Affirmation

BEFORE GOD, it is our firmest conviction that throughout God’s world the need has never been as obvious, as necessary and as crucial that all whom God has made to hear of who God has revealed himself to be in Christ, and the salvation God has won for all. The good news of grace and mercy, of forgiveness and repentance, of presence and belonging, of reconciliation and stewardship, of hope and eternity is a message which the world is dying without hearing. But it is to this fallen world that the gospel is addressed. “God loves human beings. God loves the world. Not an ideal human, but human beings as they are; not an ideal world, but the real world” (Bonhoeffer). God calls every person through his great love, therefore it matters that those who have never heard this good news can hear it in a way they understand, so that they can respond to it.

Calls

Each diocese and every church to seek fervently to be renewed by the wonder and power of the good news of Christ.

Each diocese and every church to commit to prayer, listening, and discernment, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to discern how to bear faithful witness to Christ and authentically proclaim the gospel. This to include praying for the Holy Spirit to work in hearts and minds so that the message of the gospel would be received and bear fruit.

In obedience to Christ’s own charge, every church to commit itself to actions which purposefully present the good news of Christ so that all might hear the call of Christ and follow him.

Every Christian joyfully to understand that they are a witness to Jesus Christ praying that through this at least one other person each year might come to faith and grow as a disciple.

That we pray for each other in this ministry and commit to listen to, learn from, and find encouragement together in this Call.

For Bishops to be equipped and enabled to lead in this evangelism. Following the apostolic example we are to lead God’s Church in God’s world in bold proclamation.

For each diocese to cherish, train, and send evangelists.

For each diocese to make a fresh and creative commitment to revitalise churches and to plant new congregations in contextually appropriate ways, to reach those who have not yet heard the gospel.

For the churches that are persecuted to be supported in their witness, that they may be protected and stand firm in their faith.

We call on the Secretary General to support and monitor progress in these areas with the help of the Commission on Evangelism and Discipleship, and to report back to the next ACC.

‘Despite our suffering, we love’

NO BISHOPS would be likely to vote against mission and evangelism; so the plenary addressed by the Archbishop of York was always set fair to be on firm ground, writes Pat Ashworth.

Archbishop Cottrell was on lively form, reeling off a string of brand names: McDonald’s (making burgers), Cadbury (chocolate), Starbucks (“extremely horrible coffee”), Heineken, Toyota, and the rest.

“The Church of England makes disciples. That is what we are about,” he declared. Disciples made peace, disciples made justice: “We are not here to build an earthly empire of an institution called the Church.” He urged his fellow bishops: “Be angels. Be messengers of the good news. Evangelism is our core truth.”

In the light of acknowledged disagreements on some issues, he urged the Conference to “show the world that what we have, despite our disagreements, is love. Water [of baptism] is thicker than blood.”

If he had been in charge of Pentecost, he reflected cheerfully, “I’d have done it differently. I’d have got everybody in the world to speak the same language — a sort of holy Esperanto. It’s not us speaking one language: it’s the Church of Jesus Christ speaking every language. Evangelism is usually dialogue, not monologue.”

The work of evangelism was to be intentional, he said. “We as bishops need to lead on this, help people to do it. ‘One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.’” Being a bishop was a spiritually dangerous business: “People treat us like we’re very important . . . show us to the top seat at the top table.

“If we allow ourselves, we can be taken in in by this. We can start imagining we are the bakers of the bread, not the beggar, leading by example. We bishops need to know ourselves beloved of Christ. The gospel needs to be shared in cultures, tribes, and nations, as well as individuals.”

He continued: “We in the North have been particularly good at keeping [the gospel] to ourselves.” In an “altar call”, to which all acceded, he urged the bishops to stand up if they were committed to taking this forward.