News Archive
Heaton Churches Together: has it a future?
I’ve never really spoken about ecumenical stuff at church before, but tonight affords me the opportunity to articulate some of my own insights, that have been borne out of a variety of experiences of the ecumenical kind. Here are some principles that inform my thinking.• I believe that it is a good thing for Christians of differing traditions to work together. That said, there does need to be some common ground, as there was with J10, and the "Healing on the streets" initiatives of Together in Christ.
• I do see diversity as a positive thing, and appreciate that Christians enjoy worshipping God in different ways.
• It is good to remember that we are seeking the kingdom of God, not an empire called Heaton Baptist Church.
• Clearly, Christians need one another in the task of the great commission. Being a lone ranger is unacceptable to me at church level, as well as at an individual level.
• God is no respecter of denominations, rather his heart is inclined to those who seek him, whether they be Anglican, Pentecostal, Catholic…or even Baptist!
• As the leader of the biggest (and, some might say, strongest) church on Heaton Road, I do feel a responsibility to support and encourage those churches in our immediate community. Jesus said, “To those to whom much is given, much is expected.” But that support does come with caveats:
-- Our partnership must fit with the vision and values we have at HBC;
-- We should be free to choose which churches we partner with;
-- And it is important that leaders at HBC build relationships with other local church leaders (and "secular" leaders), so that ecumenical enterprises originate in relationship and trust rather than out of some misplaced institutionalised sense of prerogative.
So, where do these principles leave us at Heaton? Well, I know the leaders of HCT recognise that much needs to be done to build partnership and engage in mission in innovative ways across the church spectrum. The honest answer is, I don’t know if HCT has a future. I hope it does, and at the moment, I’m investing in it. Ecumenical dialogue requires tenacity, grace, and much wisdom. Here’s a prayer that helps me:
“Lord Jesus, head of the church, free us from partisan ways of doing church. Invade us with your spirit, so that our fears, or our doctrinal dogmatism, or our negative views of one another, do not stop the bold communication of your glorious gospel to the world.”