Archbishop Rowan Williams’ Presidential Address at General Synod

London Sessions, 15-16 November 2005

Wednesday Tuesday 15th November.

Paul writes - I was very encouraged (and wishing I was in England) by several sections of Archbishop Rowan Williams’ presidential address to the Church of England’s General Synod.

·           The COFE is being encouraged to enable “new expressions of the Church’s local life.”

“…Some of our legislative programme is about what could be called a principled and careful loosening of structures to assist the process….

…So if this Synod is going to give the support it should to the continuance of the Mission-Shaped Church agenda, let it be willing to use its imagination about ordained ministry…”

·           The COFE “…is committed to improving theological education for the whole people of God…”

“…Wouldn’t this be one small contribution to being a transforming counter-cultural presence?”

·           The COFE is being encouraged to “increase in the number of candidates for ordination coming from amongst the under thirties.”

“…We are blessed by the readiness of older candidates to come forward and no-one denies their indispensable importance. But there is a challenge to do with how we really speak the language of a different generation, and it’s often been said that we have let slip the priority of encouraging younger people to come and share in the work of ordained ministry. So, let’s take it for granted that part of the new evangelistic initiatives we have taken responsibility for is the effective communicating of the good news to the young; then it makes sense to fill that out further by saying that it should include a challenge to think about the public ordained ministry.

What would happen…If we said that by the end of the next five years we wanted to see a twenty per cent increase in the number of candidates for ordination coming from amongst the under thirties? Numerical targets are risky things, and they may be a way of inviting embarrassment – yet they may also be a way of expressing trust in God. What do you think?”

You can read his full text here

Comments

[Kyle]

Too bad the Anglican powers that be in the States lack the missional mindset and foresight of the C of E. Have you seen or read Mission Shaped Church?

[l]

thank you for site

[Paul Fromont]

Hi Kyle. I certainly have read it. I found it really useful. You'll find it online in it's entirity down the right hand column of this blog under "sites of interest."