From the Revd David Runcorn
Sir, - In his address to GAFCON II, the Revd Paul Perkin (News, 1
November; Letters, 15 November) was repeating
the findings of a very extensive survey of clergy beliefs in the
UK. A summary and analysis can be found at trushare.com (see "The
Mind of Anglicans").
What his global listeners would not know is that this survey was
published in July 2002. It, therefore, reflected trends in belief
from the closing years of the last millennium. The findings deserve
no less concern for that - not least for coming out of an era of an
Evangelical Archbishop of Canterbury and the Decade of Evangelism.
But what makes Mr Perkin so sure, without evidence, that nothing is
changing?
If nothing else, the percentage of ordinands emerging from
Evangelical colleges and the growing focus on mission in the past
decade might predict a shift in trends.
Just to re-quote these findings as if they were current is to
make unsubstantiated claims. It is to take negative labels from
earlier stories and stick them on to ours.
DAVID RUNCORN
9 College Green, Gloucester GL1 2LX