George Verwer through the decades: an appreciation
David Baker
Date posted: 1 May 2023
The impact of George Verwer, the mission pioneer who has just died (see obituary here), was so extensive that for me, as with many others, he has seemed like a constant influence, even though we never met.
My first encounter with his work was when one of the OM ships visited Bristol, where we lived, in the 1970s. To a small boy, the idea of Christians voyaging round the world giving out books seemed an exotic, alluring and rather exciting one, and I still remember the smiles of those serving on the ship.
Fight or flight?
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Mar 2019
There are two schools of thought about the
way forward for evangelicals in the Church
of England at the moment.
The first school of thought is what might
be called the ‘into the lifeboats’ approach.
This ‘boats’ view believes the CofE is lost.
Those who think otherwise, it is implied, are
wasting their time. People should be planning
to leave – perhaps to the Anglican Mission
in England (AMiE) or the Free Church of
England; furthermore, to put any energy into
other strategies is merely to repeat the same
failed actions of the last 50 years, it is argued.
If we keep on with the same tactics we will
merely replicate the same results.
20/20 vision for 2020?
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Jan 2019
As we look back on 2018 and forward to 2019 – and beyond – where are Anglican evangelicals in relation to the wider CofE ?
Here are some things I think we can be thankful for and encouraged by from 2018.
Evangelical options
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Jul 2017
Let’s consider some possible futures for Anglican evangelicals concerned about the Church of England.
Option 1: Remain and resist
This is the strategy from Lee Gatiss of Church Society, Bishop Rod Thomas and many others. In this view, the battle is not lost. As I write, the next bishops’ report on marriage and sexuality is awaited. Southwell bishop Paul Williams – who spoke at a Proclamation Trust conference a few years ago – says: ‘Whatever some would like to claim, the Church of England is and remains faithful to the teaching of Scripture on these matters…’ The new document ‘will be deeply rooted in and faithful to Scripture,’ he claims.
What we need now
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Nov 2016
Unless the Lord builds the house, Psalm
127 tells us, its builders labour in vain.
In September’s en I wrote about how we
Anglican evangelicals need a biblical theology of unity and separation, which we seem to
lack. Theology is always practical of course –
for it is about how we follow Jesus. So this
month I want to write about another theological essential for our current situation,
and that is humility.
Effective or defective?
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Nov 2015
Almost 450 church leaders met together for
the 2015 ReNew Conference at Chesford
Grange – the third conference that Anglican
Mission in England (AMiE), Church Society,
and Reform had organised together with the
purpose of encouraging church leaders to
pioneer, establish, and secure healthy local
Anglican churches throughout England.
Although I had hoped to attend, I was not
able to, so am grateful to Brian O'Donoghue
of St Helen’s Bishopsgate for most of the following report. In his chairman’s address,
William Taylor of St Helen’s outlined the
history, necessity, and strategy of ReNew and
introduced this year’s theme - ‘Shoulder to
Shoulder; partnering
together
in mission
and ministry’. He stressed the need for interdependence – in prayer, people, and finance.
Clear as mud
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Mar 2015
Recently someone discovered and posted on Facebook a list entitled A Short Guide to the Duties of Church Membership issued at the requests of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Here it is:
1. To follow the example of Christ in home and daily life and to bear witness to him.
Anglicans discipline liberals
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Apr 2005
The meeting in mid-February in Newry, Northern Ireland, attended by 35 of the 38 top bishops from across the globe, asked the US and Canadian churches to ‘voluntarily withdraw’ from a key ecclesiastical body for the next three years and to ‘consider their place in the Anglican communion’.
Some orthodox leaders had wanted tougher action to be taken, but the primates were advised by lawyers that there was no legal process by which any of the Anglican Communion’s 38 provinces could be suspended.
NEAC: Anglicans stand firm
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Nov 2003
Hundreds of delegates at a landmark gathering of Anglican evangelicals have been challenged to renew their passion for the essentials of evangelical belief - and to trust one another more.
Around 2,000 people, including about 30 bishops from Britain and abroad, attended the Fourth National Evangelical Anglican Conference (NEAC4) in Blackpool over five days to hear dozens of speakers focus on the theme 'Bible, Cross and Mission'.
A radical ministry of principled pragmatism
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Oct 1999
Is Vaughan Roberts a theological liberal? Certainly some may have been tempted to ask the question after he wrote an article in a theological magazine critical of the UCCF basis of faith. Then there is the fact that his views were slated by noted American evangelical Don Carson in his book The Gagging of God.
Just as well then, that Evangelicals Now sent me to interview the other Vaughan Roberts. For there are two people called the Rev. Vaughan Roberts, both clergymen, but with somewhat differing theology.
Doing the impossible
David Baker
Date posted: 1 Mar 1999
Ask yourself where the toughest mission fields of the 20th century have been, and you might well think of various distant foreign locations.
But while many of your guesses might be correct, you could easily overlook one of the hardest areas of gospel endeavour in Britain over the last 50 years - and you might be surprised by its location: the world of England's top public schoolboys.
Anglicans 2020: vision, doom or muddle?
As we look ahead to the coming year, what may happen?
According to American pastor F. Kenton Beshore, the second coming of Jesus will be between 2018 and 2028, with the Rapture by 2021 at the latest. Well, who knows? Maybe F. (as I affectionately call him for short) will be proved right. Or maybe not. F. reckons it’s all got to kick off within a generation of the founding of modern Israel in 1948, with a generation being 70-80 years. He’s not one for vagueness, our F. He’s not Church of England.