" Progressives ...

In England's Green and Pleasant Lands"

Dr. Val Webb
In June 2013, I did a speaking tour of progressive groups in the United Kingdom, arranged by Rev. John Churcher, a Methodist minister and former chair of the Progressive Christian Network in Britain (www.pcnbritain.org.uk) and by Peter Gibson from the Open Christianity network in Ireland (www.ocnireland.com). Groups around the country were informed of my availability over a few weeks and a tour of twelve lectures in sixteen days was organized - Belfast and Dublin in Ireland; Dundee in Scotland; Kendal, Sheffield, Stockport, Harrogate and St. Albans in England; and Barry in Wales. The tour was billed around the updated version of my book In Defence of Doubt: an invitation to adventure (Melbourne: Mosaic Press, 2012) but at some places I also gave presentations on "Talking about God" from my books Like Catching Water in a Net: human attempts to describe the Divine and Stepping out with the Sacred: human attempts to engage the Divine. In each place, Maurice and I were hosted by wonderful progressive members which added so much to our experience. The Belfast meeting was held in St. George's Church of Ireland (Protestant), a progressive city church welcoming of GLBT people. Its non-stipendiary curate Rev. Dr William Odling Smith is a retired surgeon, ordained when the Church of Ireland began ordaining people to work within their secular profession. His wife, Anne, is chair of OCN Ireland. The Dublin meeting was at Taney Parish Church of Ireland (Protestant), chaired by Andrew Furlong, an Anglican priest who, in 2002, was charged with heresy for denying the divinity of Christ, the first heresy trial in one hundred years in the Church of Ireland (Andrew Furlong, Tried for Heresy: a 21st century journey of faith (Hants: O Books, 2003). Numbers at the Dublin meeting were swelled by an advertisement in a Catholic newsletter Women Spirit which brought some younger Catholic women not previously familiar with the progressive group, but very excited with the discussion. It is evident
!" "

that the Catholic-Protestant divide still underscores most things in Ireland, adding an extra context to the role of the progressive movement there. In Dundee, Scotland, Angela Smith, current chair of the Progressive Christian Network in Britain, organized two gatherings in the downtown West Dundee Parish hall (Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland), one of few progressive churches in that denomination. The informal afternoon discussion on "God" gathered a small but well educated group keen to talk. This continued at the restaurant in the church's basement, followed by an evening meeting with coffee, wine and goodies. Angela described how the Dundee group ebbed and flowed, providing a place for people to ask their questions but not necessarily remain long-term. In time, another bunch of people build enthusiasm again as they also experience the need to ask questions. We hired a car in Scotland and drove the rest of the trip with boxes of my books for sale on the back seat, supplied by my British publishers. The group in Kendal in the beautiful Lakes District was relatively strong and established, with good ties with the Kendal Ecumenical Group. We had an afternoon session on "God" in a lovely Manor House Hotel in the country, followed by an evening meeting in the Kendal United Reformed Church (Presbyterian and Congregational union). There are quite a few Quakers in these progressive groups, finding such places of silent meditation more conducive to progressive thinking than liturgies and sermons in churches promoting traditional theology. This group were especially thankful that we had come to this regional location as most overseas speakers pass them by. In Harrogate, the meeting was in the downtown Wesley Chapel where there was a strong progressive group drawing from neighbouring areas as well. Three young people who saw the advertising came for the first time. They were studying theology and philosophy and were very pleased to hear the discussion, especially as they had attended another church group the previous week promoting a seven day creation! One was studying feminist theology and writing a project on it - very gratifying. Given the usual lack of young people in such groups, they were welcomed
#" "

enthusiastically by the regulars! In Sheffield, St. Mark's Anglican Church has a long and strong reputation for progressive thought, having hosted Spong, Holloway and Borg in their Centre for Radical Christians. Consequently, the meeting was enthusiastic and welcoming with people happy to be in a progressive congregation where any views could be expressed. I reminded them how lucky they were! In Stockport, the progressives met at Groveland Baptist Church with enthusiastic support from their minister. Advertising had brought people from other Baptist churches and beyond. This church is active in providing meals for the needy and space for mothers' groups in their church-in-the-round building where they simply remove the chairs and use the open space. In discussion at that meeting, I realized how many different progressive-style groups are working in England, with their particular emphases coming from their various contexts, such as the Emerging Christianity group for the Evangelicals and the Modern Church group for Anglicans. In talking to theologian Emerita Professor Ursula King on this same visit to England, I was surprised that she knew nothing of progressive Christianity groups, yet her books would be ideal for progressive discussions. I was also made aware in this Baptist church of young people from Britain going to Moore Anglican College in Sydney in order to get a "sound" conservative Anglican theological education to bring back to English churches. In Barry in Wales, birthplace of Julia Gillard, we met briefly with the wonderful woman who had organized our visit and was the leading light in the local progressive group. She was weak with recurrent cancer and has died since, but she was thrilled the visit had come to pass, even though she could not attend. That night, we dined with their progressive group and the following afternoon met for a discussion on God at the Barry Methodist Church where John Shelby Spong had also been hosted. At Spong's meeting, a group from the Evangelical Alliance came to heckle and they came for me as well. One interrupted my talk after ten minutes and, when I requested questions at the end, a woman occupied the front of the church to give her testimony about
$" "

certainties, not doubt. We did, however, have a lot of good questions and some of the hecklers stayed for dinner and the second session, which began with great Welsh singing, followed by another presentation from me. Some of the progressives I met in Barry were involved in an alternative church service, The Gathering, under the leadership of Methodist minister John StacyMarks whose work with disadvantaged youth brought many young people to church. Rev. John Churcher, who organized the tour, hosted us at St. Albans near London. John is a Methodist minister who, in semi-retirement, gives presentations around Britain and promotes progressive thought. He is the author of Setting Jesus Free (Winchester, Hants: O Books, 2009) and Dying to Live (2012:). We met in a United Reformed Church in St. Albans whose woman minister is a progressive. The meetings across the UK averaged about 50-60 people per session. Although these were good numbers for them, they were apologetic there were not more, but explained that I was not well known in the UK. In fact, they knew very few progressives from Australia and even less about Australian progressive authors, yet they were eager to widen their resources beyond the few authors all progressives read. I have since remedied that by providing a list of Australian progressive authors and books they have written in the last six years. We need to promote our experiences more widely overseas after importing theologies from overseas for so long. We have a progressive story to tell that can revive the globe! People in some places in the UK did, however, know of George Stuart's hymns and Rex Hunt's liturgies. The questions asked were similar to those in Australia - how to introduce progressive material into churches; how to talk with grandchildren; how to talk with fundamentalist relatives and friends who would be horrified with all this; what to do about hymn language; what about prayer and spirituality? Some wanted to move beyond deconstruction and bring constructive progressive thinking to bear on ethics and other areas of life. Many people talked of being hurt by the church, whether because of their doubts or because of their sexuality. There was discussion
%" "

about images of God but not as much about going beyond any idea of God at all. Most were still faithful in their churches, but struggling with traditional rigidity. Their progressive groups offered places to share with like-minded people and with those who have given up and left the church. As for the usual question "Where are the young people?" there was a feeling that, since they had not been indoctrinated as had the older generation, they did not have the same questions or, at least, did not feel bound to stay in outdated world views. We need to stop thinking about bringing young people into the church, one person said, and learn from them out in the world. At the suggestion that we had failed our children's generation, one younger person spoke up, "You didn't fail us. You gave us what we needed -- permission to think for ourselves -- and we did!" Talking with different groups every evening, I became aware that progressive Christianity is, in many ways, a remedial movement. We become so concerned about the lack of young people, without considering that our questions and concerns are from our generation raised in the Billy Graham era. Most of our children were raised in a different era of Sunday School curriculum where more was said about God is love than about heaven and hell. Answers that liberate us do not have a corresponding question in their experience. We need to be thankful that liberating progressive theology is available to our age-group and not feel guilty all the time if it is not as relevant to the next generation. Permission to doubt, however, is something we can pass on by personal example. In a post-modern world, however, most learn this along with their toddler cereal. The people in UK progressive groups ranged across the spectrum - the second woman moderator of the Presbyterian church in England, Scotland and Wales; clergy of various denominations, active and retired; Billy Graham converts; ex-missionaries and non-government international workers; university professors and engineers; the widow of a well-known hymn writer; people not raised in churches. Most groups had some clergy support and some were organized by clergy. The majority of members were still in their churches and many attendees,
&" "

given publicity about the event, were new to progressive thought. They are not dismissing God as much as looking for fresh and authentic ways to talk about God. They enjoy the deconstruction but do not see the need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. This is a lesson to progressive groups whose leaders try to push their group further than the group is prepared to go. We have to think carefully about group hospitality to those just starting the progressive journey. There are some 55 small, independent progressive Christianity groups across the UK reading similar authors. This as a contrast to the Australian scene where most progressive groups are in capital cities or larger regional towns and progressives travel to bigger centres for events. This struck me as something to develop further in Australia - a network of small independent groups in country towns and rural areas supported and linked by the larger network. Such small groups could be encouraged by visiting progressives travelling and talking in their retirement. We tend to dismiss "country" churches as conservative, but people ask questions wherever they are. We need to encourage doubters in small towns to get together, regardless of numbers -- the "where two or three are gathered" principle. As anyone knows, enough small ink drops on a map eventually join up into one large pool!

'" "