Living God's Covenant: Exploring the Issues
Some reflections following the conversations at the 2006 Regional Workshops
Cultural mismatches between the Church of England and the Methodist Church are almost all-pervasive and very deep-seated. They include:
1.
- Self-perception of lay and ordained
- The perceptions of each other – lay and ordained
Our feelings of stability and identity arise out of these perceptions. We are insecure without these perceptions and feel deeply threatened if they are questioned.
2.
- The inherently static framework of the Church of England within which certain individuals have autonomy to act, often quite precipitately
- The inherently flexible framework of Methodism which gives the connexion, through Conference, the autonomy to change course radically at will.
3.
- As a consequence of the givenness of the Church of England’s static framework, lay people have only a limited sense of ownership or corporate belonging.
Corporate responsibility has been thrust upon Church of England lay people during the last thirty years for financial reasons, but is alien to their instinctive sense of the Church of England’s mission and vocation.
- As a consequence of the dynamic energy of the connexion expressed through Conference, ‘the people called Methodists’ have a much greater sense of belonging to a missionary community under corporate discipline and invest a great deal in the concept of ‘membership’.
This is very noticeable at the annual meeting of the Methodist ministerial synods where the agenda reflects a strong sense that those present are members of a ‘religious order’, and not just individuals within the order of the presbyterate within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
The Diaconal Order within the Methodist Church even more explicitly displays similar characteristics.
4.
Cultural difference is powerfully related to the ‘overplus’ of meaning which a group of people attaches to the language that is being used, subconsciously supplementing what might theoretically be regarded as its ‘plain meaning’.
Very little human discourse, least of all the language of God, is free from this interpretative element – and a deeper truth is often more accessible when two apparently conflicting assertions, coming from different cultures, are set side by side.
5.
The language of social capital may be relevant:
Strength lies in stable structures that hold it and society together despite differences. No-one is an outsider.
- Methodist C as bridging church
Strength lies in outreach – less adept at holding different strands together.
Thus it can be argued that CofE is inclusive in its structures, Methodists inclusive in their outreach.
Your responses - so far:
The summary of cultural differences makes very clear how desperately each tradition needs the other's gifts in mission and ministry - not necessarily to incorporate them in their own life (although this has been happening in places for at least three decades), but as they share in mission together.
(Tony Dickinson)
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The memory of the Victorian parson who was second only to the Squire or the Lord of the Manor continued at least until the 1950s - does it now in some places? The not-so-well-dressed Methodist minister was closer to his members. And the Anglican might be amazed at the local cobbler preaching in the Methodist church. How much does the memory of the class division play in our culture now?
How much does our lack of knowledge of each other’s denomination affect the way we do or do not work together? (Sue Booth)
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There is a danger of trying identify any particular culture - be it racial, denominational or whatever. There is no such thing as a single Methodist culture. The sooner we accept that (and ditto for other denominations), the better. If we open our eyes and ears, we may both recognise and value diversity. (Look at creation! Can anyone doubt that God loves diversity?) If we are able to achieve this, then we are in a position to recognise inter-group differences and preferences. By all means give examples of "clangers" to alert us - but don't let us fall into the trap of classifying people into groups that are not helpful.
I would hate to think that there were exact clones of my attitudes walking this planet. It is only though variation that we may develop. Long live uniqueness! (Geoff Phillips)*******
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