Concerned that the focus on Church matters may not rest on deeper problems

Dear Sir,

‘Rector spends night in Church as he ‘prays himself’ into role’ made an interesting and eyecatching story (The Impartial Reporter, November 10).

However, as a Church of Ireland member, I have become increasingly wary of some trendy or novel attempts to make the Church appear relevant or better able to engage with wider society.

It is hard to predict exactly what a rector sleeping overnight inside their church for a few days will achieve.

The report quotes Rev Mcwhirter: “Very often I would do this between Good Friday and Easter Sunday as a reflection of Jesus being in the tomb.”

In terms of examining the evidence for the resurrection, I would far prefer people (our rectors and bishops included) to spend a few days reading, ‘Your Verdict on the Empty Tomb’, by the late Val Grieve.

The author was a sceptical Oxford Law student, who came to faith when a university friend encouraged him to look at the robust evidences for the resurrection.

The 70 pages of this tiny paperback pack a mighty punch. The Church of the future may need way fewer buildings or clergy, with much greater autonomy being granted to local parishes and their individual members.

The true and invisible Church matters far more than the institutional or so-called earthly Church, soiled by abuse scandals of many kinds and their perpetual cover up.

A trendy liberal elite within the Anglican Church leadership have directed a vast attention to so-called ‘woke’ causes, such as LGBT+ matters.

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But a massive bullying scandal, presently wrecking the Anglican Church, has seen everyday groups (like women and ordination students) bullied and abused.

A Church of England newspaper commented this week on Office of National Statistics figures which show a gigantic drop in Anglican numbers (almost halved) between 2006 to 2021.

I wish Rev. Mcwhirter well in his new Rossorry incumbency, and hope his ‘sit it’ (‘sleep in’) proves positive, but let’s not lose sight of two hard, modern realities for Anglicans.

A 2019 book, ‘Letters to a Broken Church’, leaves us in no doubt about a gigantic concealed bullying and abuse crisis within Anglicanism.

Also, academics speak about ‘plausibility structure’ or how a society dismisses certain ideas as outlandishly silly: not to be taken seriously.

That’s where Val Grieve’s booklet is so helpful in helping orientate modern people to the vast evidence for the credibility of the resurrection story.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. James Hardy,

Belfast