This group represents some of our strongest thinkers, but they go beyond the merely academic to embrace a large group of people who try to bring a vibrant Christian faith to all they are achieving in politics, business, the media and the caring professions.

Yours etc,

JOEL EDWARDS, General Director, Evangelical Alliance, 186 Kennington Park Road, SE11 4BT.

June 25.

From the Reverend Angus MacLeay

Sir, In response to Professor Oliver O’Donovan (letter, June 25) it is clearly important to deal with any issue of church discipline with pastoral sensitivity. However, responsible pastoral care should not override clear doctrinal guidelines given to the Church in the New Testament. No Church or archbishop is invested with the authority to dispense with God’s word whether on doctrinal, moral or ethical issues.

In connection with the letter from Mr Gordon Craig it needs to be seen that there is a world of difference between “happy clappy” evangelicals and those evangelicals like myself who signed the open letter to the Prime Minister (report, June 21) and wished to act with conviction on this and many other important matters to our Church and nation.

Yours faithfully,

ANGUS MacLEAY, St Nicholas Sevenoaks, Rectory Lane, Sevenoaks TN13 1JA.

June 25.

From Bishop Henry Richmond

Sir, Many readers will agree with William Rees-Mogg (Comment, June 24) that the new Archbishop of Canterbury “will share no lesser task than the reconversion of England”. Many will agree also that “Christianity is a religion of love” and that “the world is starving for love”.

It is not enough, however, simply to say that the “social failures” he enumerates — terror, crime, drugs, broken marriages, neglected children and fragmented human relationships — “all run contrary to Christian teaching”. For it was “social failures” whom Jesus sought to embrace with God’s love.

It was this embrace, unacceptable to the religious Establishment of His day, that led to His crucifixion. Even in death, the arms of Jesus reached out to criminals.

If the reconversion of England depends on living out the sacrificial love of God seen in Jesus then the new Archbishop must have no illusions as to what lies ahead of him.

Yours faithfully,

HENRY RICHMOND, 39 Hodges Court, Marlborough Road, Oxford OX1 4NZ.

June 24.

Times Newspapers Ltd.

[ Previous | Next ]