Three cheers for Sir Richard Branson

If Virgin Rail had not moved for a judicial review into the award to First Group of the West Coast Main Line franchise the public would probably have remained unaware that the Department for Transport badly miscalculated after the assurances of the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, and his predecessor, the recently shunted to International Development, Justine Greening, that the procedure was 'robust'. So three cheers for Sir Richard Branson.

Sir Richard's first brush (pun intended) with the Tory Party was when Mrs Thatcher appointed him Litter Tsar charged with keeping Britain tidy, presumably on the assumption that he was 'one of us'. To be 'wet' in a Thatcher government was not looked upon kindly, a situation not lost on civil servants who would have avoided giving ministers advice they did not want to hear, a habit that appears to have lingered on. But if things went wrong the minister carried the can. No longer. Patrick McLoughlin said "he was angry" because the fault lay "only and squarely within the Department for Transport". - Three civil servants have been suspended, the politicians carry on regardless, in Ms Greening's case now using her accountancy skills for the benefit of the poor in the Third World, or not!

My days of business travel are long gone but how easy it was in those bygone days to decide what time I needed to arrive at my destination and simply buy a ticket at the station ticket office. Hearing of people's current experiences, I tried looking on-line to see how I would go about booking a return ticket from Manchester to London this coming Friday. Perhaps it is my age but I might as well have been buying an air-line ticket. Eventually I discovered that prices varied between £74.20 and £296 for a Second Class return with a whopping £423 for First Class travel. Traveling a greater distance of 346km from Paris to London compared with the 267km from Manchester by Eurostar would cost between 117 and 217 Euros (between £94 and £174 and a flexible business rate of £249. Traveling a similar distance of 270km from Paris to Brugge and back on a Friday would cost between 87 Euros and  just 169 Euros for flexible First Class travel (between £70 and £136). Ah, the joys of rail privatisation!

God help the Church of England

"Some time in the next two months – maybe next week – the new archbishop of Canterbury, primate of England and head of the Anglican communion worldwide will be appointed. The process by which he (sic) will be chosen is barely more transparent than it was when Henry VIII first persuaded Thomas Cranmer to consolidate his breakaway foundation. The Crown Nominations Commission has been meeting in secret conclave in a secret location, paring down the candidates until one preferred name emerges. The PM and the Queen then approve his appointment. Candidates tend to be bishops already (so no chance of a woman) but there's no formal application or interview. More open, perhaps, than the election of a pope – but not much. Letting in the light would not immediately arrest the church's decline, but at least it would link it to ordinary life. The pageant and tied palace are non-negotiable, so the appointment process must be grabbed for the opportunity it is. Give churchgoers the vote, have a hustings in every pulpit and a ballot box by the font. It would compel leaders to move on from their inward-looking arguments over sex and women and, as the church would put it, allow the faithless an encounter with the sacred. In the US, where there have been elections since 1919, the Episcopal church is a liberal, campaigning movement with a woman at its head. In England, there'd be one other welcome consequence: at least one member of the House of Lords would be elected." - Editorial, The Guardian, Friday 28 September 2012.

One can only hope that the editorial was intended to be amusing, but I doubt it. In fact it well illustrates the slide from the sacred to the secular. As might be expected there are the usual jibes about women not being eligible citing the example of the Episcopal Church in the United States as a liberal campaigning movement with a woman at its head, perhaps ignorant of the chaos in the Episcopal Church. To suggest that churchgoers be given the vote again suggests a view of the church as a club organised by its members making up rules as they go along rather than a body of people guided by faith and doctrine, a view that is not too far removed from liberal activists determined to follow their own agenda.

At the other end of the media scale the Mail Online reports that Christians have often despaired of the true spiritual message of the Nativity being heard highlighting a Church of England-backed campaign to raise awareness of Jesus Christ by portraying him as a toy doll (illustrated above). The image with the slogan He cries, He wees, He saves the world is to be "emblazoned on bus stops, advertising hoardings and in newspapers in the weeks leading up to Christmas." Alongside the £100,000 poster campaign, radio adverts will tell the Nativity story in the style of a celebrity chef. The idea is, apparently, to make the birth of Christ seem more ‘modern’. As one person commented: ‘I don’t think my non-Christian friends and relations would be at all impressed by the ad or even understand what it was trying to achieve.’ The article goes on to say that the Rt Rev Nick Baines, the Bishop of Bradford and one of the favourites to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, has given his enthusiastic support. Jesus wept!

With deadlock in the CNC, God help the Church of England. 

Ed Miliband Out

In the latest bit of political opportunism the leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, has come out 4marriage. Given his ratings there will be many wishing he were out altogether but leaving that aside, not only has he pledged his support but he has pledged "wholehearted" Labour backing for what he sees as 'reform'. He said, "I know that equal marriage is a very, very important part of ensuring equality before the law, the equality in our culture which is so important, and such a sign of us being a modern country and the kind of country I believe in." 

This campaign has nothing to do with equality or reform. Marriage cannot be reformed, it is what it is, the union of a man and a woman in an environment that protects the family unit and provides children with the security they need for the benefit of society as a whole. The introduction of civil partnerships has given same sex couples the equality they demanded but that is not enough. Enough is never enough. Today in Anglican Mainstream attention is drawn to a problem in the US military following the introduction of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” policy with homosexuals now demanding special privileges. We should not be surprised. Just look at the church. Following the acceptance of women for ordination there have been moves by the newly enlightened to ban anyone from ordination if, regardless of conscience, they are unable to accept women priests as consistent with the teaching and tradition of the Apostolic church. To have principles opposed to the latest fad gives rise to accusations of discrimination and even homophobia. So much for 'equality'.

Not satisfied with acceptance of difference we are now expected to embrace it fully or suffer the consequences. To witness members of the clergy using false propaganda to achieve their aims was sad but to witness elected representatives of the people demanding change for which they have no mandate using the same distortions is sickening.

Archbishop of Canterbury Poll

Photograph: Graeme Robertson/PA

In March 2012 when Rowan Williams announced his decision to return to academia after 10 years trying to hold the Anglican Communion together as Archbishop of Canterbury, the Guardian speculated on his successor with the bookies favourite, John Sentamu, in the lead. Now the Telegraph is running a poll which again shows John Sentamu in the lead with 38.5% of the votes followed by Richard Chartres with a respectable 23.8% and Justin Welby, enthroned less than a year ago as Bishop of Durham, in third place with 14% of the votes. Perhaps next time after more experience?

For me, Richard Chartres is the obvious choice. He has considerable gravitas and has not raised the doubts about his suitability which have dogged John Sentamu's chances. Also, as pointed out in 4 News he has actually increased attendance in his diocese, a rare attribute when church attendance is falling in this country. But the Archbishop of Canterbury is leader not just in England, but of 77 million Anglicans worldwide, the majority of whom regard the liberal direction of the church here and particularly in the US as a hindrance to the mission of the church, something which the Crown Nominations Committee now sitting must seriously consider in the interests of church unity.

Almighty God,
you have given your Holy Spirit to the Church
to lead us into all truth:
bless with the Spirit's grace and presence
the members of the Crown Nominations Committee.
Keep them steadfast in faith and united in love,
that they may seek your will, manifest your glory
and prepare the way of your kingdom;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Amen.

Area Ministry: the Business Solution

Map: Wikipedia

Landmark report by Church in Wales recommends replacing parishes with ministry areas: 
"Key recommendations include replacing traditional parishes with "ministry areas" modelled on the catchment areas of secondary schools. Each area could include around 25 parishes." - WalesOnline.

In reality the 'landmark report' only repeats what the Archbishop of Wales forecast back in 2006 in a lecture organised by 'The Christian Centre for Rural Wales' when Dr Morgan said:
  "there are provinces across the Anglican Communion in America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and in many dioceses of the Church in England and now in Wales, which have begun to examine the setting up of local ministry teams without diminishing the role of the clergy, but which take the discipleship of all God’s people seriously.  Instead of seeing the Church as a community centred around a priest, the church itself is seen as a corporate body which becomes a ministering congregation.  In other words, it ceases to be a congregation which is ministered to but becomes an active congregation and lives out God’s mission in the world."

So the 'Independent Review' is effectively an endorsement of Barry's plan based as usual on the performance of the failing Episcopal Church of America. In this example of area ministry we have the now familiar liberal agenda in a PowerPoint presentation, a business based solution to confront the shrinking membership of the church.  [Download viewer here if required.]

Those members who have already been active in the Church in Wales, seeking to live God's mission in the world, will be sadly disappointed having responded to their Archbishop's urgings to take part in the Review. Evidently eager to tackle the top heavy structure resulting from severe losses suffered in their church, it was suggested by a clear majority [that has a familiar ring! - Ed] that the number of dioceses be cut to three, no doubt with commensurate reductions in senior posts but while the Review recommends that the number of administrative areas be reduced to three, the seven bishops would remain - even if the number of dioceses is eventually reduced! This was the assessment of the 'independent review':

 15. Dioceses: their number and administration
We have received a wide variety of views on how many dioceses there should be
in Wales, fluctuating wildly between one and the opinion that every deanery
should be a diocese! The majority view was probably that there should be three
or four dioceses, with some re-drawing of boundaries. However, we believe that
this is the wrong time to be changing the number and shape of dioceses. It would
occupy time and energy for the next ten years and distract the church from the
urgent changes which are necessary now, irrespective of the number of
dioceses. The present number and shape of dioceses may not be ideal. If we
were starting again we would have three. However, the present number and
configuration works and we think that the Church should continue, at least for the
next four years, with the present six dioceses. ... These recommendations should be reviewed after three years, with a view to evaluating the effectiveness of the change. At that point a judgement should be made about whether or not the church is best served by six dioceses with three administrative centres, or three dioceses. If the latter, we believe there should still be the same number of bishops as at present, namely seven.

No doubt the seven bishops will be well satisfied that the Lord Harries of Pentregarth managed to produce a report which they think makes the Church in Wales 'fit for purpose'. Actually the Lord Jesus Christ did that long before these revisionists started tinkering with His plan. The consequences for the US Episcopal Church can be read here.

All that is wrong with the Church in Wales

"Radical re-thinking for the Church in Wales" is the main headline in Highlights of the Church in Wales Governing Body September 2012. The highlights can be read here. Described on the Church in Wales website as a 'full round up of news from the Governing Body meeting', it appears to be more of a rubber stamping of the Archbishop's decision making process with only positive comments allowed. I note the absence of any opposition to Dr Morgan's plans under 'Women in the Episcopate'; simply a rehash of the proposals and a dismissive: "After debate, GB agreed through a majority vote for legislation to be drawn up in this way". Just what the doctor ordered!

Introducing the Church in Wales Review Report Lord Harries, the Review Chairman, said:  “The parish system is no longer sustainable—we have to radically rethink the way we look at our ministry, and begin with the concept of an area ministry”. I doubt that the average person in the pew has fully grasped the significance of the loss, not just of the parish priest but of the whole concept of the parish system, something that has stood the test of time, as has the traditional concept of priesthood within the church. Wanting the best of both worlds, the bishops have become very adept at insisting that the church should become more relevant to society but where is that relevance when the overseers (managers) take no responsibility for the mess they have created? Further on in Highlights some interesting facts could not be hidden:

+ There is a continuing decline of between 2 and 4% in attendance on Sundays and the major festivals.

+ Total income and expenditure have fallen on 2010 levels, and the Long-term Trends 1990 to 2011.

+ Easter communicants and average Sunday attendance has fallen by close to 50% in the last twenty years. In fact the Easter communicant figure for 2011 was lower than the average Sunday attendance figure in 1990.

+ There is also a steep decline in the number of baptisms and confirmations over the twenty year period. 

Presenting the Membership and Finance Report from which these quotes are taken, Canon Mike Starkey said, "The membership statistics show that we are doing what we have always done with diminishing returns. How can we move forward? “We have a visionary and radical new Report which charts a way forward. But while restructuring is a good thing, that alone will not get us to the core of our problem. We need to ensure that we are renewing the Church, not just re-engineering it.” Concluding his report he pointed to Russell T Davies as a Welsh role model—he renewed a tired classic in Dr Who to make it fresh for new generations, proving it is possible to both satisfy the guardians of tradition and engage with a new constituency.

Secure in their bishoprics there has been no apology for the mess the bishops have created with their 'half-baked initiatives - “So often in the Church we move from one half-baked initiative to another, often at great financial cost with little or no thought at measuring outcomes and the difference we make, and learning lessons for future strategy and work.” - Highlights September 2011. Concluding his Presidential Address, Dr Morgan preceded a self-congratulatory poem with this quote:

"Cardinal Carlo Martini, the former Archbishop of Milan, and said to be the best Pope the Roman Catholic Church never had, in his last interview before his death this month said of his own church, “The church is 200 years behind the times. Why doesn’t it stir? How can we liberate the embers from the ash to reinvigorate the fires of love? Are we afraid? Faith is the foundation of the church – faith, trust, courage”."

But the Archbishop failed to quote Cardinal Martini's solution:

"Our culture has aged, our churches are big and empty and the church bureaucracy rises up, our rituals and our cassocks are pompous," the Cardinal said. "The Church must admit its mistakes and begin a radical change, starting from the Pope and the bishops."

The message is clear. 

Respect!

So the bishops have capitulated. What little comfort was left for traditionalists in the Church of England opposed on theological grounds to the ordination of women has been watered down to one word: Respect. Archbishop Rowan says ‘Respect’ means taking somebody else in their own terms; letting them define what they believe, what they think, who they are. It means trying to find a settlement that allows them to recognise in whatever emerges that their views have been taken seriously. Archbishop Rowan may very well think that but few have the capacity of His Grace for treating their opponents with the same respect. Across the border in the Church in Wales even their Archbishop has difficulty in showing respect for those he disagrees with and far from 'taking somebody else in their own terms; letting them define what they believe, what they think', he obstinately refuses even to appoint a replacement Provincial Assistant Bishop preferring to tell traditionalists what they must accept while, tomorrow, making another bid to allow women to be ordained into the episcopate on his own terms in his vanishing church. 

Consider also the attitude already displayed in England by proponents of the ordination of women in the Church and in Parliament - "No promises were broken, says GRAS" and "Essentially everyone knew that when you had the ordination of women as priests that this would lead to the ordination of women bishops after a decent length of pause. Some would say it has now been an indecent length of pause" said Peter Bottomley. Where is there any evidence of respect? When the House of Bishops proposed an amendment to the legislation which would have "strengthened somewhat the provision for the minority, in the hope that this would allow people in the minority to feel that their position was respected, that they were allowed to flourish, and that they were welcome in the Church of England" Women and the Church (WATCH) found it "deeply offensive " claiming that the vision of women as bishops, and the dignity and security of the position of women when they were ordained as bishops would be undermined.

So what is in a word? Personally I find it offensive to be branded as one of those "whose consciences gave them difficulties with the idea of women as bishops, and would find it difficult to receive their ministry." I would have no difficulty with the concept of women bishops or of receiving their ministry if it were simply a matter of debate or if it were accepted throughout the Church Catholic but it cannot be for the simple reason that in conscience we remain faithful to Christ's example rather than synodical persuasion. Whatever arguments are advanced in support of the ordination of women they can only be opinions not supported by historical fact. They condemn Jesus as a failure for being a captive of His time in not appointing women Apostles but in an age when there were numerous priestesses, Christ showed us a new way which honoured men and women equally, different but complementary. What is difficult about that?