Comments on: Gone by 2040?

By: Caroline Foster Rowe

Caroline Foster Rowe — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 16:44:18 +0000

Several things bother me about how the Anglican Church’s success is measured: same sex marriages have
made an increase in church numbers. This is contrary to the teaching of what is right in the Bible. Also, baptism
and confirmation numbers are used to consider the “success” of the church. Baptism is conducted upon babies in the church, contrary to Scripture. Also, confirmation is not conversion. Those who are confirmed promise to “follow the Lord”, not a recognition of “I was lost but need to be found, or saved”. Confession of sin is overlooked. I was raised in the Anglican church, but left at age l8. It was then that I learned of God’s love for me, and my great need for forgiveness . Someone in this article says we will be asked at the Judgment seat: “What did we do with what we were given?” What were we given? would be more to the point. Was it Truth?.

By: mark terrell

mark terrell — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 03:05:32 +0000

In reply to Curt Gesch. " Much more important is to equip people to speak to others about the Christian faith, something that is completely welcome in a post-modern culture." I agree, and help them more deeply understand it first.

By: mark terrell

mark terrell — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 03:03:16 +0000

Perhaps a clearer emphasis on or articulation of or at least discussion about the four distinguishing marks of the Church: discipleship, brotherhood, ministry and sacraments, in a way that speaks to people, or rather outshines the view of the Church as being an “institution” of “religion.”.

By: Curt Gesch

Curt Gesch — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 14:39:04 +0000

In another article of this issue (with no Reply box), a church leader is quoted as saying: “The main focus, she says, isn’t on how to get people into the pews on Sunday. Howell said the question is how much of the building is being used, and how to make it useful to others.” Of course: filling pews is not Christianity. Nor is using a building for a gym, a concert, or something else. If it were a matter of filling pews, hire an entertainer. If using the building as an arts centre, then put all your funding into building new community arts centres.

I suggest that the “we’re here if you want to come” is the biggest handicap to the Anglicans. That, and a certain arrogance that, of course, our way is the right way. But all denominational groups could look at ways of helping make their tradition understandable (terms like collect, synod, primate, etc., don’t even make sense to many people. Much more important is to equip people to speak to others about the Christian faith, something that is completely welcome in a post-modern culture.