Just reading around a number of articles and news items this last week, and also my own church's PCC notes, one could be forgiven for thinking that Christianity was being slowly and systematically killed off, both from without and within.
There are the continuing anecdotes that the church is shrinking, with attendancies declining. There are stories of further erosions of the country's christian traditions and heritage (and no doubt more will come in the run up to Christmas, sorry, Winter Festival), and there is the continuing saga of the liberal sections of the international CofE undermining and pushing out the conservative wing.
As mentioned, even my own church's PCC meeting notes reveals differences in desire between parish and diocesan treasurers for how the Parish Share should be calculated. Should it for instance depend solely on the population number that it serves; should it be based solely on the number of clergy (or part, as would be for a benefice)? Should it take account of the 'health & wealth' of the parish; and should it subsidise other parishes who can't/don't/won't pay their way? Further, should overpayment by a parish that can, be used to simply subsidise another parish in the denary, or should the cross-funding be based on specific gospel aims, or 'partnership'?
I read of a diocese in Latin America that is suffering as liberals (I subjectively define as supporting the revisionist topics of ofty and women bishops) are trying to remove their conservative traditions by removing their legal status to exist.
There are no doubt many more examples of attacks on the Christian faith as understood by those who share a gospel tradition of biblical authority as set out by sure-footed and sure-minded theologians and academics throughout the ages, but one thing strikes me; should we, as conservative anglicans fight against this inslaught, nationally and internationally, using the instruments society has developed, i.e. publicity, freedom of speech and the courts, or should we just get on with the task of making disciples, at the local level?
I don't know the answer!
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