The Time to INSIDE Doctor check and your CS Lewis, Vitamin D p9 p13 THE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 No: 6204 www.churchnewspaper.com PRICE £1.35 1,70j US$2.20 CHURCH OF ENGLAND THE ORIGINAL CHURCH NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHED IN 1828 NEWSPAPER Church urged to evangelise By Amaris Cole ing of the Bishops, Archbish- proud of, because they are not ops’ Council or PCCs out of suitable for much of their con- THE ARCHBISHOP of York order, adding this is not about gregations who have received a stressed the importance of saying: “Here I am Lord – but limited education. evangelism in the life of the send my brother or sister!” He also spoke of new church Church when he took part in This paper is not about ‘wal- plants: “It puzzles me how the a debate on the subject at lowing in discussions about the majority of new church planters General Synod on Tuesday. inadequacy of the Doctrine of go for areas where the fruit is The Most Rev Dr John Senta- Salvation’ or some other doc- hanging low.” mu said that the subject of evan- trine, and supporting the A vital priority for this task gelism was ‘nearer to my heart motion will signal a lasting cul- group must be why this is so, than any other’. ture of change, and a fresh com- he stressed, asking for contex- Next to worship, witness is the mitment to make Christ known tually appropriate evangelistic primary and urgent task of the in this generation, Archbishop models and techniques, while Church, he said. Sentamu promised. not losing hold of the emphases “Compared with evangelism, The Task Group will be to transform not just individual everything else is like re- ‘made up of people with a lives but whole communities. arranging furniture when the proven record for making disci- Zahida Mallard, who spoke as house is on fire,” the Archbish- ples’, he said, including mem- a first generation convert, op went on, admittihat not bers of the Church Army. spoke of her dismay at speaker every Christian was an evangel- He closed with the ultima- after speaker talking about the ist, but urging all to be a wit- tum: “Evangelise or fossilise!” great commission. ness. Father Philip North stood to “We are part of the community The motion sought to sup- support the motion. that makes up the Church of port the formation of an Arch- “I am a huge enthusiast of England,” she said, “We need to bishops’ Task Group on this paper, which is outstand- be part of the cultural change.” Evangelism, with the first prior- ing,” he began. “Those who come to faith need ity of this group being a new But he had a question for the to be involved with growing and call to prayer, and then forming group to work on when it was supporting Christ-like commu- a seven-discipline programme formed, asking: “Why is our nities,” she concluded. of discipleship. evangelism failing the poor?” One Twitter user suggested The Archbishop told the Father North spoke of how that asking the General Synod Chair he must rule any member many inner urban clergy found to approve this open, flexible who stood in opposition to the they cannot use new literature, Rev Dr John Sentamu debate to suggest just a meet- which the rest of the Church is Continued on page 6 Archbishop defends political involvement “THE COMMON GOOD of the commu- In a speech that set out the basis on point to injustice and to challenge others to Temple – ‘close friends’- in the creation of nity and justice are absolutely central which the Archbishop seeks to intervene in join us in righting it,” he announced. the post-war welfare state. to what it means to be a Christian,” political debates, he drew a distinction While accepting that there are many He suggested the post-war reforms with Archbishop Justin Welby claimed in a between party politics as a ‘mechanism we Christians who are deeply engaged in party their interweaving of the influence of keynote address to the Church Urban use as a society to make decisions about politics and describing this as an ‘important Christian and secular thinkers showed that Fund’s ‘Tackling Poverty Together’ who governs’ and politics in a general task’, the Archbishop described politics in the concept of a purely secular society does conference. sense as ‘the art and science of securing general as ‘something from which none of not work. When the church spoke out on such the common good of the community us should seek to escape participation – if “Our history has too many strands, some issues as money and credit unions or the through government’. we respond to the nature of God’. Christian, some based on other convic- rising cost of energy it was told to stick to He argued that when churches work to The Archbishop praised the role of the tions, which are woven into the way we God but the Archbishop pointed out that secure human flourishing this is politics in Church Urban Fund in making a ‘tangible think and the way we act – into our ethics. ‘loving God and loving our neighbour go the general sense but not party politics. difference in local communities where it Our structures of understanding cannot be together like the warp and woof of a piece “We have responsibilities to speak, even really matters’ and drew attention to the picked apart into secular and spiritual, and of fabric.’ when it might be easier to stay quiet, to role played by Beveridge, Tawney and the latter discarded.” PETER MULLEN 7 • COMMENT 7 • LETTERS 8 • ANDREW CAREY 10 • CLERGY MOVES 14 • NEW WINE 15 • PAUL RICHARDSON 16 2 www.churchnewspaper.com Friday November 22, 2013 News Inside... Tesco removes provocative ads The original Church newspaper UK News . .1-4 World News . .5 after priest lodges complaint Comment By Cait Flynn down and will be reviewing our guide- Anglican Life . .6 lines.” Leader . .7 TESCO HAS removed adverts on bus Ms MacLaren went on, however, to Peter Mullen . .7 shelters after an open letter filed by write, “Quite apart from making me shiver Letters . .8 the Rev Clare MacLaren complained just to look at her, in this chilly weather, Dr Who anniversary . .9 about the images of scantily dressed these adverts are completely culturally Andrew Carey . .10 women appearing outside local pri- insensitive. Ours is a majority Muslim Whispering Gallery . .10 mary schools, churches and mosques. community, where Christians and Mus- Films . .11 Ms MacLaren, the Priest-in-Charge at St lims live and work happily and respectfully Books . .11 Martin and St Barnabas Church, Bradford, together. Janey Lee Grace . .13 wrote: “within a quarter of a mile radius, “Both Christians and Muslims believe there are seven larger-than-life images of a that it is right for men and women to dress young white woman wearing nothing but a with modesty in public - and would certain- The Record bra, pants and fishnet tights. Several are ly not be seen at a bus stop in their under- Classifieds . .12 - 13 right outside St Martin’s Church, Heaton wear - so why should we have this image Clergy Moves . .14 Primary School and our local Mosque.” inflicted on us?” Crossword . .14 Following her protest five of the seven Recently much fuss has been made Spiritual Director . .15 adverts have subsequently been removed. about the social acceptability of niqabs, Sunday Service . .15 A representative from Tesco responded hijabs and burqas and Ms MacLaren Anglican Life . .15 to the complaints: “We always try take into hopes to prompt a discussion about the Paul Richardson . .16 account any sensitivities when we put up lack of outrage from the immodesty pasted People . .16 posters and are very sorry that on this on billboards across the city: “Perhaps it’s Milestones . .16 occasion the location of these adverts has time that voices were heard in objection to Next week’s news . .16 caused offence. We are taking the posters the opposite extreme.” Church Winchester Cathedral Your News from your diocese to host Tavener funeral THE FUNERAL SERVICE of Sir John Tavener, the musi- cian who died on 12 November in Dorset, is to take place Southwell and Nottingham: Archbishop Bernard in Winchester Cathedral on 28 November. A notice placed Ntahoturi of Burundi recently visited the Diocese of in The Times said that applications for tickets could be Southwell and Nottingham to meet the Rt Revd Paul made through Emma Law (emma.law@winchester-cathe- Butler, the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, as dral.org.uk) with the deadline 9.00am on Monday 25 well as MP’s, church members and students to exam- November. ine the work of Bishop Paul since his visit to Burundi Tavener was brought up in the Presbyterian Church and was earlier in the year, and to discuss a link between appointed organist at the Presbyterian Church in Kensington at Gedling Deanery and the Archbishop’s own Diocese the age of 15 and played regularly there until the 1970s. of Matana. “It was terrific to be able to hand Arch- He was well known for his religious works and converted to bishop Bernard the first copy of the joint report from Orthodoxy in 1977, after which Orthodox liturgy and spirituality the Parliamentary and Church group visit to Rwanda became a majoR influence on his music. He wrote a setting foR the and Burundi this summer,” said Bishop Paul. The Divine Liturgy of St Chrysostom, the main Eucharistic service bishop and his fellow Parliamentarians are working used by the Orthodox Church.