Archbishop Jensen’s talks shock some, but enthuse many
by Margaret Rodgers
Archbishop Peter Jensen’s argument that, ‘If you want a priest you must pay’ shocked many English listeners who heard his recent UK addresses.
In light of the patronage system in operation in the CofE this strange ‘colonial’ idea seemed farfetched to some. His listeners appeared to think that parishes in lower socio-economic areas would be forced to close under such an arrangement. Yet this has been the situation in Australian Anglican churches since the mid-19th century after the British Home Office cut off financial support for clergy in the then colony.
However, many evangelicals spoke enthusiastically about Archbishop Jensen’s recent tour in England.
“It was a breath of fresh air to hear a church leader who is convinced of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of the efficacy of the Holy Spirit as God’s agent in leading men and women to repentance and faith and enabling them to lead Christ-like lives,” wrote one husband and wife who attended Dr Jensen’s lectures in Exeter.
A clergyman from Sheffield wrote, “I heard Dr Jensen advocate a radical and imaginative approach to church-planting that will enable lost men and women to be reached by the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Evangelism planning not a coup d’etat
These are totally different comments to the media reporting both here and in the UK that suggested the Archbishop was in England bent on concluding an arrangement that would make him the bishop to some 120 dissident Church of England parishes that were uncomfortable with the episcopal oversight of their new Archbishop of Canterbury.
“This suggestion is rubbish, nothing could be further from the truth,” Dr Jensen said on his return. “In November 2001, with the knowledge of the then Archbishop of Canterbury and other English diocesan bishops, I received an invitation from a group of English evangelical Anglican leaders to travel there to speak at a series of regional meetings.”
This was long before Dr Rowan Williams was appointed to succeed George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury. The purpose of the meetings was to stimulate evangelical churches to consider their strategies to impact the regions where they operate.
The chief organiser was the Rev William Taylor, Vicar of St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, a large church in London. “The aim was to strengthen Bible teaching churches and to help think about the challenges of reaching secular Britain with the gospel,” Mr Taylor said. “Peter was not asked in order to kick-start the ecclesiastical equivalent of a coup d’etat [in the Church of England].”
Dr Jensen spoke at eight centres across England to well attended meetings of mainly church leaders, including some bishops.
In his first lecture the Archbishop stressed that evangelicals truly belonged within the Church of England and that their theology has an integrity that must not be lost by compromise. In the second he spoke of western culture that has largely turned its back on Christ, and a church that seems ineffectual to respond. In the third address he outlined the strategies adopted in the Diocese of Sydney.
“The whole aim was to encourage and strengthen evangelicals to work for Christ particularly in their local churches in the fellowship of the Church of England,” Archbishop Jensen said. “They need to know they are part of a worldwide fellowship of evangelicals, and that it is best to stay and to exercise strong leadership in a countrywide network of parishes.”
The Archbishop said he was impressed with the quality of the evangelical leadership particularly amongst those who led the big churches in places such as London, Oxford, Cambridge, Hull and Sheffield.
On the last day of his visit Dr Jensen met for an hour with Archbishop Rowan Williams at Lambeth Palace. They agreed not to discuss details of this meeting with media, but Dr Jensen said their meeting was cordial.
Dr Jensen he spoke with a wide range of other leaders including bishops. He commented there is considerable disquiet and anxiety on a number of fronts, with major financial difficulties ahead for the Church of England and a decline in Church membership that has been unchecked. There is concern about what some of Dr William’s views may mean for the future.
“Yet the number of conservative evangelical ministers and parishes seems to have increased and many of them are growing,” the Archbishop said. “Further there is energetic church planting taking place.”
The complete text of Archbishop Jensen’s lectures can be read here:
>> The Gospel and Mission of Anglican Evangelicalism - January 2003
>> Evangelicalism and Anglicanism Today - January 2003
>> Mission Strategies for Anglican Evangelicals - January 2003
