Contending

As evangelicals we are clear that we need to ‘contend for the faith’ – but are we biblical in the way we contend?

By that I mean things such as snide put-downs on Facebook, casual expressions of contempt in online comments – both towards bishops and towards evangelicals of slightly different shades from us who we ought to be seeking to win as allies – and press releases of questionable efficacy.

The problem is that some of these actions are more likely to provoke than prevent the dangers they are aimed at confronting, firstly by alienating fellow evangelicals and potential allies, thus fragmenting the ‘orthodox’ constituency, and secondly by antagonising and angering parts of the church which may not have been well-disposed towards us to begin with.