From Mr W. M. Roberts
Sir, - The Rt Revd Lord Carey of Clifton's concern (News, 22
November) that the Church of England is one generation away
from extinction may be thought an exaggeration, and his proposed
remedies will not command universal assent; but he raises a serious
issue.
In its worship, the Church has increasingly created a pattern in
which the eucharist is the principal liturgy, and non-eucharistic
services are in desuetude. The arguments for this are well known,
but they obscure the fact that for the non-communicant this must
create the impression of "them (the gathered) and us (the less
committed or enquirers)". Historically, this was not the pattern of
public worship, and everyone at non-eucharistic services was there
without differentiation.
This problem is particularly manifest at baptisms, one of the
main occasions when many non-churchgoers are present. The practice
of incorporating baptisms in public worship has the merit of making
it evident that the person being baptised is incorporated into the
body of the Church. Only too often, however, after the baptism, the
celebration of the eucharist appears to be for a different
congregation, which is happy to say "We welcome you," but then
moves on to its own regular business. The baptismal party, of whom
many are not communicants, are left witnessing a rite with which
they may have no familiarity, and in which they are not able to
participate fully.
One has, too, to ask whether the fact that the use of the Psalms
and readings from the Old Testament has fallen out of favour has
made it more difficult for people to develop a faith that is
pertinent to them in daily life. The Old Testament, with its
accounts of the vicissitudes of God's people, its vision of a God
whose engagement with his people is universal, and its looking
forward to the coming of the Messiah, can provide the basis on
which the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ are
more fully comprehensible.
The Church's disposition to emphasise its mission to the needy,
poor, dispossessed, and sick, and to put its mission to "go out
into all the world" in a lower place, is often reflected in public
worship. Occasional prayers demonstrate little interest in the need
for prayer for the vast majority of people whose labour is the
lifeblood of civil society, the workers in offices, shops,
factories, in transport, on the land, and, not least, in the
home.
Perhaps these issues can be summed up by saying that the Church
of England has become too much orientated towards its regular
congregations, and not sufficiently cognisant of impediments that
it may put in the way of others.
I do not believe it was always thus, and plead for a more
outgoing approach to the Church's mission, and for its reconnection
with society.
W. M. ROBERTS
Pound Hall, The Green
Long Melford, Sudbury
Suffolk CO10 9DX
From Professor David Sims
Sir, - Lord Carey has reminded us yet again that the Church
is one generation from extinction. This is good news. It puts us in
company with humanity, whom we serve, and which is also, always,
one generation from extinction.
It also seems right for those who follow a Saviour who, when it
appeared that both he and his legacy were one crucifixion from
extinction, did not wait to get a bigger, more successful movement
going before he followed the way of the cross.
Instead, he taught us that a seed must fall into the ground and
die, producing new and different life in a way that is beyond our
control and beyond measurement. This is scary, but we are better
trusting that process than anxiously trying to preserve seeds.
DAVID SIMS
Daffodil House
Malvern WR14 2UG
From the Revd J. Graham Smith
Sir, - With the greatest of respect for Lord Carey, he needs
to take care over his prophetic pronouncements. I recall his saying
that if the Prince of Wales married Mrs Parker Bowles there would
be a crisis in the Church of England. If there was one, I did not
notice it.
Now he tells us that the Church is heading for extinction.
Perhaps he should take notice of Canon Martyn Percy's article in
the issue in which you reported Lord Carey's comments. I suggest
that we can go further than Canon Percy's supposition that the
Church is not an organisation but an institution, by saying that,
if it is the Body of Christ, it is in fact an organism. As such, it
is indwelt by our Lord's ongoing life, which denies the possibility
of extinction. It may have periods of decline, but no fall.
This is not to support complacency, but to give confidence that
- as, for instance, after the decline of the 18th century - there
will be an Evangelical revival.
GRAHAM SMITH
3 Marryat Road
New Milton BH25 5LW