Christians should not feel “embarrassed or awkward” about wanting to
convert others to their faith, according to the two most senior
clerics in the Church of England.

By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent
The Telegraph

June 22, 2010

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York admitted that many are nervous
about sharing their beliefs in a society “fixated on personal choice”,
and that priests had committed “abuses of power” in the past.

But they added that spreading the word of God is not just “marketing
another lifestyle choice” and that even in multi-faith Britain,
followers of other religions want churchgoers to be “upfront” about
their beliefs. In a separate move, the two Archbishops have made a
last-minute attempt to stop the Church splitting over the introduction
of women bishops, by proposing a new class of cleric to cater for
traditionalists.

Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu wrote the foreword to a new
official Church report called Sharing the Gospel of Salvation.

The study was commissioned after General Synod, the governing body of
the Church, called upon senior clergy to spell out “their
understanding of the uniqueness of Christ in multi-faith Britain” amid
fears that they dared not broach the sensitive subject of whether
Christians have a duty to convert Muslims.

In their joint foreword, the Archbishops write: “In a society fixated
on personal choice, it is sometimes, paradoxically, frowned upon to
promote one’s own choices as good for others.

“The stronger sense of difference and diversity – including religious
diversity – in Britain today has challenged us to become a more
generous culture. Sadly, it has also made many nervous of publicly
espousing a vision of the common good for all people.

They admit that “the Church’s history of mission, like all long
histories, has its shadow side” but point out: “Too much reticence is
as untrue to our history and our vocation today as was the cultural
insensitivity of an earlier age.

“If we keep always in mind the central insight that it is not we who
bring others to Christ but God working in them, we can avoid colluding
with the marketing mindset which would paint every evangelist as a
huckster and portray God’s children as ‘targets’ for conversion.”

They admit that the idea of turning people of other faiths towards
Christianity is “contentious” but add: “Conversion must never become a
word of which Christians fight shy. In Christ, old identities are
never the last word and the good is offered for all the world. So
there should be nothing embarrassed or awkward about the Church’s
commitment to draw others to Christ.”

The report admits Christians in Britain did in the past take part in
forced conversion of Jews and that religion was used in “slavery and
colonialism”, but it claims that the Crusades “were never intended to
convert the Muslim world”.

It says a 1945 report, Towards the Conversion of England, now appears
to have come from “another world” as the ethnic and religious make-up
of the country has changed so much in the intervening decades.

The study says it wrong to see the country as a “level playing field”
for competing faiths, as Christianity still has the largest number of
adherents.

It also warns of the “toxic” mix of racism and colonialism in the
British National Party’s appropriation of Christian imagery.

The report says “indifference” towards religion and “atheistic
secularism” are the main threats to Christian mission, but that the
work of chaplains in hospitals and prisons as well as the 5,000 church
schools in the country can help to share the gospel.

However some conservatives were disappointed that it did not tackle
the often difficult experience of Muslims who have converted to
Christianity, nor the threat posed by the strident atheism espoused by
Richard Dawkins and his followers.

The Rev Paul Eddy, whose debate triggered the report, welcomed it but
said more resources were needed to help churches reach out to people
of other faiths.

Meanwhile, the two Archbishops have suggested an amendment to
legislation for introducing women to the episcopate, which would
involve a new type of “nominated bishop”.

These would be appointed by the Church, so they would not be “tainted”
by having been appointed by women bishops, and could provide ministry
to parishes who believe that only men can lead the Church.

Their move, which will be debated at next month’s crucial Synod
meeting in York, has been “warmly welcomed” by traditionalist Anglo-
Catholics but pro-women bishop campaigners are likely to see it as an
unacceptable compromise.

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