#Faith& Theology in Action, #News, #Encouraged Action
Voting for representatives to the Church of England’s General Synod will take place in a few weeks. Ahead of this process, a group called The Alliance has urged the Church of England to remain “rooted in Scripture” and faithful to “its historic teachings and the doctrines passed down to us across the generations”.
The Alliance argues that in the current chaotic world the Christian faith remains the only radical alternative able to transform lives.
Maybe a view few of us would disagree with.
However, the call to “remain rooted in Scripture” raises some very important questions even for non-Anglicans who may have a less liturgical and sacramental view of worship.
In short, the question arises: Where is our spiritual heartland? To what extent do the historical traditions of our respective denominations, together with particular interpretations of aspects of biblical teaching, influence and inform our faith in the twenty-first century?
How do the cultural changes in society which have taken place over the past fifty years affect the way we practice or interpret our faith’s relevance?
It may be one thing to be “rooted in Scripture”, but to what extent might it be appropriate that our understanding of Scripture is open to different perspectives as society changes?
Our interest as financial administrators in these issues is that they can affect current and prospective church members’ beliefs and practices.
There may currently indeed be a feeling of greater affinity with a more traditional conservative view on biblical interpretation and relevance to contemporary life than a more progressive approach.
#Church Life & Community, #Opinion, #Information Only
In many respects, the issue raised in the previous piece regarding the importance of biblical interpretation in our churches leads on to the question: To what extent do different denominational perspectives influence our “life of faith”?
This question was prompted by a recent study, Understanding UK Evangelicals, published by the Evangelical Alliance, which concluded that evangelicals are “younger, more ethnically diverse, and more likely to be male than the wider population”. Additional statistics appear to reveal that this particular approach to matters of faith is not restricted to one specific denomination.
The report defines practising Christians as people who attend church at least monthly, and who pray and read the Bible independently at least weekly. Within this definition, 64% of practising Christians are Broad Evangelicals. Broad Evangelicals are people who both identify as evangelical and hold evangelical beliefs.
A summary of the key statistics from the report revealed:
What this study appears to reveal is that, notwithstanding broad denominational differences and emphases on such subjects as:
evangelical identity and belief are found across a range of denominations.
It might therefore be suggested that denominational affiliation does not, in itself, determine whether someone identifies with evangelical beliefs and identity.
Expressions of our life of faith may differ depending on the underlying character of a church and its traditions, but there may also be significant areas of shared faith and belief.
#Faith & Theology in Action, #Opinion, #Information Only
500 years ago, William Tyndale produced the first printed English translation of the New Testament in a small print shop in Cologne, Germany. The print shop was subsequently raided, and Tyndale fled with his manuscript.
That manuscript was to become not only the foundation of the English Bible but also the basis for a revolution in the English language, which at the time was in transition.
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation were chaotic. Tyndale’s English bible arguably brought some sense of order and consistency.
The subsequent linguistic fluency of Shakespeare’s writings owes much to Tyndale’s Bible. In fact, it has been stated that without Tyndale’s Bible there would probably have been no Shakespeare, certainly not as we know it now.
Bible Sunday this year is on October 25 and should be a special celebration of the impact of William Tyndale on our faith and language.
That celebration could take several forms and is an opportunity to educate new generations of bible readers through the various resources available.
#Church life & Community, #News, #Information Only
Hiring out church halls for a variety of secular fundraising events has been commonplace for years.
But a relatively recent trend has seen churches, and in particular some cathedrals, being used for “silent discos,” where participants wear headphones through which the music is played, and for other events aimed at fundraising or simply raising awareness of the facilities.
A row has broken out at St Paul’s Cathedral over a proposed plan to hold a series of ‘nightclub’ events. The Cathedral has signed a four-year deal with Fabric nightclub, which plans gigs at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Sandra Lynes Timbrell, the Cathedral’s director of visitor engagement, said she hoped a “carefully curated programme of exceptional concerts” would draw people who had not visited before.
In a totally different context, a Surrey Methodist local preacher and member of the Magic Circle uses her “magical illusions” in her sermons from the pulpit to visually illustrate a parable, for example.
As effective as this may be in communicating a message, it may raise issues of appropriateness in a church context.
The question here is: How sacred are our churches and where are the boundaries when it comes to their use?
Where some may block events on what they would see as clear moral or ethical grounds, others may say these grounds are debatable.
Defining the boundaries in our churches as to what is appropriate and what is not can be contentious, particularly when it comes to outreach and the need for numerical growth in membership or fundraising.
However, the Pauline phrase “by all means save some” (1 Cor 9:22) does spring to mind.
#Church Life & Community, #Opinion, #Encouraged Action
Finding and retaining committed church leaders with the appropriate skills is never easy.
Most church members are content to leave leadership to others for a variety of reasons:
One of the main inhibitors to ‘would be’ church leaders can be the perception that the detailed responsibilities which go with leadership are basically undertaken by a few willing souls.
Furthermore, it is frequently the case that identifying and recruiting leaders is left to perhaps whoever chairs the church governing body.
The Autumn edition of Baptists Together highlights this issue, emphasising that: “Raising up leaders is a shared responsibility.”
That being the case, it is also important that all the varied aspects and responsibilities of church leadership are shared among those who are called to serve in this way.
As we are all too aware, ultimate responsibility for governance and management typically rests with the church governing body.
Shared leadership and the delegation or distribution of authority enable the governing body to function more effectively for the following reasons:
So, reflecting on your church governing body, the question is: How far are issues of member succession and continuing governance responsibilities shared?
#Finance & Fundraising, #News, #Information Only
An issue which has been causing concern among charities and churches for some time is the practice of de-banking.
A cross-party parliamentary motion highlights a range of challenges reported by charities.
MPs are calling for urgent action to improve banking services for charities amid growing concerns that account restrictions, compliance requirements and onboarding delays are placing unnecessary strain on organisations across the sector.
Next week, the Association of Independent Examiners will host a webinar: Debanking and How to avoid it.
Presenter: Stuart Davis FCMA CGMA (Stuart Davis Associates UK Ltd)
The event is delivered online on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 12:30 – 13:30 via Zoom
Tickets: Member: £30/Non-Member: £50
#Charity Governance & Regulation, #News, #Encouraged Action
The annual ACAT conference, being held this year in Bristol, is less than four weeks away.
As always, it promises to be a not-to-be-missed event.
Whether you are a new treasurer, financial administrator, and/or member of your governing body, or have been involved in the leadership and management of your church for a number of years, there will be something to stimulate your thinking.
It’s not too late to book a place, and Bristol is a fascinating city to visit. If, however, attending in person is not possible, there is always the live stream.
For further details, including the programme and speaker/workshop details, please use the link below to access the website.
#Charity Governance & Regulation, #News, #Encouraged Action
The ACAT autumn training programme is now available, with details on the website. In summary, the subjects to be covered are:
October
November
Excellent refresher courses even for experienced church treasurers, and essential for anyone new to the role.
