It is an enormous frustration knowing that the Church of England is, without a doubt, fumbling its biggest opportunity for a congregation revival in a generation.
Just as young people are turning to god and religion in record numbers - amid a much wider desire for identity and finding community - the CoE is still going at 100mph in the wrong direction, towards the twee, Paddington, lanyard class, FBPE, LibDemy identity that already feels so hopelessly out of date.
Meanwhile the few notably right-wing-coded vicars I'm aware of - fewer in the CoE, more within the Catholic church - appear to be lapping up the growth of religiosity among young people.
What makes it worse is that the process to select a new Archbishop of Canterbury has so far taken 118 times longer than the process to elect a new pope, and we all know they are going to pick exactly the wrong sort of outdated person.
Much like most British institutions, the CoE is fatally disconnected from the public. But in many ways it feels more heartbreaking to witness its slide to irrelevance than 'here today, gone tomorrow' political institutions.
With major restructuring, we could deploy a full-size brigade, but sustaining it long-term is another matter. Defence cuts have left us incapable of serious independent operations. It’s a harsh truth - but one that must be faced.
JD Vance’s “random country” comment was wrong & insulting - but not baseless. The UK military has been hollowed out. Once able to deploy an armoured division, we’d now struggle to sustain even a brigade in the field for a year. We are utterly reliant on the US for war fighting.
Just read this from JC Ryle in my morning devotions: “it is one thing to say, “Christ is a saviour.” It is quite another to say, “Christ is my saviour and my Lord.” The devil can say the first. The true Christian alone can say the second.”
This is the best possible news. James is fearless in his anti-woke, free speech stance and they tried to take him down. He’s suffered hugely as his private life has been laid bare. Redemption https://t.co/uciU36pFfq
@johnmilbank3 How on earth can you say that HTB is anti-parish? Complete tosh. They are brilliant at breathing new life into dead/dying churches. Just look at St Peter's Brighton - just about to be sold off and now has 800 worshippers and multiple plants.
@WorvellMichelle Yes. Thats why I apologised in my tweet. I should have said that. But it was all via Facebook and one can make mistakes. It wasn’t the usual recruitment process. Happy to meet if that would help?
I was one of later speakers in an excellent debate on a proposed new 'Conversion Therapy Prohibition (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Bill', being championed by the Lib Dems.
I ended up scrapping my points on how this Bill could poison family life and criminalise parents if they didn't simply affirm gender identity (other speakers had covered that so well). At least it allowed me to rant against the forced marriage of LGB with TQI...
Based Catholic priest! our priests are expected to preach like this 👇
In our politically correct world, we think everyone is going to heaven, do whatever you want…, where does it say that in the Bible? - Fr Mark Goring 🔥