A QUESTION OF FAITH

With Anthony Thacker, Minister of Burbage Congregational Church HAVE you celebrated someone’s 50th birthday, or golden wedding?

We also celebrate our shared anniversaries, and 2017 has some massive ones, which have changed everything.

Five hundred years ago, the Reformation began, with Martin Luther pressing the medieval church for reform to remove corruption.

Over time, we saw monumental change, with much of northern Europe breaking away from Rome and setting up various forms of Protestant churches, and Roman Catholic life also renewed in face of this challenge.

England’s king, Henry VIII, was first honoured for his defence of the status quo (our coins still say ‘fid def’, ‘defender of the faith’). But he needed to solve dynastic succession, so Henry brought about the ‘Brexit’ of his day, asserting ‘sovereignty’ and the right to run our own laws.

It was hugely controversial. An uprising even threatened to overthrow Henry VIII. And it changed the way both church and state were run.

I serve as a Congregational Minister, and 100 years ago (17 Sept 1917), Constance Coltman was ordained as a Congregational minister, the first woman in a mainstream.

British denomination to be so appointed, women couldn’t even vote then! But 100 years later, women have not only entered major leadership roles in most of the Protestant churches, but also advanced to major leadership posts in national life, including two Prime Ministers.

Change is sometimes challenging, it often takes time. This is true of the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality.

I remember the debates before and after 1967, when older ministers thought they had never met gay people.

In society, homophobia was common. I was a hospital porter in the 1970s, and a fellow porter had just ‘come out’ to me as gay. Five minutes later, another porter sounded off to me that he would like to see gays ‘lined up against a wall and shot’. Such attitudes have changed, but homophobia hasn’t vanished.

In my time as minister I have spoken with and listened to many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and intergendered people, and I doubt if I am unusual.

When the press reports on the Christian connexion, it’s mostly about debates on policies and structures. But I see people. Personal support (however we work through the theology) is vital.

Perhaps it’s parents whose son or daughter has ‘come out’.

Or a church member taking work in a gender reassignment clinic. Or a Christian who now knows their lesbian or gay orientation is not going to disappear – but nor is God!