What is God saying to the Church today?

'What the Spirit is saying to the Church' was the subject of the Ecumenical Study Day held on 17 June 2009 organised by Churches Together in Hertfordshire and held at the University of Herts in Hatfield. About 100 delegates from churches across Herts and Beds attended, to hear speakers from different denominations and walks of life give their perspective on this important subject.

The first speaker was Rev Dr Joel Edwards, formerly head of the Evangelical Alliance, now International Director of Micah Challenge. Micah Challenge UK is a coalition of Christian organisations and churches in Britain, united in their concern to fight global poverty.

The international Micah Challenge movement of churches and Christian agencies seeks to hold governments to account for the promises they made towards the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals, to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

Joel Edwards described how the place of the church in society has changed over the centuries, from a position of great significance and power before the Reformation to one where it is largely sidelined today. The church is now in the position of having to defend Christianity, but he emphasised that this should not be done by diatribe but by dialogue, with Christians being active citizens in society and showing the relevance of their faith to issues which are of concern to everyone.

He said that Christians were often viewed by those outside the church as being preoccupied with matters of interest only to themselves (e.g. homosexuality) whereas Christians should be speaking out about injustice, human trafficking, poverty etc. where those directly affected frequently have no voice. He gave the example of the Jubilee 2000 campaign to clear Third World debt, and the Make Poverty History campaign, and stressed the importance of engaging with the world and governments, seizing opportunities to fight for righteousness for the poor, or working for the environment. Through this, people will understand God's heart and see the gospel in action. We also need to be able to share with the world God's perspective on the big issues of hope, respect, forgiveness, tolerance, diversity etc. The world is confused and looking for answers.

Undergirding all this is our relationship with Jesus, which is the motivation for our actions, impacting society so that everyone benefits.

The theme of Christians taking their faith into the public square and engaging with society was taken up by the next speaker, Prof of Sociology at the Univ of Exeter, Grace Davie. She spoke on 'Religion in Modern Europe' and said that modern Europe, of which Britain is a part, is secular, and religious knowledge low but religious interest is high and this gave opportunities to the church. We have a strong cultural Judeo-Christian heritage, which means that even those with no previous involvement in the church may turn to the church in times of crisis. She gave the example of Jade Goody who married, and was baptised together with her children shortly before she died. For her, and others like her, it was important that the church was there, even though she had not been a regular church attender before this. In fact church attendance has declined considerably over the years as people now attend through choice rather than through obligation. However, some churches are thriving, these include charismatic evangelical churches with firm teaching and an emphasis on experiencing God, also cathedrals for their aesthetic appeal and professionalism in worship.

The arrival of economic migrants to this country has brought religious diversity and Islam has been a catalyst for putting religion on to the public agenda. However, there is significant fear of those of other religions or nationalities, which can only be overcome by personal encounter. The church should be taking a lead in this area.

The last of the main speakers was Fr Mark Woodruff, Secretary of the Society for Ecumenical Studies (affiliated to Churches Together in Britain and Ireland). He emphasised the importance of unity in the church, as it is a command of Christ in John 17. Disunity presents a confusing message to the world, whereas it is important to be clear about what we are proclaiming. He echoed the other speakers' exhortation for the church to be involved in all aspects of life, in order to give God's perspective on current issues. For example, our secular society often majors on vengeance and retribution in the face of injustice, and Christians need to show God's concern for mercy, compassion and patience as well as for justice and righteousness. Many Christians do, of course, try to do this, and he spoke of the disproportionate number of Christians involved in charity work (not just Christian charities) because their faith was a strong motivating factor.

Lively question and answer sessions followed each of these talks, with debate continuing over coffee and lunch. A website link to the proceedings will be posted here if and when available.