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David Baker

Date posted: 1 Mar 2019

There are two schools of thought about the way forward for evangelicals in the Church of England at the moment.

The first school of thought is what might be called the ‘into the lifeboats’ approach. This ‘boats’ view believes the CofE is lost. Those who think otherwise, it is implied, are wasting their time. People should be planning to leave – perhaps to the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) or the Free Church of England; furthermore, to put any energy into other strategies is merely to repeat the same failed actions of the last 50 years, it is argued. If we keep on with the same tactics we will merely replicate the same results.

David Baker

Date posted: 1 Sep 2017

General Synod met in July and was generally reckoned shocking by evangelicals. Motions were passed both in relation to liturgy for transgender people and counselling for gay people which were considered theologically vacuous by many. Evangelical amendments on both were rejected. Most bishops said little.

I wrote an analysis for Christian Today (google ‘Church of England Synod was so shocking’).

David Baker

Date posted: 1 Jul 2017

Let’s consider some possible futures for Anglican evangelicals concerned about the Church of England.

Option 1: Remain and resist

This is the strategy from Lee Gatiss of Church Society, Bishop Rod Thomas and many others. In this view, the battle is not lost. As I write, the next bishops’ report on marriage and sexuality is awaited. Southwell bishop Paul Williams – who spoke at a Proclamation Trust conference a few years ago – says: ‘Whatever some would like to claim, the Church of England is and remains faithful to the teaching of Scripture on these matters…’ The new document ‘will be deeply rooted in and faithful to Scripture,’ he claims.