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 PrintableVersion Parochial visionThe minster mashPAROCHIAL VISION An intriguing historical overview of the development of the parish system in England, leading to a fascinating vision of the future based on one stage in our pre-parochial past - the age of the minsters. By 800 AD no settlement in lowland England would have been more than six miles from a minster, Spencer argues. The word and the institution itself are related to the monastery, but the primary concept was not that of seclusion from the world, but of a pastoral and evangelistic centre, from which clergy went out to the surrounding villages to preach, teach and minister to people. And this network covered the land before parish churches did. Spencer's suggestion is that life in England today has more in common with this period in our distant past than with recent centuries when the parish system ruled. What we need is a return to the minster. Large churches in major centres of population, with ministers working as a team, supporting one another and going out to serve smaller churches, whose members would be greatly strengthened by belonging to the big minster church. A fascinating vision! Like the Irishman who asked for directions, the answer may be, 'If I wanted to get there, I wouldn't start from here.' The wide range of practice, doctrine and ethics in the existing Church of England is minimised by Spencer, who sees it simply as a challenge to put the law of love into practice. Stephen Bowen© Evangelicals Now - August 2004 |
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