That dreamy suburb by the Thames, Surbiton, has raised a standard for customer-choice. It may have one of the 100 best railway stations in the country (according to Simon Jenkins). It may once have been home to Dr Barnardo. It may have a notable representative in the House of Commons, Sir Ed Davey. It may have what may well be a uniquely scurrilous website filled by old boys from its defunct grammar school. But all this is small beer. What is really significant about Surbiton is that it points us to the implications of on-line worship.
On-line worship has been a revelation. We have seen our vicars and their teams in a new light. Overnight they have transformed themselves into television personalities. At a moment’s notice they have shown what can be done when churches are shut and close-up worship is banned.
And something else has happened at the same time. Sunday morning viewers have discovered that it is just as easy to join virtual worshippers all over the UK as it is to select the local option. Why worship with your local church in Penzance when you can join worshippers in Sunderland? Why not exercise your customer-choice in matters of religious faith just as you do in matters of food or clothing?
The vicar of St Andrew’s, Surbiton, Robert Stanier, has put the matter in a nut-shell. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that he was formerly a marketing man. He puts his customers (if we can use such a term) in the driving seat. He gives them a choice, saying this is a rough guide to churches in the neighbourhood. See what suits you – and give us a trial along with all the others.
So, he describes the way things are done at St Andrew’s and St Mark’s. ‘We wear vestments and have a robed choir,’ he says and he goes on to suggest that the two churches will suit those who have a questioning faith and are not content with simple answers. The two churches have a liberal Christian outlook. That means they have an inclusive approach to same-sex couples, women bishops and those who have a different understanding of the Bible from that favoured by St A and St M. But beyond the self-exposure is the expectation that the would-be worshipper will choose.
Those who are looking for lengthy 40-minute sustained times of Bible exegesis might well try Christ Church, Surbiton, he suggests. Those who favour something more charismatic might try St George’s, Tolworth. To avoid excessive ceremony and incense Surbiton Hill Methodist church or St Matthew’s parish church might be a good choice.
This is a highly unusual approach. It gives more than a nod to transparency, to the fact that churches have different styles, different tastes. But the effect is good-humoured, down-to-earth and customer-friendly. Unless a prospective worshipper is wedded to the idea that these differences are not up for discussion, that matters are conclusively settled, there is considerable merit in offering newcomers an informed choice about ways of worship on offer in Surbiton.
On-line worship has opened up the possibility of customer-choice for worshippers, and not just in Surbiton. It transcends parish boundaries and suggests new priorities. Things will not be the same again after lockdown.
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