For 16 days I was in the UK, which for me was a return to Home. As I made visits to friends and family, it was only a matter of time I would find myself in the company of those who want to discuss differences between the US and UK.
On all occasions, it was not out "Common Language" or the usual things that the media like to bring up, but theology. You cannot go to a church or read a newspaper here in the US for long before the theological politics start to appear. There is constant complaining and attacking each other making reference to those who disagree, but especially with reference to Women in Leadership, Gay Marriages, Gay Leaders and sometimes that good old favourite Music!
Welcome to America, that is what they think about all of the time, getting worked up about it. In one church, all Gays are Child Molesters, in another church, if you are not Gay you are not a majority and if you will not 100% declare you public acceptance, then you must be against them! This is not limited to the "Gay Issue". Is this Evangelicals against Conservatives, not always. It is a Mill of hatred that is everywhere. The freedom to disagree is not an option, if you do, you will be "sent to Coventry". Every mainline Denomination in the US has a breakaway element; therefore the Non-Denominational churches are the Mega churches which are the growth churches, maybe here is what needs to be thought about. Mega churches do not really exist in the UK, breakaway churches do really succeed in the UK really. In the end when you talk about the issues there what the US churches talk about, they look at you with the thought: "why are you bothering with such things, we think about child poverty, education, addictions, Homelessness". That is why the Episcopal church in the US are so removed from the Church of England; mainly because the Church of England comprises of two parts; 1. Theology which is limited to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer even if it is quantified in a new format.2. Culture, It is English as you will get.
To challenge the Church of England is to challenge the English themselves and only a total idiot would dare do that!
But this is not limited to Anglicanism or even England. I was privileged to be asked to preach in Wales to some very senior ministers of the Baptist Union of Wales and what was totally apparent was again culture as well as theology and if any US based baptist was to challenge them, the Welsh Dragon would raise its fire breathing head!
So US stop wasting time of theorising ideas that do not affect the majority and learn from the Mother Country and accept difference and do not think you can challenge the land where all this began.
On all occasions, it was not out "Common Language" or the usual things that the media like to bring up, but theology. You cannot go to a church or read a newspaper here in the US for long before the theological politics start to appear. There is constant complaining and attacking each other making reference to those who disagree, but especially with reference to Women in Leadership, Gay Marriages, Gay Leaders and sometimes that good old favourite Music!
Welcome to America, that is what they think about all of the time, getting worked up about it. In one church, all Gays are Child Molesters, in another church, if you are not Gay you are not a majority and if you will not 100% declare you public acceptance, then you must be against them! This is not limited to the "Gay Issue". Is this Evangelicals against Conservatives, not always. It is a Mill of hatred that is everywhere. The freedom to disagree is not an option, if you do, you will be "sent to Coventry". Every mainline Denomination in the US has a breakaway element; therefore the Non-Denominational churches are the Mega churches which are the growth churches, maybe here is what needs to be thought about. Mega churches do not really exist in the UK, breakaway churches do really succeed in the UK really. In the end when you talk about the issues there what the US churches talk about, they look at you with the thought: "why are you bothering with such things, we think about child poverty, education, addictions, Homelessness". That is why the Episcopal church in the US are so removed from the Church of England; mainly because the Church of England comprises of two parts; 1. Theology which is limited to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer even if it is quantified in a new format.2. Culture, It is English as you will get.
To challenge the Church of England is to challenge the English themselves and only a total idiot would dare do that!
But this is not limited to Anglicanism or even England. I was privileged to be asked to preach in Wales to some very senior ministers of the Baptist Union of Wales and what was totally apparent was again culture as well as theology and if any US based baptist was to challenge them, the Welsh Dragon would raise its fire breathing head!
So US stop wasting time of theorising ideas that do not affect the majority and learn from the Mother Country and accept difference and do not think you can challenge the land where all this began.
