The Church of England marketing slogan ‘A Church Near You’ carries a wholesome emphasis on proximity. It carries the suggestion that the rites of passage afforded by a parish church are all that anybody could want. It puts the Established Church on the level of a service-station. ‘Nearest is best’ becomes everybody’s choice in such a matter. It may, of course, be that the matter is not that simple. It may be convenient to get petrol at a supermarket along with the weekly shop. When something more than plain convenience is the issue, we are likely to be choosy.
And this is what happens when people choose a church It may be a matter of what provision there is for children and young people. It may be an emphasis on the aspect of the Christian faith that is important. It may be the personality of the vicar, the type of music or even the name of the football team the vicar supports that decides the matter. But choice is unavoidable – and choice is what matters in our society. Consumers may cross a parish or two to get to the church that they favour. Whether their choice falls on ‘a church near you’ may have little to do with it.
The lockdown and a consequent increase in on-line worship has weighted this range of options. When people choose on-line worship, they may look beyond their own parish or customary choice of church. They may join worshippers at Carlisle, Bristol or Nairobi Cathedral. They may choose a church that has no connection with the C of E. That is how it is.
Perhaps it can be said in favour of the Church of England way of doing things that the Established Church offers variety. If one person likes medieval vestments, OK. If another person likes academic credentials, OK. If one person likes plainsong, OK. If another person likes cautious pop, OK. If one person favours a brief homily, OK. If another person likes exhaustive inquiry into the whole counsel of God, OK. With some or all of these elements in mind, would-be worshippers make a choice. Proximity has little to do with it. Except that … except that the slogan ‘A Church Near You’ may be thought of as enticing the indifferent to sample the worship on offer. Unlikely, I should have thought.
EASTWOOD NOVELIST
Eastwood, Nottingham is famous for two things. It is the birthplace of D.H. Lawrence (the trams used to run outside his front-door) and it is the home of the East Midlands dialect, familiar to readers of his novels. All but the tower of St Mary’s church was burnt down in 1963 and the church was rebuilt in a modern style. It has a full progrsamme. Leading the team is David Stevenson.
If you have a comment on this post please send an email to Revd John King at johnc.king@talktalk.net Edited extracts may be published. To forward this to a friend click on the chain icon below.