Evangelical Anglicans comes in many different guises. Sooner or later we are faced with the question posed decades ago by The Doctor (Martyn Lloyd-Jones of Westminster Chapel) as to whether or not we should leave Anglican structures and join forces with our evangelical friends in non-conformist churches and chapels. There is today intriguingly another possibility to seek episcopal oversight from elsewhere. In the CofE, there is sort of a precedent with flying bishops, sort of.
Lloyd-Jones was answered firmly and robustly by John Stott, Rector of All Souls Langham Place. In rebuffing the Doctor's overtures, Stott, with others, set in process a chain of engagement that has seen evangelicals become quite influential within the Provinces of Canterbury and York.
One of the first 'theological' books I read was a dialogue between Stott and then then Dean of Southwark, David Edwards. It is called Essentials. What marks out the book is not only the inevitable courtesy that they display to each other, inspite of vehement disagreement, but it speaks of an age where difference was embraced and respected.
In our fast moving world which is hyper connected, we appear to have lost the art of cultivating this respect: a 140 character tweet can be used to hector a position rather than investing in time that could allow a relationship to flourish and someone else to be understood and embraced.
We perhaps do not need another Stott, although I still listen to his biblical exposition, but we do need people with the capacity to see people who hold different to them as followers of Christ. We need to hear Stott's call to remain and engage once more, so that we might discern whether this is still what the Spirit is saying to the church. I believe it is.
Unity as well as Truth are fundamental to Christian discipleship.
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