Category Archives: Church of England

The Ugly Truth Exposed

In response to the CCJ Statement, I welcome the news from Surrey police and CPS that, having “carried out a thorough and extensive review of the material in question” they have concluded that “no criminal offences have been committed. The matter has now been closed and no further action is being taken,” a conclusion which will come as no surprise to those who know and work with me.

My support for a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, based on international law and recognised borders, achieved by peaceful and democratic means, has unfortunately left me open to what can only be described as an unbalanced and targeted campaign from certain quarters, a situation which is deeply regrettable.

I care passionately about the safety of the Jewish people. I repudiate racism, anti-Semitism as well as Islamophobia. I would not have posted a link to a website I knew to be anti-Semitic. Having consulted a number of Jewish friends, I now keep a small list of websites to avoid in future. I will be more careful about the origin of material I post on my blog and Facebook, and welcome opportunities for discussion with members of the Jewish community to move forwards in a spirit of mutual respect.

Imagine a Church where…

Christ Church Annual Church Meeting: 1st April 2012

May I invite you to put your hand up. Now please take it down if you joined Christ Church in 2012. Welcome to Christ Church! Put your hand down if you joined in 2011. Thank you. 2010? 2009? 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997? You were here when Joanna and I arrived. Well done. For those who were here cast your mind back. For those who have joined since, imagine…

Imagine. Imagine if you walked into Christ Church on Sunday 1st April 1997 what would you have experienced? First of all, you would have entered via the long corridor and in through the tower doors. If the weather had been warm you might even have entered by the tower steps. The white divider would have been closed and the seats would have been in rows facing the chancel. The curtain and cross covered the Ten Commandments and Lords Prayer. The Communion Table was in the middle of the podium with two seats on either side. A wooden lectern stood in front of the table and behind a communion rail. To the right in the transept you would have seen a robed choir and to the left our organist playing. You would have found a Morning Prayer order of service card and hymn book in the pocket in front of you as well as a Bible. There was a large kneeler on a rack under the seat in front of you. And I would have been wearing a clerical collar and robes.

Continue reading →

Christianity Explored Launch in Burundi

This week, Craig Dyer (training director of Christianity Explored), Jim McAnlis (of Fields of Life and East Africa coordinator of Christianity Explored) and I are in Burundi to launch the new Kirundi translation of Christianity Explored.

CE is a popular ten week evangelistic course, based entirely on Mark’s gospel which includes talks, group Bible discussion and personal reflection. Now available in more than 20 languages and being used in more than 70 countries, CE is designed to help participants answer three simple questions around which Mark’s gospel is structured: Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus come? What is his claim on my life? It is literally a walk through Mark’s gospel to explain, through the teaching, the miracles, the death and resurrection of Jesus, the incredible claim made in the very first verse, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1).

The course is also designed to help give church members confidence in the Word of God and learn how to share their faith as well as train new church leaders. The strategy is to train hundreds to equip thousands to reach millions. CE is distinctive among other similar courses because it simply allows the gospel to teach the gospel.

This is the fourth year we have visited East Africa to train pastors and clergy to use Christianity Explored. In previous years we have held conferences at Carlisle College in Nairobi, Kenya, at Kiwoko Bible Week, and for clergy in Luwero and Masindi Dioceses in Uganda. Working closely with the Anglican Bishops, Pentecostal leaders, the Uganda Bible Society, Kiwoko Hospital and Fields of Life, we have launched translations in Luganda and Swahili and trained several thousand clergy to use the course. It is estimated that tens of thousands have completed the course in Uganda and we know of new churches that have been planted as a result.

At the invitation of the Anglican Archbishop of Burundi, the Right Revd Bernard Ntahoturi, this week we visited Matana Cathedral and trained about 70 of his clergy to use the course. In Makamba Diocese, with the blessing of Bishop Martin Blaise Nyaboho, the Diocesan centre hosted a similar conference for over 200 pastors and clergy from 35 different denominations. This was the first time many of them had experienced a small group bible discussion. They discovered the value of group study to personalise, compliment, reinforce and apply Biblical teaching.

Returning to Bujumbura, through the beautiful mountain scenery of Burundi, we stopped by the shores of Lake Tanganyika at the large stone making the place where in 1874, Livingstone, coming from the coast of Tanzania, met Stanley coming from the Congo.

The world has changed dramatically in the last 140 years, but the heart of the human problem remains the problem of the human heart. Transcending the barriers of language and culture, people are discovering through CE and the teaching of Jesus, that we are more sinful that we ever realised but more loved that we ever dreamed.

Anglican Mission in England (AMiE)

NEW ANGLICAN MISSION SOCIETY ANNOUNCED

The Anglican Mission in England (AMIE) held its inaugural event on Wednesday June 22 during an evangelical ministers’ conference in central London.

AMIE has been established as a society within the Church of England dedicated to the conversion of England and biblical church planting. There is a steering committee and a panel of bishops. The bishops aim to provide effective oversight in collaboration with senior clergy.

The AMIE has been encouraged in this development by the Primates’ Council of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (GAFCON) who said in a communiqué from Nairobi in May 2011: “We remain convinced that from within the Provinces which we represent there are creative ways by which we can support those who have been alienated so that they can remain within the Anglican family.”

The AMIE is determined to remain within the Church of England. The desire of those who identify with the society is to have an effective structure which enables them to remain in the Church of England and work as closely as possible with its institutions. Churches or individuals may join or affiliate themselves with the AMIE for a variety of reasons. Some may be churches in impaired communion with their diocesan bishop who require oversight. Others may be in good relations with their bishop but wish to identify with and support others.

At the London conference three English clergy who have been ordained in Kenya for “ministry in the wider Anglican Communion” with the support of the GAFCON Prımates’ Councıl were welcomed and prayed with by bishops and church leaders in support of their ministry.

The launch of AMIE follows four and a half years of discussions with senior Anglican leaders in England about ways in which those who are genuinely in need of effective orthodox oversight in the Church of England can receive it.

The AMIE will continue to encourage church planting and all forms of Christian witness in accord with the Jerusalem Statement of the GAFCON Conference in June 2008.

Charles Raven writes,

“The AMiE is not only committed to adventurous church planting and the re-conversion of England, but is also prepared to provide alternative episcopal oversight in cases where it is clear that diocesan bishops are failing in their canonical duty to uphold sound teaching. The key institutional innovation is a panel of bishops formed by Bishops Michael Nazir Ali, John Ball, Colin Bazley, Wallace Benn and John Ellison which enjoys the support and encouragement of the GAFCON Primates’ Council.”

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: 21st-30th October 2011

A comprehensive 10-day Pilgrimage based in Jerusalem and the Galilee in Half Term, 21st-30th October 2011.

In the Middle East, the reality on the ground is often far removed from what we see and read in the news. Places of pilgrimage are open and welcoming visitors. We have planned our programme for late October during the half-term holidays, which is considered to be a lovely time to visit the Holy Land. We will have the opportunity to worship with the local Christian community in Jerusalem on the Sunday morning and on our journey through the Holy Land to seek them out and to offer our support and encouragement.

Visits will include Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea and Qumran, as well as allowing free time for relaxation and private exploration. We will walk along the Via Dolorosa, sail on the Sea of Galilee, float on the Dead Sea and ascend the Mount of Masada by cable car. The Holy Land is unique in offering so many highlights and contrasts in such a compact area. Each day of our pilgrimage will be very different from the previous one.

The pilgrimage will include opportunities to meet with the Living Stones, the indigenous Christians of the Holy Land, as well as Jewish and Muslim peacemakers. We hope to meet with ICAHD (Israel Committee Against House Demolitions) or World Vision. We will also encounter the Separation Wall and possibly a Jewish settlement, a Palestinian refugee camp and staff of the Bethlehem Arab Rehabilitation Centre in Beit Jala.

We stay in two family owned and managed hotels. In Jerusalem, the three star Golden Walls Hotel overlooks the Old City walls and is walking distance of the Holy Sepulchre. In Tiberias, we stay at the four star Ron Beach Hotel in a wonderful situation right on the lakeside. The tour is on a half-board basis with buffet breakfast and table d’hote evening meal included daily. Touring is in air-conditioned coaches and we will be accompanied by a local guide who will share leadership responsibilities and look after the formalities of hotel check-ins etc. All entrance fees are included. Flights are with EL AL Israel Airlines between Luton Airport and Tel Aviv and returning from Tel Aviv into London Heathrow.

For more information download the brochure from here If you have any questions please contact Stephen

How to Receive Communion Faithfully

Receiving Holy Communion Faithfully from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The Privilege of Church Membership: Receiving Communion Faithfully
(1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

Whenever I travel abroad I empty my wallet of all my extraneous plastic – there’s my Boots Advantage card, my Tesco Club card, Shell garage card and Nectar ‘you deserve it’ loyalty card, my Starbucks card, Costa Coffee Club card, my Caffe Nero card, my Halifax Ultimate Reward Card, Automobile Association card, Dry Cleaners loyalty card and of course, my Wentworth Club card.

Into my wallet depending on who gave me the best flight deal, goes my British Airways Executive Card, my American Airlines, Delta or United Airline card, and of course my Passport.

We are probably all members of one or more club, trade union, professional association, community group, society or charity. Membership is important. It gives a sense of belonging.

What you may not realise however is that ‘Membership’ is actually a Christian word. In Paul’s letter to the Romans he writes, “in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:5). That means ‘the Church’ is the oldest and largest club in Britain. Continue reading →

Women in Episcopacy: Runnymede Synod Calls for Legal Protection for Traditionalists

Supporters of Women Bishops failed to win a majority following last night’s Runnymede Deanery Synod debate.

The motion “Runnymede Deanery encourages Guildford Diocesan Synod to approve the proposals embodied in the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure and in draft Amending Canon number 30” failed to win a majority (12 for, 12 against and 2 abstentions).

A Following Motion calling for legal protection for traditionalists won a majority (14 in favour, 11 against and 1 abstention). Advocated by the Church of England Evangelical Council the Following Motion stated:

This synod:

Desires that all faithful Anglicans remain and thrive together in the Church of England; and therefore
Calls upon the House of Bishops to bring forward amendments to the draft Bishops and Priests (Consecration and Ordination of Women) Measure to ensure that those unable on theological grounds to accept the ministry of women bishops are able to receive episcopal oversight from a bishop with authority (ie ordinary jurisdiction) conferred by the Measure rather than by delegation from a Diocesan Bishop.

Guildford Diocese will decide its response in June.

You can view my Power Point presentation here or in PowerPoint 2007 here) and listen to an audio recording here.

I commend this article in the Guardian by Rob Thomas of REFORM.

The news from Synod is that the Church of England may begin to consecrate women bishops in the next few years, with little provision for those who feel less comfortable with the idea. While this can be portrayed as a victory for equality, the position of traditionalists is simply that the draft measure (pdf) as it stands doesn’t provide for a secure future for us in the Church of England, a future that was promised in 1993 but now appears to have been rescinded.

Our problem with women bishops is not to do with equality, but theology. In the case of conservative evangelicals, we believe that the Bible recommends a particular order in the church which allows us to bear witness to the wider world about something that is true of God.

The Bible insists on the absolute equality of men and women, but gives them different functions in the church, so that men can show leadership through self-sacrifice and thus reveal the character of God, and women can demonstrate Christian discipleship to the wider church, thus helping us all follow Christ better.

These are theological issues, not ones to do with justice or fairness. If we are to continue to be able to demonstrate these different functions within the church, we need to be able to do that via legislation. A code of practice such as the one now proposed cannot be enough, because its provisions are not binding. They only have to be taken into account. This means that it would for the future women bishops themselves to decide how much security to provide for traditionalists. That cannot be a satisfactory solution to the problem.

Experience of what has happened in Canada and the US shows that over time, people become less and less tolerant of traditionalist positions. That is why a clear statutory provision needs to be made, not the half-baked, half-hearted approach that the draft measure currently contains.

Read the whole article here

In the words of Dr Ann Young:

During the past 3 years, I – like many of you and many others in the church – have had to ask myself ‘am I opposed to this because of habit or perversity or reluctance to change?’

If the leadership role of men rested only on one or two verses in the letters of St Paul, then I might be convinced that it was a practice for that time, but not binding us now. However, that is not the case. As I read it, the consistent teaching of Scripture is that men have the responsibility under God to take these roles. It was so in the Old Testament times, with a few rare exceptions. There is no doubt that Jesus gave new and unheard dignity to women, and they were key supporters of his ministry. Yet he did not appoint any women as disciples. Was this just because it would have gone against the demands of social norms. The Holy Spirit ‘brought to mind all that Jesus had taught’. Yet the apostles led by Him chose no women, only men, to fill the leadership roles in those decades of the church.

I will vote against the principle canon. I cannot set aside my conviction

That Jesus Christ established His church on a pattern that is eternal,

That the Bible plainly places the responsibility for leadership of God’s people on men,

And that the Holy Spirit’s guidance has maintained and continues to maintain the church according to the will of God.

If the canon passes, it becomes less to do with theology and more to do with practicality and the weight we give to tradition. Whether the canon passes or not, we will need to show one another respect and care if we are to honour God rather than act as a group engaged in political debate.

Radical Conservatives: 21st Century Evangelicals in the UK

During 2011, at Christ Church we are reading, reflecting upon and applying the biblical principles highlighted in John Stott’s book The Living Church: Convictions of a lifelong pastor. In the foreword, he compares and contrasts two kinds of churches, ‘traditional’ and ’emerging’.

It seems to me that traditional and ‘emerging’ churches need to listen attentively to one another, with a view to learning from one another. The former must recognize that much of what we recognize as traditional today was itself once revolutionary and even ‘emerging’, and therefore be open to today’s creative thinking. The latter should be wary of loving newness for newness’ sake. We both could afford to be less suspicious, less dismissive of one another, and more respectful and open. For, as Archbishop Rowan Williams has written, ‘there are many ways in which the reality of ‘‘church’’ can exist’. Nevertheless, it has certain essential marks which will always characterize an authentic and living church.

John Stott insists we need churches that combine the best of both strands, in his words, “more ‘R.C.’ churches” – that is Radical Conservative churches –

‘conservative’ in the sense that they conserve what Scripture plainly requires, but ‘radical’ in relation to that combination of tradition and convention which we call ‘culture’. Scripture is unchangeable; culture is not.”

This month, the Evangelical Alliance publish the findings of a survey into the views of 17,000 evangelicals in the UK. It is the most extensive piece of research of its kind ever conducted. Speaking as someone who aspires to be a ‘Radical Conservative’ the results are most heartening. They demonstrate that the kind of Christianity John Stott was calling for as long ago at 1958 in his first book, Basic Christianity – far from being in decline or irrelevant – is setting the pace and the agenda for the Church in Britain and offers the best hope for the conversion of the nation. Here are some of the initial findings:

JESUS: 91% strongly agree that Jesus is the only way to God.
CHURCH: 97% attend a church service at least once a week.
BIBLE: 93% strongly agree that the Bible is the inspired word of God.
PRAYER: 76% pray daily, 95% do so at least a few times a week.
GIVING: 96% have given money to their church in the past year.
MIRACLES: 83% strongly agree miracles did not end in the 1st century.
FAITH: 88% strongly agree their faith is the most important thing in their life.
ENVIRONMENT: 94% believe we have a duty to care for the environment.
ENGAGEMENT: 76% watch, listen or read the news every day.
VOTING: 85% voted in the last General Election.
VOLUNTEERING: 81% do voluntary week every month.
VOICE: 93% believe evangelicals should have a voice in the media and engage with government.

The first report will be available to view online or download from 12th January from the Evangelical Alliance website.

Ruth Dickenson, the New Editor of Christianity Magazine

Ruth Dickenson, Christianity Magazine from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Ruth Dickinson is the new editor of Christianity Magazine. I interviewed her today about what she is looking forward to in her new role. christianitymagazine.co.uk/

Christianity aims to provide news and articles for Christians and those interested in the Christian faith from across the denominational spectrum. Most of its readers are from the evangelical and/or charismatic traditions.

With a current readership of 30,000 Christianity is seen as the UK’s primary non-denominational evangelical magazine.

Youth Pastor

With the appointment of Andy Bruins as co-pastor of Cornerstone Church in Kingston-upon-Thames, we are seeking to appoint a new Youth Pastor from early in 2011.

Click here for a copy of the Job Description

Application Form in Word format (for electronic completion and email return)

Application Form in PDF format (for manual completion and postal return)

For more information, email Stephen or call him on 07970 789549