February 12, 2009

Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent London Times

Anglicans were commanded to ³go forth and evangelise² yesterday in a dramatic assertion of missionary fervour that could jeopardise carefully built-up relations with Muslims, Jews and other faiths.

The established Church of England put decades of liberal-inspired political correctness behind it in a move that led one bishop to condemn in anger the ³evangelistic rants².

For Muslims, to convert to another religion is condemned as apostasy.

The Church¹s General Synod, meeting in London, overwhelmingly backed a motion to force its bishops to report on their ³understanding of the uniqueness of Christ in Britain¹s multifaith society² and offer guidance in sharing ³the gospel of salvation² with people of other faiths and none.

The move echoes 19th-century missions to Britain¹s overseas colonies, with the difference being that modern-day evangelicals want to be mandated to carry out these missions on home turf.

The Rev Nezlin Sterling, who represents the black-led churches and is a minister in the New Testament Assembly, said that the marginalisation of Christianity was proceeding at a rapid rate, with further examples reported every day.

She said that the churches were so anxious to be politically correct that they were in danger of forgetting their mission. ³We have positioned ourselves like the disciples did immediately after the death of Christ, behind closed doors, paralysed with fear of the world.²

Evangelisation should be a priority, she said. ³Every person in my mind is a potential convert.²

The move was proposed by Paul Eddy, a lay member from the Winchester diocese, who said that he was aware of the religious and cultural tensions in many parishes in England. He also understood ³the distress that talk of the historic Crusades can evoke² and that, to some, sharing the Christian gospel equates to sharing the ³values of the West².

He quoted Mahatma Gandhi¹s advice to British missionaries to India: ³I would suggest first of all that all of you Christians, missionaries and all, begin to live more like Jesus Christ. Second, practise your religion without adulterating or toning it down.²

He said that the uniqueness of Christ must not be compromised by Anglicans. ³It does no harm for the Church to re-state its beliefs time and time again and then to go further ‹ in this case commending good practice in making that belief known.²

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5711595.ece