Spent the last day and a half at a 'New Wine Ordinands'' conference in Oxford, mainly listening to Bishop Graham Cray talking on vision for the new Church of England. Good stuff, lots of time for what he had to say on renewal and new forms of church.
To Translate (as best I can):
New Wine - movement of churches/christians who are very charismatic and evangelical (in that order).
Their Website
Ordinand - trainee anglican priest.
Charismatic - believe in the Holy Spirit gifting and acting directly in the world today - literal 'signs and wonders'
Evangelical (in this sense) - scripture-based christians, basing everything on their interpretation of the Bible, which they believe is infallible (but open to interpretation).
I have dabbled in the whole charismatic thing, but struggle with fundamental evangelical positions... The whole church badge thing (am I a liberal? a catholic? a post-liberal modernist with charismatic confirmation of catholic foundations?) gets a bit big.
Practical response - people were there mainly from the 3 Oxford colleges:
Wycliffe (charismatic evangelical)Their Website
Cuddesdon (liberal catholic)Their Website
St Stephen's (Staggers!) (anglo-catholic)Their Website
The Wycliffites were quite a solid body - St Aldate's is almost their parish church. They were very dismissive of tradition, would not dream of a curacy in a 'normal' parish.
The Staggers crowd (all 3 of them) were very friendly, all male, and I was impressed they were there at all!
The Cuddesdon mob were a surprise to the church and the organisers. Only one speaker (Jane Morris) was actually abusive over lunch, saying 'what a joke it was' that Cuddesdon people were either evangelicals or at a New Wine conference.
I'm left puzzled on badging and direction. Elements of the New Wine values are perfect, but some aspects are exclusive and some aspects ignore two millenia of history. I suspect by even expressing that one is badged as a God-less (aka non-scriptural/non-spirit filled) liberal. Which I am not.
Need to digest and pray on this one some more!!!
naomimizon
Just read your blog - it's interesting! I hope all goes well in your training for the priesthood! Although a Baptist myself, my Grandfather & Uncle were both CofE vicars! Every blessing.